Aging

This is a question that MEA mastery faculty member Dr. Bill Thomas asked on the cover of his popular book from 2004 (subtitle: “How Elders Save the World”). When I read his book, it was the first time I’d seen the African proverb: “When an elder dies, it’s like a library burns down.”

This is the second part of my interview with Elizabeth White, author of “55, Unemployed and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life”. If you missed the first part of the interview (posted yesterday), click here.

Chip: When I was writing “Wisdom@Work,” I had the good fortune of getting to know Elizabeth White, whose TED Talk from 2017 floored me. Then, I read her book entitled “55, Underemployed and Faking Normal: Your Guide to a Better Life” and I fell in love with her.

Being smart is about having insightful answers. Being wise is about having catalytic questions. Most questions start with Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How? My friend and author Simon Sinek suggests we start with Why, but sometimes a “Why question” can be seen as disrespectful or lacking in empathy, especially when you’re questioning someone’s motives.

It’s Summer Solstice, a change of seasons. As such, we’re quoting Yoko Ono: Spring passes and one remembers one's innocence. Summer passes and one remembers one's exuberance. Autumn passes and one remembers one's reverence. Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.

I’ve never met author Wendy Lustbader, but I liked this 2011 book so much we named one of the sections of our MEA library after the subtitle. She’s a specialist in aging and caregiving, teaches at the University of Washington and her past books include “What’s Worth Knowing” and “Counting on Kindness.”

Back in October, I wrote this blog post on why lifelong learning was an abstract concept that needed a physical home. This kind of adult learning seemed to be a DIY thing: it’s your responsibility to figure out how to adopt a beginner’s mind to allow curiosity to become your elixir for life. But, it didn’t feel like it was taking hold as a foundational way of being in adulthood.

As many of you know, we have an MEA Library with more than 400 books in 25 sections each defined by a question, not a topic. This is my favorite book in the section defined by, “What are the socio-political implications of aging?”

Like ‘Elder’, the Crone is another archetype ripe for discovery and a reframe, in these modern times. As I hit my late 40s, I found Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey to be an incomplete, and at times overly gendered fit for my own wandering journey through the decades. I wondered if there was a Heroine’s Journey?

CC: Instead of our typical Friday Book Club, this week we welcome one of my favorite writers and thought leaders. Good morning, Arthur. Honored to have you join us. No article went more viral in our MEA alum community in the past year than your June 2019 “The Atlantic” magazine piece entitled “Your Professional Decline is Coming (Much) Sooner Than You Think.” Why do you think the article drew such attention globally?