For most of his adult life Jack Yampolsky has been a numbers guy, but his life took a different turn when he started writing, and at the age of 81 he published his first book, a novel called Boardwalk Story.
Cami Walker who has multiple sclerosis was told by a health educator to give gifts to friends and family for 29 days as a way to deal with her pain and sadness. An interesting prescription! The gifts were simple -- making supportive phone calls or saving a piece of chocolate cake for her husband. And the effects were life-changing! Her new book, 29 Gifts: How a Month of Giving Can Change Your Life, is about how giving to others can improve health, increase happiness, and create meaning and purpose. Read more.
Most of us can regale the "youngers" on the positives of getting older. This optimistic attitude has been fueled by the Positive Psychology movement, which champions the idea that how we think about our day-to-day living shapes what it means to be happy. Now these principles are captured in a new term specific to later life -- namely "positive aging" -- focusing on what makes life worthwhile in spite of the physical or mental issues that may arise.
A new research study gives you a powerful reason to "connect and contribute" (and keep up with Coming of Age to find opportunities!). This recent study of 1,238 older adults shows that if you have a purpose in life, you'll probably live longer. The study measured the participants' ability to derive meaning from life and feel that they were working toward goals.
