Licking the Razor's Edge (2015)

And yet, despite the evidence that shows the quality of life of the average elderly person
to decline rapidly after the age of 80, we remain a culture fixated on “staying alive” as
long as possible. It is as though many of us believe that life is some contest to see who
has the most candles on their birthday cake at the end of it all.
Most folks cling to the health insurance that they have or wish that they had better health
insurance. Most folks are waking up to the benefits of “going organic” (or at least wish
they could afford to do so), and are spending billions of dollars on “better food” – all in
the hopes of living lives that are longer and more comfortable. Most folks dream of
someday retiring to “live the good life” – even though the vision of this “good life” often
consists of sitting lazily in sunbeams while reminiscing about the life they led when they
were younger.
And yet what is the reality of getting older?
A number of studies have been done recently related to the real quality of life of the
elderly, and the results might be surprising to many. Essentially, whether those
interviewed were rich or poor, in relatively good health or relatively ill, the regrets they
mention when reflecting back upon their lives are remarkably similar:
*They wish they had thought less about their work and their goals and themselves and
more about their friends and loved ones.
*They wish they had spent less time worrying about their own comfort and more time
investing in helping others.
*They wish they had focused less on “living longer” and more on living more fully.
Essentially, they wish they had spent less energy trying to “stay healthy” and more
energy caring for those in their community.
“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off
living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon-instead of
enjoying the roses blooming outside our windows today.” ~ Dale Carnegie
So sit back for a moment and have the humility to answer the following questions:
How old would you like to be when you die? For those of you who answer that “it
doesn’t matter”, is one more day enough? How about one more year? Five more? Ten?
And what is it that you wish to accomplish in this added time? Why is it that you wish to
live longer than just for today? Is it merely to live as long as possible? Is it to be able to
“have more fun” or visit more “beautiful places”? Or is there something greater stirring
inside you now when you think about your end?
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