Overview

"Individually and culturally, we are at a crossroads in how we view ageing and retirement. The traditional image of a quiet, laid-back retirement is shifting. Many approaching retirement age are realising they will need to work longer than they had expected. At the same time, many are looking for ways they can offer their gifts and experience in a meaningful way. Marjory Zoet Bankson proposes that, if our older years are to have meaning and purpose, we need to address two key questions: ""What is my unique gift?"" and ""What is my legacy?"" In CREATIVE AGING, Bankson explores the spiritual dimension of discovering our unique answers and offers creative ways to nourish our calling, particularly where society does not yet have the organizational structures to support these productive energies. Illustrated by stories of people who have reinvented their lives as they age, the book is organised around Bankson's cycle of call: Resist: Feeling lost in a new terrain Reclaim: Discovering gifts I've put aside or neglected Revelation: Seeing my piece of a larger picture Cross-over: Joining inner and outer worlds Risk: Going public with a new venture Relate: Finding or creating structures for flexible participation Release: Offering service for the common good"

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9781594732812

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Reviews

Drawing on stories of real-life people, this practical, useful book develops the spiritual dimensions of aging in a way that makes what the author calls the generative years count. Bankson develops her book around seven themes. She begins with Release : letting go of vocational identity; and continues with Resistance : resisting change; Reclaiming : drawing energy from the past; Revelation : forming a new vision for the future; Crossing Point : moving from stagnation to generatively; Risk : stepping out with new hope; and Relating : creating or finding new structures for a new kind of work. The book is a valuable tool for those beginning to think of retirement, forced into retirement by the present economy, as the situation forces the reader to look at how s(he) looks at her(himself) as a person or as a worker. Each chapter is followed by a reflection on the spiritual dimension and questions to ponder related to the topic. The epilogue, Living Wholeheartedly, focuses on the attitude necessary to age creatively, being grateful for the gift of this extra time to receive the grace that surrounds us every day. In simple language the author presents considerations that will give the reader a choice between growing old and creative aging as s(he) reworks her/his identity associated with a career, making peace with what has or has not been accomplished to discovering who s(he) is now and enjoying the freedom. She calls readers to remember that we are human beings not human doings. This valuable book is strongly recommended for anyone facing the reality of retirement./p>--Ann Lynch Catholic Library World

Precious and insightful will teach you how to age consciously as well as respect your limitations and joyfully reclaim your purpose and call. A treasure. Don't grow old without it. Rev. Holly W. Whitcomb, author, Seven Spiritual Gifts of Waiting Aimed at but by no means limited to the boomer generation, hits the right note aging is not just about giving back, but about giving forward offering ourselves for some larger purpose rather than simply protecting what we have. Fr. Tom Ryan, author, Soul Fire: Accessing Your Creativity A great gift to everyone in the field of aging. With gentle, deep encouragement ... [it] walks readers through what has been lost, mourned, reclaimed, and points toward finding the creative call in the later years . Strongly recommended for everyone in the third stage as well as professional and interested laypersons. Phoebe Girard, hospice worker; cofounder, Conscious Aging Network of New Mexico; former editorial board member, ASA Forum on Religion, Spirituality and Aging A must-read for anyone who wants more out of their later years than the traditional retirement experience . A unique contribution to the field of literature on aging and retirement. Molly Srode, author, Creating a Spiriting Retirement and Keeping Spiritual Balance as We Grow Older Doesn't so much take us by the hand as it opens doors to thinking about what is right for each of us. Matilda Charles, Senior News Line A deep and stirring reminder that the later years of our lives can be creative, rich and even more fulfilling than those that went before. Deborah Sokolove, artist and director, Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion; associate professor of art and worship, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C. [A] refreshing blend of deep wisdom, relational authenticity and practical tools a book that will make a difference. My list of the people I want to give this book to is growing. Doug Wysockey-Johnson, executive director, Lumunos (formerly Faith At Work) A road map of wisdom for the crossroads of life. [W]eaves insight and story [to] illuminate the phases of transition that we all will face in the future . Encourages us to move the conversation about such change from our head to our hearts. Terri Lynn Simpson, contemplative programs consultant, Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage, Washington National Cathedral Assures, encourages, challenges readers to embrace the questions, fears and most significantly the gifts of aging. The shared stories of elders comfort the reader who is walking the labyrinth of aging and seeks a spiritual path of dignity, grace, faith and love. Jean M. Richardson, executive director, Kirkridge Retreat Center Powerful and compelling deserves to be read and practiced by anyone, regardless of their age, who wants to reconnect with their spirit and live a life worth having. John J. Scherer, author, Five Questions That Change Everything; founder, The Scherer Leadership Center

Precious and insightful will teach you how to age consciously as well as respect your limitations and joyfully reclaim your purpose and call. A treasure. Don't grow old without it. Rev. Holly W. Whitcomb, author, Seven Spiritual Gifts of Waiting Aimed at but by no means limited to the boomer generation, hits the right note aging is not just about giving back, but about giving forward offering ourselves for some larger purpose rather than simply protecting what we have. Fr. Tom Ryan, author, Soul Fire: Accessing Your Creativity A great gift to everyone in the field of aging. With gentle, deep encouragement ... [it] walks readers through what has been lost, mourned, reclaimed, and points toward finding the creative call in the later years . Strongly recommended for everyone in the third stage as well as professional and interested laypersons. Phoebe Girard, hospice worker; cofounder, Conscious Aging Network of New Mexico; former editorial board member, ASA Forum on Religion, Spirituality and Aging A must-read for anyone who wants more out of their later years than the traditional retirement experience . A unique contribution to the field of literature on aging and retirement. Molly Srode, author, Creating a Spiriting Retirement and Keeping Spiritual Balance as We Grow Older Doesn't so much take us by the hand as it opens doors to thinking about what is right for each of us. Matilda Charles, Senior News Line A deep and stirring reminder that the later years of our lives can be creative, rich and even more fulfilling than those that went before. Deborah Sokolove, artist and director, Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion; associate professor of art and worship, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C. [A] refreshing blend of deep wisdom, relational authenticity and practical tools a book that will make a difference. My list of the people I want to give this book to is growing. Doug Wysockey-Johnson, executive director, Lumunos (formerly Faith At Work) A road map of wisdom for the crossroads of life. [W]eaves insight and story [to] illuminate the phases of transition that we all will face in the future . Encourages us to move the conversation about such change from our head to our hearts. Terri Lynn Simpson, contemplative programs consultant, Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage, Washington National Cathedral Assures, encourages, challenges readers to embrace the questions, fears and most significantly the gifts of aging. The shared stories of elders comfort the reader who is walking the labyrinth of aging and seeks a spiritual path of dignity, grace, faith and love. Jean M. Richardson, executive director, Kirkridge Retreat Center Powerful and compelling deserves to be read and practiced by anyone, regardless of their age, who wants to reconnect with their spirit and live a life worth having. John J. Scherer, author, Five Questions That Change Everything; founder, The Scherer Leadership Center

Precious and insightful will teach you how to age consciously as well as respect your limitations and joyfully reclaim your purpose and call. A treasure. Don't grow old without it. Rev. Holly W. Whitcomb, author, Seven Spiiritual Gifts of Waiting Aimed at but by no means limited to the boomer generation, hits the right note aging is not just about giving back, but about giving forward offering ourselves for some larger purpose rather than simply protecting what we have. Fr. Tom Ryan, author, Soul Fire: Accessing Your Creativity A great gift to everyone in the field of aging. With gentle, deep encouragement ... [it] walks readers through what has been lost, mourned, reclaimed, and points toward finding the creative call in the later years . Strongly recommended for everyone in the third stage as well as professional and interested laypersons. Phoebe Girard, hospice worker; co-founder, Conscious Aging Network of New Mexico; former editorial board member, ASA Forum on Religion, Spirituality and Aging A must-read for anyone who wants more out of their later years than the traditional retirement experience . A unique contribution to the field of literature on aging and retirement. Molly Srode, author, Creating a Spiriting Retirement and Keeping Spiritual Balance as We Grow Older Doesn't so much take us by the hand as it opens doors to thinking about what is right for each of us. Matilda Charles, Senior News Line A deep and stirring reminder that the later years of our lives can be creative, rich, and even more fulfilling than those that went before. Deborah Sokolove, artist and director, Henry Luce III Center for the Arts and Religion; associate professor of art and worship, Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C. [A] refreshing blend of deep wisdom, relational authenticity, and practical tools a book that will make a difference. My list of the people I want to give this book to is growing. Doug Wysockey-Johnson, executive director,

Author Information

Marjory Zoet Bankson, an artist and spiritual guide, is author of The Soulwork of Clay: A Hands-On Approach to Spirituality and Creative Aging: Rethinking Retirement and Non-Retirement in a Changing World (both SkyLight Paths) and many other books. Former president of Faith At Work (now called Lumunos) and editor of Faith@Work magazine for over twenty years, she now travels nationally to offer retreats and workshops. She currently teaches on spiritual companionship at Washington National Cathedral, the Servant Leadership School, and Virginia Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.

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