By Camryn McNeil, Senior’s Lifestyle Columnist
In the younger years of our lives, we are often occupied and driven by our families, friends, career, and other pastimes, but as individuals live into their older years and retirement, sometimes the sense of purpose and meaning can become lost or grey. Obtaining that back is possible, so you or your loved one can live an enriched, purposeful life.
If you think about when you were a child, you had a purpose to play, laugh and socialize with friends. When you were a teenager, your purpose and meaning to life probably shifted slightly from when you were a child, and then into your younger adulthood it shifted again. Our purpose and meaning to our lives are always changing, but often when adults hit their older years, they feel a little extra lost than before. Regaining a sense of meaning and purpose back into our lives can sometimes seem difficult or overwhelming, but I have a few tips on how you can obtain your purpose back into your beautiful life, during your older years.
Developing a gratitude practice mindset around our life has a huge impact on how we see our current reality. Getting stuck negatively chatting about aging to ourselves and our circle of people can directly affect how we see our purpose and meaning in life. Positively talking to ourselves about what we have, what we are grateful for and what makes our life so beautiful also has major impacts on our mindset. To create a better mindset around your life, I encourage you to create a daily journal where you list three gratitude’s. (Things you are grateful for).
Setting an intention, or a goal, can be an amazing way to find a sense of purpose. I would encourage you to start with a small intention like “I want to move my body for 10 minutes everyday for the month of May.” By creating intentions daily, or monthly will create a sense of purpose because you will be engaging in activities that are meaningful to you. To add some extra fun, share your intentions with a friend or loved one. They can hold you accountable or even join you!
Moving your body and eating healthy, nutritious foods, and hydrating our bodies is the foundation for everything. Moving your body daily is also a great addition to that strong foundation. When we eat nutritious foods and hydrate our bodies, we feel better! We can accomplish more! If we eat foods that lack nutritious value and drink sugary drinks, our brains are slower and sluggish. We feel tired, so we get less done! When you eat daily foods that nourish your body, exercise, and hydrate, you will feel more energized and inspired to get the things you want and need done.
Keep a simple tracker or log on your fridge to support you with getting these things done! Start to think about one thing today that brings you purpose and joy in your life. When we start to think about what we are grateful for, and share those things with others, it is like a butterfly effect. If you feel called to share with someone, please do not hesitate to email me and share your gratitude’s. I would love to know how you are going to find more purpose and meaning in your life, so you can live an enriched, purposeful life during your older years!
Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/photo/senior-man-in-orange-shirt-and-black-pants-doing-yoga-5067957/
