What I can appreciate now is that I took care of some important aspects of looking after my body – exercising and eating healthy nourishing food – not over-eating, and cooking at home, not buying take-away.
I appreciate that I was responsible in the jobs I held, always with an attitude of conscious application and service. I enjoyed sharing my love of art with my students of all ages and was constantly inspired by their ideas and their fresh engagement with their artwork. I loved working and sometimes I overworked my body and had to give up full-time work and work part-time when the body was sending clear messages.
I maintained an art practice which offered me the opportunities to explore my creative expression, learn more about painting techniques, and respond to the natural world in a visual way.
Family life, relationships, friendships and connection to work colleagues all enriched my life.
All of these aspects of my life can be said to have laid foundations for my life as an elder.
However, if I ask myself was I truly feeling consistently harmonious within, joyful and constantly steady and settled, the answer is no!
There was an underlying insecurity that seemed to be always laying in wait for a moment to infiltrate my being, to cast doubt on whatever I was doing, so that I felt that I was never enough, and consequently always feeling tension. Or if I chose to not feel the tension, I would drive myself with busyness, overworking, and sometimes drinking alcohol – whatever would numb and assuage the feeling of incarceration in an emotional prison. For example, I could be in a crowded room, at a party, and feel alone and isolated, disengaged from any true connection with others present.
Do I live with this unsettlement now in my elder years?
I can tell you that I now walk free of the emotional overload. And this is something huge to celebrate, and not something that I expected would be the case.
There is so much to celebrate about ageing when we begin to live in a way that honours the body and all others. When we let go of past patterns that have held us back, we give ourselves the space to grow.
For example, when I am not bound by time, the day flows with a rhythm that allows flexibility, adapting to whatever is presented. I am still working part-time, and I also take part in a number of group projects that bring purpose and focus to my life. I enjoy learning and connecting to other amazing people. I feel inspired and enriched by their presence, as what they bring is another angle of wisdom and experience. Friendships and all connections are treasured.
I am blessed to live with a loving and supportive husband who allows me space and freedom to live my life without imposition.
I no longer feel I am alone. As I have come to love and appreciate what I bring to others, I am supported and appreciated in return. Becoming free of expectations opens the door to the Soul and our multi-dimensional nature.
Old frustrations have been given their marching orders. Acceptance paves the way for harmony and equanimity.
Whatever attitudes I held about ageing are being dissolved as I settle into a deeper appreciation of this cycle of life and its purpose.
Ageing has been owned by our culture – the beauty industry, the health and pharmaceutical industries, the media, certain arms of the government – we are being told how to age and what will happen to the body, as if it is all an inevitable downhill path, and that we need to invest in products that will delay the ageing process. We are sold lifestyle products, bombarded with distractions, attractions, activities and medications which promise relief and to delay or prolong the inevitable physical decline.
What if we embraced this cycle of our elder years as a time of preparation for our next life?
That is big! That is a purpose worth embracing.
I have come to realise that this is a cycle of life where we can allow the inner life to flourish – unfolding from within all that we are, with no apology or need to be perfect. As we deepen our relationship with our inner being, our Soul, and with God, life presents us with opportunities to evolve. We can feel fresh and unencumbered by issues and complications.
Whatever loads we have been carrying – a heavy sense of responsibility, entitlements, judgements, regrets, guilt – can be addressed, healed and let go. When we focus on our wellbeing, and value our self-worth, every day is a sunny day, as we allow the sunshine within to shine out to others. There are many ways that we can be engaged with life and people such as volunteering, working part-time, taking part in projects, learning new skills. We can find our place in the world and enjoy staying actively engaged and useful.
Most older people I know will say that they feel young inside. The body will be clearing and discarding what it needs to in whatever forms it takes, and the inner life can grow more loving, expansive and inclusive. There is an Immeasurable Field of Love to access and embody. All it asks is that we live in a way that is true to our inner knowing, our Soul. Simplicity is key.
Material possessions and financial responsibility can and do support us, however they are only a part of the picture.
As we walk our footsteps of truth and light and joy, we imprint ageing with purpose, grace and beauty.
Bernadette C.,
If you enjoyed this article you may also like to read:
Birthday Celebrations
I appreciate that I was responsible in the jobs I held, always with an attitude of conscious application and service. I enjoyed sharing my love of art with my students of all ages and was constantly inspired by their ideas and their fresh engagement with their artwork. I loved working and sometimes I overworked my body and had to give up full-time work and work part-time when the body was sending clear messages.
I maintained an art practice which offered me the opportunities to explore my creative expression, learn more about painting techniques, and respond to the natural world in a visual way.
Family life, relationships, friendships and connection to work colleagues all enriched my life.
All of these aspects of my life can be said to have laid foundations for my life as an elder.
However, if I ask myself was I truly feeling consistently harmonious within, joyful and constantly steady and settled, the answer is no!
There was an underlying insecurity that seemed to be always laying in wait for a moment to infiltrate my being, to cast doubt on whatever I was doing, so that I felt that I was never enough, and consequently always feeling tension. Or if I chose to not feel the tension, I would drive myself with busyness, overworking, and sometimes drinking alcohol – whatever would numb and assuage the feeling of incarceration in an emotional prison. For example, I could be in a crowded room, at a party, and feel alone and isolated, disengaged from any true connection with others present.
Do I live with this unsettlement now in my elder years?
I can tell you that I now walk free of the emotional overload. And this is something huge to celebrate, and not something that I expected would be the case.
There is so much to celebrate about ageing when we begin to live in a way that honours the body and all others. When we let go of past patterns that have held us back, we give ourselves the space to grow.
For example, when I am not bound by time, the day flows with a rhythm that allows flexibility, adapting to whatever is presented. I am still working part-time, and I also take part in a number of group projects that bring purpose and focus to my life. I enjoy learning and connecting to other amazing people. I feel inspired and enriched by their presence, as what they bring is another angle of wisdom and experience. Friendships and all connections are treasured.
I am blessed to live with a loving and supportive husband who allows me space and freedom to live my life without imposition.
I no longer feel I am alone. As I have come to love and appreciate what I bring to others, I am supported and appreciated in return. Becoming free of expectations opens the door to the Soul and our multi-dimensional nature.
Old frustrations have been given their marching orders. Acceptance paves the way for harmony and equanimity.
Whatever attitudes I held about ageing are being dissolved as I settle into a deeper appreciation of this cycle of life and its purpose.
Ageing has been owned by our culture – the beauty industry, the health and pharmaceutical industries, the media, certain arms of the government – we are being told how to age and what will happen to the body, as if it is all an inevitable downhill path, and that we need to invest in products that will delay the ageing process. We are sold lifestyle products, bombarded with distractions, attractions, activities and medications which promise relief and to delay or prolong the inevitable physical decline.
What if we embraced this cycle of our elder years as a time of preparation for our next life?
That is big! That is a purpose worth embracing.
I have come to realise that this is a cycle of life where we can allow the inner life to flourish – unfolding from within all that we are, with no apology or need to be perfect. As we deepen our relationship with our inner being, our Soul, and with God, life presents us with opportunities to evolve. We can feel fresh and unencumbered by issues and complications.
Whatever loads we have been carrying – a heavy sense of responsibility, entitlements, judgements, regrets, guilt – can be addressed, healed and let go. When we focus on our wellbeing, and value our self-worth, every day is a sunny day, as we allow the sunshine within to shine out to others. There are many ways that we can be engaged with life and people such as volunteering, working part-time, taking part in projects, learning new skills. We can find our place in the world and enjoy staying actively engaged and useful.
Most older people I know will say that they feel young inside. The body will be clearing and discarding what it needs to in whatever forms it takes, and the inner life can grow more loving, expansive and inclusive. There is an Immeasurable Field of Love to access and embody. All it asks is that we live in a way that is true to our inner knowing, our Soul. Simplicity is key.
Material possessions and financial responsibility can and do support us, however they are only a part of the picture.
As we walk our footsteps of truth and light and joy, we imprint ageing with purpose, grace and beauty.
Bernadette C.,
If you enjoyed this article you may also like to read:
Birthday Celebrations