MYTHS TO NOT LIVE BY

“Of all the self-fulfilling prophecies in our culture, the assumption that aging means decline and poor health is probably the deadliest.”

Marilyn Ferguson, Philosopher & Writer


Myth: Old women are depressed and lonely.
Truth: Women may get depressed and lonely from time to time, but reliable research shows that the least lonely and depressed women are over seventy-five!

Myth: You become less of a woman as you age.
Truth: Some of the best and brightest women, though past the half-century mark in years, are still climbing the ladder of success in the world.

Myth: Old women have more stress in their lives.
Truth: According to psychologists, older people in general have more stress-free days than younger ones. That’s one of the benefits of aging. The older you get you kind of realize that ‘hey, it’s not worth getting upset about the small things.

Myth: Growing older is synonymous with nothing but the loss of vitality and illness.
Truth: Research, and older women themselves, are demonstrating that one’s later years can be the richest ever in wisdom and spirituality.

Myth: If you are older and reminiscing about the past, or are becoming garrulous about the past, you are exhibiting signs of beginning senility.
Truth: These recollections are natural and appropriate, and their purpose is to resolve some of the conflicts of one’s life and to do a meaningful life review..

Myth: It’s normal to feel useless and sad in old age.
Truth: Millions of older women suffer from depression that can destroy their independence, cause emotional torment and lead to physical deterioration, but this condition isn’t normal and can be successfully prevented and treated.

Myth: The older you get, the faster time passes.
Truth: Mathematically, those proverbial endless summers of your childhood were not even one minute longer than last summer. What’s different now is how you spend your summer---simply put, you have more routines now and routines lend uniformity, which makes it very easy to be oblivious to time passing.

Myth: Everyone wants to, and should be, willing to hear our wisdom and opinions because we are older.
Truth: Even though we’re older and wiser, we don’t necessarily know everything or have all the answers.

Myth: Creativity is only for the gifted few and our talents dim with age.
Truth: Creativity is not just for geniuses. It is the energy that allows us to think a different thought, express ourselves in unique ways, it enables us to view life as an opportunity for exploration and it knows no age.