Backdrop:
It is often said that elder life is difficult. Many people take the post-work retired life as a “leading to preparation” towards the ultimate reality i.e., death. Life, therefore, is no more an “adventure” but just a “routine journey”. Getting up in morning, idling away, seeing leisurely some movies or spending time with friends or family and waiting for sleep to come in night. That also does not come early and hence taking to pills to embrace sleep. Again, getting up in morning and wait for the day to come to an end. It is no more “leading the life”; its just “living a routine life” without any aim or purpose.
There is another way leading life though: living joyfully, meaningfully, and graciously. You become “older” but refuse to become “elder”. That’s the “grand way of living an elderly life”. Following five (5) ways are often found in any individual living such a lifestyle:
- Run Hard: People often say that you slow down with age. That’s quite but natural but at the same time we must keep ourselves fit and fine. A healthy body is the starting point of anything we want to do. If the body withers, everything will follow. Therefore, the starting point of leading a grand life is that we must keep ourselves physically fit. Whether we run 3000 steps a day or do jogging or cycling or swimming or active yoga, the principal objective is to keep the body agile, to the extent possible. Early getting up and leading an active schedule is essential for a happy and agile life.
- Think Fast: Mind is the ultimate driver of everything. Withering away of neurons or disconnect between them is the root cause of all loss of mental agility, beginning of mental impairment and loss of cognitive abilities. We may have the “best of health” but “slow mind” and that’s of no use in life. Life becomes a hell when there is mental slow down. The second principle, therefore, is that one should try to keep the mind up by engaging in all types of mentally active games / activities. Keeping mind busy and active is the biggest armory of a grand life.
- Live a King Size Life: This is crucial; you may have a good physique, an active mind but “think poor of yourself”. That does not lead you anywhere. The smarter people are those who think they are smart. Elderly people must do whatever they like to do: eat, move around and enjoy life irrespective of what others say. This living a life of a “king size” is the key to everything. The moment we start demeaning ourselves, we become smaller. Therefore, let us think big and lead a normal life as young person with all whims and fancies, within of course the boundaries of our age and social values.
- Be Happy Always: This is a big challenge. One can always be happy in a joyous moment. When we become old, there are several ways we can keep ourselves happy: being with nature, in company of family, helping someone, be kind to others, doing some good things, happy to travel, or any other such things. But we must also understand life is a unique path to charter and there will be difficult times as well: accident, facing serious physical disease, loss of loved ones, and many other difficult times. We cannot be happy with these; what we can do is to take them alongside as our “experience” and move on philosophically. Such things are bound to happen in life; better option to tackle them is to move on and see the next goal post. That’s the way one can move in life rather than being in constant grief in some sad moments.
- Be Attached but Also Be Detached: This is the final but crucial aspect of leading a grand life. Elders need to be attached with the tangible and intangible assets like house / property / family members / friends but at the same time they need to dissociate with such things “with rationality and without emotion”. In life, we will gain something and lose out on some others; that’s the law of nature. We do not get anything by being attached with emotions as that may result in severe mental pain, if something adverse happens in the said relationship or loss of some assets. Therefore, attachment with a sense of detachment is the best principle of moving on in life.
Conclusion:
Life is a journey where destination is obvious. And the taste of it all depends “not on the nature of journey” but on the “traveler himself / herself”. That is the philosophy of living life. If you are traveler in life journey and follow the above five (5) principles of leading a grand life, you may enjoy the voyage despite its being hard and tough. It all depends on you: your attitude and perspective. You can make it sweet & happy or bitter & difficult. Let all of us as elders lead a “grand life” and enjoy it to the hilt.