“Incredulous.” I heard that word three times last week when it’s rare to hear it three times in a year. I also heard the phrase “moral injury” (the opposite of the awe-inspiring “moral beauty”) last week. This is when we witness the worst humanity has to offer, instead of the best. I know a lot of us are emotionally ailing right now, but it’s time to put on our big boy and big girl pants and show up with some moral beauty. We were made for these times!
I believe there are 4 tasks of the modern elder in 2025. I hope you’ll find these to be inspirational as we face the relentless uncertainty that this year is bringing.
- We are alchemists of gravitas and levity. We are keen observers of what’s needed at this very moment: depth or lightness. We know that laughter, at the right time and in the right dosage, is like a beacon of light in a dark time. We may lose all the rest of our senses before we die, but God help us if we lose our sense of humor. Laughter is carbonated spirit, a quality needed in these times, mixed with some obvious, serious realism.
- We know the past and can see the future while being very present. The older we are, the closer we are to the lessons of the past and the more we need to be stewards for the future. World War II isn’t fresh to me, but it is to my parents, who are still living, and have shared their stories. Ironically, the folks who can see the future best are those who won’t be living it as the average age of the ten most famous futurists in the world is over 70. We’re meant to be truth tellers based upon our keen pattern recognition, all with the intention of generativity, creating a better world for future generations.
- We are emotionally resilient and less emotionally reactive. It’s easy to be a pinball these days with our emotions ricocheting based upon the news of the day. Emotional intelligence grows with age and we’ve learned how to metabolize change and realize that we have an EQ toolbox that is bigger than when we were twenty years younger. We understand we can’t solve some problems, but we can outgrow them. We know emotions are contagious – whether it be anxiety or regret – so we are models for not letting the small stuff annoy us, but speaking up when the big stuff is at our doorstep. We are too old to be Chicken Little.
- We use our crystalized intelligence to come up with holistic solutions. The young brain is fast and focused. It’s called fluid intelligence. The older brain learns 4-wheel drive to move from the left to right brain more adeptly. This crystalized intelligence means we’re better at thinking holistically and being able to connect the dots. The more complex the world, the more wisdom is needed to distill down all of that information into the essence of what’s really meaningful.
I hope this helps you realize you have an important societal role right now when so many feel like they’re getting punched in the face. The world needs both your unvarnished insight, but also your unwillingness to give in to despair. And, in the end, just remember, be curious, not judgmental as Walt Whitman allegedly said long ago. Ironically, Whitman took care of those who got “punched in the face” as a nurse during the Civil War.
-Chip
P.S. If you’re an aspirational elder, you might enjoy our 2-day online Emerging Elder Masterclass April 17-18 with a wide variety of thought leaders from Maria Shriver to Michael Meade. And, we will be offering our very first Emerging Elder Workshop at MEA Santa Fe May 12-17 with me and academic Karen Skerrett who popularized the term “Emerging Elder.” If you loved our recent Midlife Mastery Summit, you’ll love this Masterclass as well. And, for those of you who’ve been asking for more content for those 55+, here’s your opportunity to connect with your fellow Emerging Elders.