KRYSAN
THE WELLBEING CONSULTANCY
C R E A T I V E A G E I N G 
Photograph (c) Sunderland Echo 2009
CAN YOU TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS? by Marian Moore Three key features are said to predict strong mental function and quality of life in old age:regular physical activity, a strong social support system, and belief in one's ability to handle what life has to offer.
Happily, all three can be initiated or increased, even in later life and from this message of hope we should all take comfort and act - now. Shortly, I'll be a guest speaker for a Mental Health First Aid conference. (see USEFUL LINKS). Whilst I'll be touching briefly on the twelve years where I was in a very dark place, it's the last seven that are more revealing and which hold a message of hope. In his book Madness Explained, Richard Bentall suggests (and I know) that the symptoms of severe mental health problems are not indications of discrete 'diseases' but heightened incidences of the kinds of perceptual distortions we all experience from time to time. This shift in understanding and the broadening of the concept of mental health is good news. My understanding is that we are all at some point on a spectrum in relation to our mental health and that our point on this spectrum shifts continuously during our lifetime. It follows that, if we all have something called 'mental health', then let's all promote it. Let's all work to enhance our levels of happiness and wellbeing so that we can truly flourish as individuals, as families and as communities. I know that some of the factors that influence emotional wellbeing are beyond our control and they include our genes, how we were brought up and our material wealth and possessions. 
But, as the diagram shows, 40 per cent of our wellbeing is said to be accounted for by our individual outlook and activities, that is, 40 per cent is 'controllable'. That's a significant figure indeed and is counter-intuitive. The recent Foresight report, in association with the New Economics Foundation, helpfully highlights five ways in which anyone can work to develop their wellbeing. These simple steps, based on solid research, are designed to enable us to promote our own mental health, irrespective of personal history and material circumstances. The steps are - Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning, and Give.
They were modelled on the 'five fruit and veg a day' advice that has become a staple for physical health, and they focus precisely on the areas of our lives that are most within our control to develop, the 40 per cent shaded purple in the diagram above. I don't really care how old you are, my advice is keep learning. This, the fourth wellbeing step, is based on sound research that reports greater life satisfaction among people who set themselves the task of learning something new. Lifelong learning has been shown to improve self-esteem and encourage social interaction as well as helping us feel more competent, optimistic and resilient. I found my salvation through the ever-open virtual doors of the Open University. Learning became a pleasurable and useful 'therapy' and this worked for me. I discovered a quality of life in my sixties that I never thought possible even in my wildest dreams. But, I assure you, learning doesn't have to mean re-engaging with formal education - it could be picking up a long-neglected musical instrument, trying out a new recipe, taking up a sport or getting into the flow of a fulfilling challenge at home (or at work). Finally, this discussion has been all about 'hope' and I leave you today by stressing the absolute imperative of 'hope' for the spiritual evolution of the whole of humanity. Again because I've been there; I know that suffering equals hope destroyed. To define the complexities of the notion of 'hope' in words would take forever. It would mean harnessing your heart and soul - not just your intellect. Here's a snatch from a song that might help with the essence of the positive emotion of 'hope'. It's from the Lord of the Dance. I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black; it's hard to dance with the devil on your back; they buried my body and they thought I'd gone, but I am the dance and I still go on. They cut me down, and I leapt up high, I am the life that'll never, never die; I'll live in you if you'll live in me; I am the Lord of the Dance; said he. Here's something else for us to think about. Human hope is the greatest power in life and the only thing that defeats death. Eugene O'Neill Now, click on the link and enjoy Lord of the Dance 
"It is the old apple trees that are decked with the loveliest blossoms. It is the ancient redwoods that rise to majestic heights. It is the old violins that produce the richest tones. It is the aged wine that tastes the sweetest. It is ancient blessings of age and the wisdom, patience and maturity that go with it. Old is wonderful." Sister Mary Gemma Brunke
Ageism, pensions and the end of high heels - it's time I spoke upby Joan Bakewell The decades towards the end of our lives can be every bit as rich as those earlier years, as full of pleasure and fulfilment, of family and friends, but when they get public attention it is usually the negative kind, stories of problem pensions, spiralling heating bills or crimes against the elderly. This is probably why people dread landmark birthdays that arrive every five or 10 years, and are often clumsily eager to keep up with the young. It doesn't have to be like that. The really nasty birthday is the 70th. When I reached mine, I decided to confront it head on and talked my way into a new job, a column in the Guardian called Just 70. Writing it, I discovered a great many people who share my hang-ups. From the irritation of having to give up glamorous high heels, to the ridiculous overpackaging of goods, we had our own take on the world. Over the years I enjoyed contact with many readers. Audiences at literary festivals crowded round to share their memories and concerns. I came to realise how much they felt themselves neglected or patronised. That is why I've agreed to become the Voice of Older People after an invitation from the government, which is planning a major equality bill to spread fair treatment throughout the community. The outlawing of ageism is a central part of this legislation. I know it won't be easy to eradicate, but it is essential. In decades to come it will not be possible for the economy to support higher numbers of unproductive old. As more stay fit and active, they will not want to be dumped at home. If people have the skills and inclination to work for longer, they must be allowed to do so.
Society will have to make a major psychological adjustment: we will all have to recognise that working patterns and expectations must change. For example, old people can work willingly and effectively, but not for as many hours. Employers will need to accommodate shorter shifts, easier rotas. For their part, those who have occupied top jobs will have to negotiate lesser roles. What is important is to retain as big a stake in society's decisions as everyone else. This isn't just a matter for the old, it concerns everyone. The reconfiguring of how a society organises itself affects families, employers, providers of goods and services, and public institutions. Local authorities must know we need more public toilets; decisions about the Post Office's future must be about more than money. Libraries are cherished by the old and local authorities must be urged to keep them. Parks need to be safe: walking every day help keep us fit. Designers and architects need reminding of the old, too. Whoever put wheels on suitcases was a genius, but we still need places on planes where they can be stowed without having to be hauled up to the racks. Small adjustments will help life run more smoothly. The old are also shouldering much of the work of carers in our community: grannies care for grandchildren so that mothers can work; people in their 60s look after their parents, saving the economy millions. It would be good if tax breaks and benefits allowed those who care a little more cash for themselves. The years stretch ahead for most of us and we want to enjoy them. Wherever the old are energetic and cheerful, the world seems a better place. The time to create a country fit to grow old in is now. Then those birthdays won't feel quite so threatening. JOAN BAKEWELL, 2009 Greetings are sent to Dame Joane Bakewell who was 76 years of age on 16 April 2009
WORDS OF WISDOM by A Sage A widely used metaphor in Eastern philosophy likens a wise person to a stream flowing down a mountain. The direction of the stream is determined by the pull of gravity and the slant of the mountain, but the actual path is constantly shifting and changing.
When the stream encounters an obstacle - say a boulder or a thick tangle of sticks - it doesn't stop flowing, and it doesn't waste its energy in forcing a path through inpenetrable obstacles. Instead, it flows easily around, following the path of least resistance. Eventually, the stream's movement against an obstacle even as dense as a rock will wear it down, but that is not the intention of the stream - it is simply a consequence of its movement. Let us try to apply this metaphor to as many situations as possible, maybe the ideas behind 'creative ageing' will be yet another opportunity.
"I have only this to say about growing old - I didn't notice it happening and I don't agree with it." PAUL GETTY
AGELESS BODY, TIMELESS MIND by A Spiritual Leader A book worth reading is 'Ageless Body, Timeless Mind' by Deepak Chopra. More details will eventually appear in the ARCHIVES, but I choose to bring you at this point the Preface of this 10th Anniversary Edition in its entirety.
In July 2002 Deepak Chropra wrote,
"I look back on this as the most optimistic book I've ever written. I hope that sense of promise continues to fill these pages, because 'the new old age', as the media calls it, continues to advance, raising life expectancy and improving many of the ills and deficits of growing old. But the new old age cannot truly be new without a spiritual vision. To grow old should arrive as the crown of life - a phrase dating back to ancient Rome. Mere survival, even to the century mark, doesn't deserve that rich accolade. The crown is bestowed for wisdom, and wisdom in its purest definition means that you have learned to live the mystery of life. We have been given one of the longest life spans of any creature on earth, not for biology's sake - the moment a person's genes are passed on through having a child, the naked interest of biology has been served - but for the sake of the soul. It takes time for a soul to mature. When it does, there is no more beautiful thing in creation. Then old age is more than a crown, it is a revelation. "One unfortunate trend since this book first appeared ten years ago is that biology has crowded out wisdom more and more. It would benefit mankind enormously if the cure for Alzheimer's were to appear, if human growth factor could be used to reverse physical deterioration, and if the most stubborn scourge of old age - cancer - could be eradicated. Yet for all this promise, what is the point of keeping the human body from wasting away if in the end it remains a machine? It is sad to watch a finely crafted machine rust slowly in the rain, I grant. We are subject to physical forces such as entropy that tempt us to see ourselves like that. But entropy doesn't rule over spirit, decay bows before evolution, which is the master hand in creastion. "I wanted this book to give a glimpse of the master hand at work. You and I are its handiwork but also its co-creators. The business of life isn't breathing, eating and sleeping. Those are maintenance for the body - and important to attend to on their own level. The real business of life, however, is to find out who you really are. In the title of this book I called the human body ageless and the human mind timeless because they are our links to immortality. I meant that literally when this book first appeared, and now, when spiritual dignity is the single greatest need of every person, the truth must be repeated: You are the reason for life to exist, not the other way around. You are the goal of an eternal mystery. You are the sleeping god ready to awaken.
"Long life is worthwhile finally because, in the length of days, you and I will realize these truths together. In that belief this anniversary edition of Ageless Body, Timeless Mind is offered." DEEPAK CHOPRA, 2002
FOR EVERYTHING THERE IS A SEASON For Everything There is a Season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time of war, and a time of peace. From Ecclesiastes HOW TO LIVE TO BE 100 by A Brain Scientist This is a summary of an article about brain scientist and Nobel laureate Rita Levi-Montalcini. It is from an interview where she tells Richard Owen, a Times reporter, about the secret of her longevity and also why she wants to forget turning 100. The title of the main article which appeared in the Times on Monday 27 April 2009 is, The secret of longevity: no food, no husband, no regrets.
If you want to live to 100, you might consider following Rita Levi-Montalcini's routine: get up at five in the morning; eat just once a day, at lunchtime; keep your brain active and go to bed at 11 pm. "I might allow myself a bowl of soup or an orange in the evening, but that's about it," she says. "I'm not really interested in food or sleep." The secret, she says, is work: she still goes to her laboratory every morning to supervise an all-female team developing her Nobel prize-winning research on brain cells, and in the afternoon goes across town to her foundation in another part of Rome raising funds to help African women to study. She remains a passionate advocate of the rights of women, and still remember the thrill as a small girl of seeing women in uniforms driving trams in the First World War when the men were at the front. "I have never been ill, and I don't see the impairment of my hearing and sight as a handicap," she says. She wears a hearing aid, and peers at your closely when you talk to her, but tells you - convincingly - "My brain functions better today than it did when I was 20" She loves the theatre, but is not a great opera fan: "I love colours, flowers, works of art, but don't know much about music, apart from a bit of Beethoven and Bach, and some Schubert, Mozart and Chopin. She tries, she says, to "encourage the young to have faith in themselves, and in the future". She admired the late Pope John Paul II, but is not religious: "I envy those who believe in God, but I cannot. I cannot believe in a deity who rewards and punishes us and wants to hold us in his hands. But something of us lives on after death." Our soul? "No, our message survives. Our actions, our thoughts, they are the way we are remembered." Not all human beings should live to 100 though, even if this were biologically possible. "No. There is no room. If we all lived to 100 or more, there would be no space for the newborn." Life, she says, "has not treated me badly. I am a woman with no regrets - and I think without any grave sins on my conscience". Does she ever get tired of life? "Never." "ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE" All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms. And then the whining schoolboy, with his satchel, And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like a furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice, In fair round belly with good capon lined, With eyes severe and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws and modern instances; And he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slippered pantaloon, With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side; His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again toward childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything. William Shakespeare
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