The concept of “empowerment’ is useful for dealing with the process of aging. When growing older, one needs to be empowered to still think and act for oneself. Growing older has sometimes been seen as a journey into submissiveness, as a period when one is involved in the process of stripping away while making sense of one’s life. However, far too few people consider what is sometimes called the third period of life as an opportunity for flourishing, where aging can be seen as good news rather than only negative diminishment.
Contemporary research has produced fascinating data about people who are in their eighties and nineties, and yet are still learning new things. With regard to physiological and biological levels, studies have shown that even at this age new synpatic connections can still grow in the brain if it is sifficiently stimulated, for human brains posesess what is called synaptic plasticity. It is well known that the synaptic connections in the brain will not develop properly in a newborn baby if one does not nurture her sufficiently, speak to her, and thus stimulate her. Brain matter will not develop if the brain lacks the necessary mental, psychological, and spiritual input. This is also true of older people. They can go on learning new things, and through this learning experience new synapses will continue to grow in their brain. It is therefore of the utmost importance to stimulate the brain, to enhance people’s awareness to develop new thinking through new learning processes. This is a most important principle in caring for older people.
– above excerpt from “The Search for Spirituality: Our Global Quest for a Spiritual Life” by Ursula King, pages 94-95.
Comment: Don’t stop learning, folks! Stimulate your brain by actively learning new things each day. Pick up a new hobby, a new sport, a new craft. How about painting or drawing or mastering the computer? How about doing research on a topic close to your heart? Never mind if you can’t remember well. Just be earnest about working your brain. Here’s wishing you … a beautiful mind.
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