The Third Act



The last three decades of life - The Third Act is dependent on how WE desire to live in our later years. (This sure does not apply to my younger readers, who are making a quick exit right now). But, according to research. . . Sixty-five million (of the original 76 million) in the boomer population are still alive and kicking. They range in age from 53 to 71, and each one is approaching or already engaged in his or her Third act. Instead of moving into nursing homes, Baby Boomers are going back to school, starting new relationships, exploring their creativity, taking new spiritual paths, embarking on “encore” careers, forming new communities, fighting for causes in which they believe, giving their time and money away, and Yes. . creating bucket lists. There are still items on my bucket list that I intend to complete, before the kid moves me into his house to keep on eye on me. And, I still have room for new love. So many are, unwilling or unable to accept that our bodies and minds have gotten older, are clinging desperately to our remaining youth by investing in the wide array of “anti-aging” therapies. And, the rest of us have decided to accept our aging bodies and dress them accordingly.



Given the widespread ageism in our youth-obsessed society, it’s no surprise that baby boomers will do pretty much anything to avoid being branded as irrelevant and over the hill. This blog is proof.  It’s also important to note that boomers’ insistence on trying to keep their jobs despite lucrative early retirement offers is actually in their best interests.  I would still be working now, if my company was still around and I'm creeping up on 67 faster than the speed of light. Just the idea of getting dressed up for company functions, and the day to day executive conferences make me want to take a long look in my closet.  Instead of thinking of it as a downward spiral, where our health goes bad and our minds follow maybe we could think of it differently.

If life is a play, what happens during the third act?  Whether you’re looking at retirement, a late-life job change,  or a lot of birthday candles on the cake, it's squarely on your shoulders.   Words like decrepit, cranky, senile, over the hill – are words that are just filled with negativity. Even the term anti-aging is negative. . .the prefix anti actually means “opposed to, or against”. With so much negative thinking and words associated with aging, it’s no wonder so many people are dreading it. But you do NOT have to. . . You can Live to Enjoy your Third Act!



We are living on average 35 years longer than our great grandparents. That’s an entire second adult lifetime that’s been added to our lifespan. Let's consider the Third Act of life as the perfect time of Finishing ourselves. Shining our Trophies. Coming to peace with all the stuff we had or continue to have. Forgiving others and Loving ourselves  -  then we can live happier in our twilight years.

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