Eightysomethings: Letting Go, Aging Well, Finding Unexpected Happiness w/ Katharine Esty
- Eightysomethings: Letting Go, Aging Well, Finding Unexpected Happiness w/ Katharine Esty Jane Leder 31:39
For some of us, turning 80 is right around the corner; for others, 80 might seem a lifetime away. No matter your age, listening to the stories of older women and the Wisdom they’ve earned can be instructive and uplifting.
I don’t know about you, but every time I read about someone who has lived beyond the current life expectancy averages of 79.3 years for women and 73.5 years for men, I give a fist pump and feel even more optimistic about my chances of spending more time creating a Legacy and enjoying life.
Katharine Esty will celebrate her ninetieth birthday later this year. For her, being in your 80s hasn't meant focusing on survival. “It is,” she says, “a time to enjoy a full life with people we love. Relationships are what matter most in life.”
Living as an eightyomething today is much different from how it used to be. There are more people in their 80s than ever before. People are healthier and unexpectedly happy. “The stereotypes of people in their eighties as frail, uninvolved, lonely are so untrue,” says Katharine. “The vast majority are doing all kinds of interesting “stuff,” living independently, and enjoying the gift of longevity.
But what about all the loss that eightysomethings will suffer? How can you be happy with so much heartbreak and with the end zone in view? How can you make new, younger friends? What about this business of being grateful? Is it a bunch of psycho-babble?
Katharine Etsy takes us on a journey of eightysomethings and introduces us to a group of older women and men who are happier now than ever. She shares their secrets and her own. You don't hear many people say, “Oh, I'm so excited! I turn 80 in two weeks!”
After listening to this conversation, you might change your mind.
