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When you retire, there is often an increased desire to know oneself and ones place in the world. This includes coming to terms with one’s mortality. Spiritual growth is an important ingredient to successful aging.
The idea of spirituality is often confusing. Many mistake spirituality for religion. While there are similarities, they are different. There is debate about the exact definition of spirituality, but we’ll explore some of the more commonly held thoughts.
Spirituality is the quest to know our true selves, and how our lives fit into a greater scheme. Often the pursuit of spiritual growth involves asking age-old questions. Where does the universe come from? Why am I here? What happens when we die?
American scholar, lecturer, author and philosopher, Jean Houston in LifeForce wrote, “When we don’t have to devote a large percentage of our time in fulfilling social obligations and meeting other people’s expectations, we can unleash these energies and harness them for self-awareness, spiritual development and creativity.”
Author and faculty member at the Jung Institute in Switzerland, Joseph Chilton Pearce wrote, “Old age is an intensely exciting time of exploration and return, of adventure and spiritual discovery. Sure the body starts getting tired and breaks down, but the mind gets sharper and sharper. The real challenge of old age is to risk all habitual frames of reference and to open the mind to another field of possibility that lies beyond the physical. [Once we gain] a foothold in the inner world, we then can encounter death with calm anticipation rather than a horrifying fear.”
In his book Aging as a Spiritual Journey, Eugene C. Bianchi explains it this way:
“In this process the elder experiences detachment from possessive relationships to things and a broader attachment to people. He or she becomes less a consumer, and more a sharer of material and spiritual resources…”
“A new picture of aging derives from a focus on an expansion of awareness, balancing our physical diminishment in old age with brain-mind development that opens up greater intelligence and new skills. We have the possibility of becoming enlightened sages.”
“The interior life becomes, in part, a preparation for contributing the authentic wisdom of age to the central concerns of communities and nations. The elderly, therefore, have the special role of cherishing life itself for its own intrinsic meaning.”
Retirement provides the time to explore spirituality that is often not available in the rush of earlier adult life. In fact, many consider spiritual growth and important part of self-care.
Becoming an elder or sage involves sharing our life experiences, knowledge and wisdom. The idea of old people being removed from society is being replaced with a dynamic concept of aging that consists of involvement and contribution to the physical, social and spirituality of the community.
This article is one of the Retirement Activity Guides. To learn more and begin at the beginning, click here.
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