Description
Book SynopsisIndividually 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
Trade ReviewDrawing 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. Ann Lynch, SSJ -- Ann Lynch * Catholic Library World *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments vii Introduction: Making the Extra Years Count 1 1.WHAT NOW? Rethinking Aging 7 2. RELEASE The Inner Work of Leaving 23 3. RESISTANCE Moving Beyond Security 41 4. RECLAIMING Riches from the Past 55 5. REVELATION Where Does Newness Come From? 71 6. CROSSING POINT Joining Inner and Outer Worlds 87 7. RISK Beginning Again with More Focus 101 8. RELATING Finding the Right Form for Now 117 Epilogue: Living Wholeheartedly 133 Suggestions for Further Reading 137
