Once upon a time a young girl was badly tossed around in her real world, and ended up in a make believe world called Oz. Here she experienced many adventures, but deep within she knew this was not her home. At her core, Dorothy instinctively knew she was not where she should be. She knew she had to return to Kansas in order to live out the life she was intended to live. nnSo often a similar scenario happens in our own lives. Little time is devoted to finding out who we really are and the big questions “who am I, why am I here, where am I going?“ are ignored rather than pondered. nnWhen we were little, we knew the answers to these questions. Living life, learning what we should do, and doing what others thought we should do, made us forget our purpose. Life can do that. But like Dorothy, who knew in her heart she had to get home to Kansas, our task is to come home to who we are and discover why we are here. nnIn today's society we are at a crossroads. We have an aging population of pioneers living out extra years of life with confusion about living and dying with dignity, and few skills to know how to leave this world without regret. Watching closely and charged with the care of those who go before them are the Baby Boomers. They see the turmoil and the craziness, and must wonder what is real and what is make believe. Is the yellow brick road of retirement with false promises of extra effortless years as fraudulent as the Wizard with his empty promises? If so, who will guide us back to Kansas? nnPerhaps it could be those that have seen the difficulties first hand; those who have always made an impact. The world has witnessed massive changes in trends and traditions because of the sheer magnitude of the wave of Baby Boomers. Since childhood, they have had the capacity to implement change based on their interests and needs. Now, the Boomers hold the key to reframing our ability to live and die with dignity, and to help us learn to leave this world without regret. nnThe timing is right, with the Boomers being next in line to experience the aging process and their final transition from life on earth. It is estimated that there are close to 60 million Boomers online on the internet. If only five per cent actively engaged in finding their passion, that would be close to one million passionate people pursuing their life vocation. And if the life vocation of only two percent of that five per cent was focused on how we could reframe our ability to live and die with dignity and learn to leave without regrets. nnImagine the changes they would inspire! If each one influenced ten people, and those ten influenced ten more, and so on, imagine the affect the Boomers will have as they head into the springtime and summer of old age. nnWe have been given a gift of 20 to 30 extra years to live on this earth, a gift that has come without instructions. In our delight to fool the Grim Reaper, we did not give a great deal of thought to the price of this new found gift. But like any paradigm shift, it takes time to adjust to the ins-and-outs of the experience.nnFor example, in the early 1970s amid much consumer resistance, microwave ovens were beginning to hit their stride. The egg industry wanted to be the first to offer a microwave cookbook. As a consultant to this industry, I was retained to spearhead the activity. I received coaching from the university foods and nutrition department for a method of testing that would assure accurate results. nnThis was an enormous task, and included securing on loan 16 different microwaves representing 16 different manufacturer models, and undertaking a complicated process of testing each recipe 16 times in different ovens of different power capabilities. Today if you read a microwave recipe it simply states for the consumer to adjust cooking times for your particular machine. Who knew? nnThe particular methodology used evolved from the precise testing methods that were used for conventional ovens. Today we take for granted that djust cooking times for your particular machine is how we do it. But there was a time, not so long ago, when those rules were not set and agreed upon and the pioneers worked step by step to find a way that worked. nnIn 50 years when we look back on how we originally dealt with our increased lifespan, it will be hugely different then from how it is now. I believe the Baby Boomers will influence that change and if their choice is to live the last part of their lives authentically they will be seen and remembered as daring and courageous. They will greatly influence the lives of their children and grandchildren, and in the lore of the Aboriginal culture, they will have a healing influence seven generations into the future. nnThe word authentic is important. Living life authentically, without regret seems a significant challenge for Baby Boomers. While there are many who are currently carving out new ground for living longer lives authentically, there are also many pretending to be happy on the surface, but are truly miserable inside. They don't seem to know how to meaningfully fill their time. nnWhen you think about it, this mindset makes sense for many in this generation (men in particular) whose jobs dictated what they did with their time for multiple decades. When you suddenly take that framework away, when their working days are finally over, they are lost when it comes to figuring out what to do with all that extra time. They either spend their time living aimlessly, or else striving frenetically to do what they were always doing, thus attempting to maintain their former status in a completely different framework. nnThere are many people over 60 today who do not believe they should have to go through another great transition. This mindset harkens back to the "good old days" when aging earned a certain status and respect. Not so today. Times have changed, and those who want to change with the times have to be willing to once again reinvent themselves. nnThere are many myths associated with the last portion of our lives. One is that money will ensure happiness and give us what we need in our twilight years. But putting a price tag on our future can be dangerous if, as we are amassing money, we lose our will to live or knowing how to live life fully. If money alone is your focus it is easy to get caught up in material wealth, and forget what allows you to live the rest of your years meaningfully. nnThere is also a myth that the final stage of life is not a time of transition, but rather, a time to make up for all the fun we missed while working too hard. Have no doubt it is a time of transition! This reality will not simply go away if ignored. nnPerhaps these myths can be challenged and the Boomers will break trails for a transition pathway that will eventually become an accepted component of what the last phase of life will look like down the road. It would seem there will be endless possibilities for changing how we live. Because this is a different time in our life cycle, while our roles will be different, our service to the world will be no less important just different. nnThis final phase should be honored and accepted for what it is the last phase in the life cycle. There are many ways to go about this, from changing how we view death and how we die, and learning to live and die without regret, to helping people die, accepting how people choose to die, and accepting death's inevitability rather than seeing it as a failure of research or a lack of one's ability and will to live. nnTake notice of the kinds of attitudes and behaviors of those who are going through their last great transition right now. Do you have ideas about what could be different? Do you see yourself as having a role in helping initiate change? Do you find yourself wondering how we can make this happen? nIf any of this resonates for you, know that you might be touching on your calling, your destiny dream. Your return to Kansas! nnExcerpt from Judee Regan's book 'We Don't Die Well In The Western World: a message of Hope'
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