The Ultimate Journey of Later Life
In his book, Successful Aging: A Neuroscientist Explores the Power and Potential of Our Lives, Daniel J. Levitin makes a compelling case for seeing our later lives as a distinct phase of human lifespan and appreciating its important benefits. The 62-year-old psychologist and neuroscientist shows research that backs up his claims. Better decision making, increased happiness, and the beneficial effects of lifestyle changes in nutrition and movement are just some of the enhanced aspects we can experience in later life. All these contribute to the possibility of later lives that can be filled with wonder, curiosity, meaning, activity, and healing.
The journey of later life is one we all share. There is no escaping it. It is destined to happen. This is a time of profound change, not only in our bodies but in our entire experience of life. The universe brings these years to us with a massive upside. We are given the opportunity to see ourselves and experience our lives from a new perspective. We can look back at the path that got us to this very moment but looking forward, into our future is the ultimate journey of later life.
The wisdom we have earned on our path is also the guide to our future, how we decide to spend our lives from this point forward. Even placing yourself on this path requires courage. It is frightening and enlightening at the same time. Yet once I began to navigate it, there was a payoff waiting that dwarfs anything I’ve encountered in life thus far.
Like the Journeys of the Great Heroes
In all his writings and talks, Joseph Campbell stresses the comparison of the journey of our lives with the journeys of the great heroes of all myths and religions. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Myths to Live By, The Masks of God, and his many other works, Campbell found endless ways to teach that all myths and religions have their source in the individual human psyche. They are metaphors for our physical, mental, and spiritual journey through life, our attempts to make sense of the experience of living. They serve as explanations and explorations about how the world works. They also serve as moral and spiritual compasses.
I think Campbell would have characterized the possibilities of later life as “The Return Home,” a theme he touches on many times in his work. The “hero” (feel free to include yourself as a hero, just for being alive and having made it this far), returns from an epic journey, having learned a great deal about life. And whether that hero is Odysseus, Isis, Christ, Devi, Buddha, or you and I, the hero returns to the world of those not endowed with this life wisdom to convey his or her enlightenment.
We are all repositories holding vast stores of knowledge about life. We have huge experience and can make better decisions than we did when we were younger. Today many “older and wiser” people don’t appreciate themselves enough to share their wisdom. Perhaps their inner passion and inspiration to steer their own lives has eluded them.
You can look at your life, past and present, in a new light—to see the pathways and the guiding motivations that got you here. It is a way of knowing who you are to your core. This is one of the wonderful benefits of later life. Self-exploration, whether it is through therapy, reading a wide range of books, meditation, reflection, or shared experience, can unlock new pathways, insights, and wisdom. The resulting change in how you live your life from this point forward can be extraordinarily liberating.
The Only Question That Matters
I believe, like Joseph Campbell did, that deep within each of us is a barometer that asks only one question: Am I the hero of my life story? Put more plainly: Have I lived, and am I living, the life I was meant to live? Follow-on questions could include: To what extent have the powers and inspiration I was born with, given to me by the same forces that power the universe, been used as well as they could be? Have I been true to myself?
All mythological and religious figures have ultimately taken the great journey to find the inner truth of who they are, identify the power they possess, and gain true wisdom. In taking on the demons, resisting temptations, and seeking inspiration and light, they have gained new insight and strength. All their journeys are metaphors for our own lives. Have we taken our cues for our life’s journey from the core of who we are?
This eternal question—Am I the hero of my life story? (or Have I lived, and am I living, the life I was meant to live?)—becomes much louder as we approach later life. It makes itself heard as fear as well as inspiration. It is the fear of dying without having really and truly lived. We are afraid of the inevitability of getting older and dying. Yet we can be just as inspired to live out the rest of our lives in good health and genuine self-appreciation.
To truly encounter the special wonder of this time of life and its extraordinary benefits, tap into your eternal wisdom is part of the process. Consult your conscience, it is there to help guide you. Reflection, learning, and opening your heart and mind are also part of the process. What are you going to do in this ultimate journey of later life? How are you going to continue to live this life you were meant to live?
