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Welcome to Refined by Age!™
To become truly Refined by Age,™ it is essential to become intentional about developing the Seven Dimensions of Wellness in our lives. The dimensions are:
- Spiritual – Connect with your spirit! Use ways that are meaningful to you: whether that’s through your place of worship, prayer, or meditation.
- Intellectual – Keep your brain active! Learn a new activity, solve puzzles, play brain games.
- Physical – Stay active! As little as 10 minutes of physical activity, three times a day, five days a week meets the guidelines.
- Social/Cultural – Stay connected! Volunteer in the community, take classes, visit with friends, join online social networks. Our heritage and dreams belong to this dimension. Honor healthy family traditions and values. Bring your inherent gifts and talents into the world. Enjoy the diversity in the talents, gifts, and heritage of others.
- Emotional – Be mindful of how you feel! Engage in mindfulness activities such as yoga and tai chi; talk with your doctor or counselor if you’re feeling blue.
- Environmental – Go green! Include nature in your life: get a pet, plant a garden, visit local parks and walking trails, and make sure that the indoor environment you live and work in is healthy.
- Vocational – Working keeps us engaged and growing. If you’re not working, volunteer to help others, get involved in an avocation.
I will write about each of these dimensions on the Refined by Age™ blog. As we explore them together, it will become evident that there is a “dimensional dance” going on in each of our lives; much like a baby’s mobile in motion above a crib. The dimensions themselves are very seldom, if ever, equally balanced. They work together, much like our senses compensate for each other, to help create an overall balance in our lives through this dimensional dance that becomes more fluid as we become Refined by Age.™
I will also discuss age discrimination (ageism) as it is prevalent in society today and one, if not the last, relatively unchallenged forms of discrimination. Ageism is based on the stereotype of decline as we age. This leads society to diminish the value of our older adults; when in fact age brings wisdom, continued health if one is intentional about living a healthy lifestyle, continued learning, and participation in the community. It is my premise that: as we age, we continue to polish our souls on the stuff that life is made of. We get closer to seeing more clearly through the mystical mirror until that face-to-face day comes.
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Refined by Age 
Can’t wait to read more!!
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Thanks so much for your encouraging comment. Make sure to subscribe so you get my bi-monthly updates. If you have stories to share or personal thoughts that my posts bring to mind, please share them with others who have subscribed. It will make the exchange richer, so that we may truly be “refined by age” together.
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I love this blog! It fits right in with the book I am writing on aging – looking forward to more!
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Cheryl,
I hope this blog can be an inspiration to others in many ways; and I’d be so interested to hear about the book you are writing.
Best regards,
Kathy
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I have been sifting through what’s been published on aging in the last 10-12 years, having reviewed over 100 books and 30 websites to find aging “tidbits” that make biologic sense and are practical for aging as gracefully as possible. I publish examples of these tips on Facebook and my book website. I would love your input.
http://www.aginggracefullypathway.com/
http://www.facebook.com/agingtoolkit?ref=hl
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Carol Orsborn, Ph.D., at “Fierce with Age” is starting a digest of positive aging bloggers this week. I will be included as one of the writers in the digest. As long as I am properly credited for my work, I wouldn’t mind giving input on your sites. As bloggers, remember our words are our product.
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I am fierce about making sure people do get credit for their contributions!
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Thank you so much for that. Kathy
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Hi Kathy, I love coming to your site for inspiration. I’d be interested if you wanted to give input to my site, and yes I believe in giving proper credit also. 🙂
rich
www. bionicoldguy.com
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Well, thank you Rich. I have enjoyed your posts on http://www.bionicoldguy.com. I plan to read more this weekend as I am a fairly new follower, but love what I have read so far. Active aging is so important this day and age; especially in the rural geographic area where I live. By 2030, we will see our older population grow as the adult population who provides care for frail adults decrease. The best insurance for aging well is to make sure you maintain the temple which is your home – your body and mind. Best, Kathy
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Looking forward to reading posts.
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Thanks. I look forward to writing and sharing them and pray for inspiration and encouragement to continue to do so for a long time.
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Great idea
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Thanks, Julie. – Kathy
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As a member of rhe so-called greatest generatnso i represent the old old now a group which gets shrot shrift everywhere. But I’ve been writing against ageism since there was a real movment against ageism especially agaisnt women in 70’s and early 80”s. The movment got derailed for the jmost part. My Dewing Things Better column began in 1977 for Manhattan weekly Our Town.Two wnershiops later, I am still writing but can’t dwell too much on ageism or age apartheid in famlies. Do write lettesr to editor and somepritned. Could and hould put them into a book.
Sadly am a lot more militant than others writing against ageism today, and especially elders becoming bit players if that in the lives of those they love most, their adult. children.
Really a no no tha one. Anyone out ther intersted ?
BetteDewing
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Bette, I’m amazed to hear that you were speaking out against ageism in the 70s and 80s, and especially saddened that the movement was derailed. Keep writing wherever you can to keep this in the forefront of people’s minds. It is a great intellectual, spiritual and emotional workout for the soul. – Kathy
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Dear Kathy, Your reply most welcome as is your column/your Refined by Age mission..Keepthem coming to me. My column can be reached at Dewing Things Better (dewingthingsbetter@aol.com) or Bette Dewing. So hope to find others truly concerned with ageism and our society’s age apartheid policies Incidentally, Alsi I have so much related mateial that is just going to waste.
Please excuse my earier omment’s typos. Catarcacts need removal etctera and guess I was in a hurry.
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Every good wish! . ,
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Bette, There are more and more of us speaking out on ageism. We are going to reach a tipping point where we can’t be ignored any longer. Thanks for pioneering the cause. We may not see the change we are striving for. Society is a big ship to turn around. That doesn’t mean we quit doing the right thing. So, we’ll keep up the fight because we believe that’s the right thing to do so all people can age well. – Kathy
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While I feel it is great to be an activist about the way our society has treated the “age advantaged”, I’m much more interested in exploring the far-reaching impact that personal evolvement and empowerment can bring to the world… NAMASTE!
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Thanks regarding delivering these sort of good subject matter.
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Great site. Great need. Great mission. Thank you.
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Thanks for the kind words, sarasallydavis. Warmly, Kathy
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Looking forward to following your blog, Kathy! It’s a positive theme that I’m striving for on my website/blog. “These folks, it appears, found a way to use hardship, pain, and loss creatively. They have made of their lives works of art, they have found ways to become themselves, to achieve wholeness.” David Goff ~ Arrival
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I look forward to reading your blog as well Mary Lou.
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let’s smile alot more at one another – spemt las month in and out o o hospital andi sure did a lot of smiling./to keep up my sorits
so few people do anymore say in a sort of group settting – so many in the physical therapy room at Mary Manning Walsh with many more seruos illness than mine some were
onlly mid life with wht seemed to be wstrokes .others much older often had such disapbiliites. Beautfuful thereapy floor there and surely is an education on suffering and hope. Some volunteers took patiebts to and from their rooms..several were teen boys but there is a shortatge/ in general. last wedness day no volunteers showed. A thought. and reminder to smile. remind me.
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I am a life coach for retirees and soon-to-be retirees. Your blog will be so helpful to me as a life coach as well as to my clients who are dealing with aging and coming to grips with it. Thanks!
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Thank you for your work, Jonathan. I will be posting a series of eight articles on ageism in 2019 on a monthly basis. My blog has been somewhat neglected and I look forward to putting it in gear again.
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Make that nine articles.
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