Aging well

One of my goals has always been "aging well".. be like some of my grand parents who had wide perspective, great marital life and social circle.

I was reading a synopsis on "Aging Well", which is a writeup on study made on people who grew to old age, and have identified what it makes "old age" a successful, happy period of your life. Sounds very interesting and definitely worthwhile to read as we continue our journey of life.

The book talks about what it takes to age well. Healthy habits are important and more important is building healthy social support.

(a) The importance of marriage and the impact of divorce
(b) The role of play and creative activity
(c) The benefits of forming new friendships and new social networks
(d) The importance of intellectual curiosity and lifelong learning

"Giving" to people than you might take is essential for a satisfying life.

One of the reviews that caught my attention and resonated a lot with what I've acutely felt and heard often,

There may be a few steps one can take to improve the odds. The main task is to create favorable conditions for those mature coping styles that seem to unlock so many treasures of a rich old age. First, says Vaillant, “Our defenses are always more mature when we are not hungry, angry, lonely, tired, or drunk. Feeling safe, secure, and ‘held’ allows us to use more mature defenses.” Second, although it is not easy to change our defenses by ourselves, chance favors a prepared mind: “We can start by admiring how other skillful people cope. Then ponder, when things go badly for us, how we might have used self-defeating mechanisms.” Lastly, he says, consider this rule of thumb: “Don’t try to think less of yourself, but try to think of yourself less.”