Finding CALM in Life’s Changes: A Guide for Over 60s
In a year that promises plenty of change—a new old president, more climate-related challenges, the transition at home as my husband retires, another birthday, and travel to places both planned and unplanned—I’ve chosen CALM as my word for the year. It’s my anchor for navigating an already busy and unpredictable agenda.
To help keep me centered, I’ve turned CALM into an acronym that serves as my True North:
Curious
Accept
Loving
Mindful
Here’s how I plan to use CALM when life gets challenging, whether it’s dealing with difficulties, disappointments, boredom, or uncertainty:
Reclaim Your Future: Moving Beyond the Sunk Cost Trap
After a lifetime of being the family organizer, breadwinner, or caretaker, it can be challenging to let go of these roles. But embracing new identities can bring freedom and growth in unexpected ways. Just because you’ve always been the family peacekeeper or the one to host holiday parties doesn’t mean you have to continue in those roles.
Oatmeal and Aging: Transforming Narratives on Growing Older
Our experiences with parents and grandparents also profoundly impact our views on aging. Positive role models can inspire a healthy perspective while witnessing health challenges, financial struggles, or social isolation can create fear and anxiety about our own aging.