Getting older has a bad reputation. Happiness is in our hands, even in the middle of our lives.
Getting older does not have a good status in our society: the narrative of the old, weak, lonely and embittered person has become entrenched and clouds the view of many people. Perhaps this is because the aging of our bodies—our skin sagging, our joints stiffening, our hair graying—reminds us that this body is mortal, this life is finite.
So it’s hardly surprising that getting old, according to a study equated with dissatisfaction and depression on behalf of the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency. Science regularly contradicts this perception, for example in one studywhich came to the conclusion that people aged between 65 and 79 are particularly satisfied and that around 70 even get a “satisfaction boost”.
But happiness and contentment do not come automatically with age. It is also in our own hands how happy we are with ourselves and our decisions in life from midlife and beyond. To make this a little easier for us, we have put together some inspiration.
Let’s take the work ethic of Millennials and Gen Z as an example
Generation Z is often said to have a number of things in relation to their job ideas: They would change jobs like they would change their underwear and would prefer to have a 3-day week with full salary compensation and as little responsibility as possible. The 50+ generation, on the other hand, is said to sell their souls to companies and only work for the sake of work – without any rhyme or reason, without looking to the future and without social responsibility. According to forsa survey on behalf of the job portal XING, both sides are wrong – and are more similar in their morals and ideas than is always said.
The cliché of the workaholic baby boomer certainly has its origins in the time when many people over 50 lived at the time and when work was also associated with coercion: Man had to take certain paths because society, family, friends think so expected have. There was hardly any questioning about what you gave up for work (such as time with your own children) or what social and ecological responsibility a company has for its own workers and the environment. But millennials and Gen Z have challenged and partially broken that perception: No, nobody must do something just because others expect it, no one must sell his soul or do the same job for a lifetime, even though he:she doesn’t enjoy it at all.
And the aforementioned forsa survey shows: This mindset has long since arrived among the “baby boomers”! Be it a salary that is too low, a level of stress that is too high or poor management – the 50+ generation gives many reasons for changing jobs, which younger people also give. Follow your own passion, not climb a career ladder at any price, the ascent of which pushes us to our limits, both physically and mentally… We can take a cue from younger people and ask ourselves, “What is all this for?” Shouldn’t we be spending our time on earth doing something we really enjoy and fulfilling rather than squeezing into something that obviously doesn’t suit us?
The answer is – hopefully – clear. And it’s never too late to take the necessary steps to do so. Speaking of “never late”…
It’s never too late to learn gratitude and mindfulness
After 46 years of marriage, Bill is divorcing his wife Gladys McGarey – Gladys is almost 70 at the time and her world is falling apart. But the now 102-year-old sees these and other challenges in life (such as double cancer) as a challenge and a lesson. After the divorce, “it was no longer Bill and Gladys, it was Dr. Gladys McGarey. I reclaimed what I had – not just as Bill’s partner,” she told The Guardian.
In an interview with BRIGITTE, the doctor and author shares an insight that she wishes everyone understood: “Live and love every moment of your life, no matter what. Open yourself to the secret it can unveil or the lesson it can teach you. Accept what is and grow with it. Make every moment a treasure, even if it hurts.” It took Gladys many decades to truly internalize this insight, showing us all that it’s never too late to practice mindfulness and gratitude. Her old age and the happiness that she radiates to this day shows us all that her path is obviously a very healthy one – and we don’t have to be 102 to follow it ourselves.
Accept change in your brain – and make the most of it
Life is full of possibilities – especially when you’re young, the social consensus seems to be. We are creative, think outside the box, around the corner and, if necessary, criss-cross – and sometimes have great professional success with it. But the brain changes over the course of life, brilliant ideas no longer necessarily come automatically. We can have a hard time accepting that, especially when we’re used to coming up with celebrated ideas, Arthur C. Brooks, a professor of management practice at the Harvard Kennedy School, told the online magazine Oprah Daily. This is also due to the fact that society tends to focus more on younger people: “People go crazy because our society is obsessed with young people’s abilities and because they believe that they only have this one appearance on stage. ” And that comes to an end when you reach a certain age – doesn’t it?
What many ignore: Sure, it is a type of intelligence that can quickly make certain conclusions and solve problems (the so-called “fluid” intelligence) – but it is not the only form, because there is also the “crystalline “Intelligence. The lexicon of psychology explains both terms as follows: With fluid intelligence one speaks of processes of thinking that are “largely independent of experience”, with crystalline intelligence the ability to apply acquired knowledge is meant. While fluid intelligence decreases over the years, crystalline intelligence can be increased over a lifetime, explains the online magazine “Spektrum”.
So yes, it is quite possible that after a certain age it becomes difficult to innovate and solve new problems – but over the years it becomes easier for us to develop problem-solving strategies from our experiences and pass them on to the next generation carry on.
So instead of sinking into insecurity and bitter thoughts, we can use our abilities and perceive the possibilities that our brain gives us. In many cases, this has an impact on careers – but not necessarily in a negative way, Brooks explains: “You don’t have to change jobs or careers. But you have to imagine going from the cowboy curve to the coach Graph shifts where you’re now incredibly good at helping other people do amazing things.”
Sources used: oprahdaily.com, ons.gov.uk, antidisrkriminierungsstelle.de, psychcentral.com, dorsch.hogrefe.com, xing.com, theguardian.com, Spektrum.de