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A Time to Grow The Longevity Revolution. Liz Early. A Time to Grow?. ‘For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself Though in another dress And as the evening twilight fades away The sky is filled with Stars invisible by day’ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
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A Time to GrowThe Longevity Revolution Liz Early
‘For age is opportunity no less Than youth itself Though in another dress And as the evening twilight fades away The sky is filled with Stars invisible by day’ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Longevity Revolution • Living 25 – 30 years longer • The equivalent of a whole new adult lifetime! • Gift of Time / Time to Grow • Opportunity and Challenge
Ireland Demographics • Today living significantly longer than our Grandparents • Life Expectancy Ireland • 1916 53 years • 2016 78 men /83 women • Fastest in Ireland than anywhere else in Europe
Impact of Longevity • Society • Older population - • ? Dependency ratio increase • Politics • Grey vote • Need to plan for changing demographics • Personal • Decisions re how to live extra years
Longevity • Life no longer consists of the three familiar stages of education, work and retirement • Longevity changing all stages of life • Many writers / developmentalists recognising this • Erickson • Sheehy • Gratton & Scott
Third Act • Extra Years between ‘retirement’ and old, old age known as THIRD ACT
Third Act Ed Kelly Third Act
Third Act -Jane Fonda Upward Ascension of the Soul • Authenticity Wholeness • Wisdom
Third Act Question … Since I have served the expectations of my culture, reproduced my species, become a socially productive citizen and taxpayer, what now?
Third Act Potential Presents a rich possibility for spiritual enlargement, for we are never going to have greater powers of choice, never have more lessons of history from which to learn, never possess more emotional resilience, more insight into what works for us and what does not, or a deeper, sometimes more desperate, conviction of the importance of getting our life back (Hollis, J. 2006)
Third Act Development It is a journey across the most archaic, most daunting, most inviting sea of all – our own souls (Hollis, J)
Why Third Act Development? • Jesus is reported to have said in Gnostic Gospel of Thomas ‘if you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you’
Third Act Transition Ed Kelly Third Act
The Wake-Up • ‘no sooner do we think we have assembled a comfortable life than we find a piece of ourselves that has no place to fit in’ Sheehy, G
The Struggle • Twin Agendas of progression V regression war within us each day • Anxiety will be our companion if we risk the next stage of our journey, and depression our companion if we do not. • We are obliged to choose whether we wish or not • Anxiety & Ambiguity are developmental, always, while depression is regressive. • Anxiety is an elixir, and depression a sedative
The Breakthrough The delights of self discovery are always available Sheehy, G
Transition to Growth Individual Community Society
Letting Go • Thinking Patterns • Nostalgia • Roles / Responsibilities • Ways of doing • Relationships
Planning Forward • Personal Development Plan • Set Goals • Learn New Things • Embrace technology • Have conversations with significant others • Be courageous / daring
Managing stress • Stress linked with all the chronic diseases of ageing • Managing stress improves overall physical, mental and emotional health
Community Transition • Community involvement important for all ages • Create Inclusive Community • Appropriate housing • Accessible areas / spaces • SMART Communities
Societal Transition WHO; - when labour market, employment, education & social policies, & programmes support their full participation in socioeconomic, cultural & spiritual activities, according to basic human rights, capacities, needs & preferences people will continue to make productive contribution to society in both paid & unpaid activities as they age
Final Thoughts Lessons for Life: ‘Learn to type. Learn to drive. Have fun. Write postcards. (Letters take too long and you wont do it, a postcard takes two minutes.) Be punctual. Don’t worry about what other people are thinking. They are not thinking about you. Write quickly. (taking longer doesn’t usually make it better.) Get up early. See the world. Call everybody by their first name, from doctors to presidents. Have parties. Don’t agonise, Don’t regret. Don’t fuss. Never brood. Move on. Don’t wait for permission to be happy. Don’t wait for permission to do anything. Make your own life.’
Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary’. Steve Jobs 2005
References • Campbell, J (2003) The Hero’s Journey New World LibraryCalifornia • Coughlin, J. (2017) The Longevity Economy Hachette Book Group, N.Y • Fonda, J. (2011) The Third Act -U Tube • Gratton, L. & Scott, A. (2017) The 100-year Life – Living and Working in an Age of Longevity Bloomsbury • Hollis, J (2006) Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life: How to finally, really Grow Up. Gotham Books USA • Sheehy, G.(1996) New Passages – mapping your life across time • Westendorp, Rudi.(2015) Growing Older without Feeling Old: On Vitality and Ageing. Scribe London • www.thethirdact.ie