THE FOLLY OF SELF-DIRECTED AGEISM
By Debra Yearwood
Imagine applying for a job, but never sending your resume. Ordering your favourite meal but never eating the food. In many respects, this is what self-directed ageism does. It bleeds away the essence of life’s activities. The desire to do and experience things is there, even the capacity, but self-directed ageism acts as a barrier to behaviour, not allowing you to fully engage.
Unfortunately, self-directed ageism doesn’t always feel like a restraint. Sometimes it can feel right, even comfortable. You hesitate to buy clothes you like because they look “too young”. That’s the mature thing to do, right? You stop doing the sports you enjoy because your “body is not up to it”. A responsible decision surely? The truth may be that your lack of energy is a result of not exercising because you’ve told yourself you’re not up to the workout. If you seek out weaknesses and nurture a sense of lost capacity, then you will become your own worst enemy.
While growing old comes with physical limitations, the process is slow and there are many things you can do to offset negative effects. They range from exercise and food to medicine and technology. Today, older adults have never been healthier or better educated. Why apply the constraints of the past generations to people who bear little resemblance to their predecessors?
READ MORE – How to spot the signs and avoid it
HELEN IN THE NEWS
In January Helen was again featured in the Toronto Star. if you did not catch her piece, please find the linkk below.
Toronto Star: I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the significance of how language has framed our views about ageing. It occurred to me that much of the problem has to do with the lack of vocabulary to describe the various stages of life following teenagehood.
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BLOG: SPOT THE BIAS
By Helen Hirsh Spence
There is considerable irony in job ads that proudly pronounce the employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE/AA) but the words in the ad reflect anything but! Recently, I came across one that epitomized this scenario. See if you can spot the bias. For the sake of anonymity, I have changed references but the essence remains.
READ MORE HERE
EVENTS OF INTEREST
Guided Autobiography: Writing to Discover Your Life’s Patterns – Phase 1
Do you have memories you would enjoy writing about or some that you want to better understand? Guided Autobiography is a semi-structured process for life review – the preparation of a personal history. It incorporates group experiences with autobiographical writing and is led by a trained instructor using a tested plan based on a series of life themes. Themes help us gain access to memories and organize them. $262.50 – Online Course February 4, 2020
LEARN MORE HERE
Social Enterprise 101
In this workshop, you will learn more about social enterprise models and characteristics, local examples, support resources, and considerations for starting. Join us to learn more about this unique type of business that uses revenue-generating activities to achieve a social, environmental or cultural good. FREE – February 4, 2020
LEARN MORE HERE
Personal Branding for Creative Entrepreneurs
Most artists and creatives have a hard time with self-promotion and would much rather put their work into the spotlight than themselves. This is a challenging task in the age of social media, when everyone else is trying to do the same and algorithms are ever-changing. Forget about chasing likes and followers and focus on personal branding instead. In this workshop, we will walk through how to develop a personal brand and show how this strategy is present all around us, from best selling authors to your favourite Hollywood celebrity. FREE – February 21, 2020
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Copywriting 101
Every brand has a story. Learn how to craft powerful copywriting that puts your customer at the heart of your brand’s story. You’ll learn copywriting fundamentals – from message clarity to tone of voice. FREE – February 24, 2020
LEARN MORE HERE
WORTH SHARING
Perennials, not millennials, will trigger the next wave of talent retention efforts
To woo choosy workers, companies are competing harder than ever to attract and keep top talent. Here’s how they’re doing it.
EXPLORE HERE
VIDEO: How to live passionately—no matter your age
Author Isabel Allende is 71. and in this candid talk, meant for viewers of all ages, she talks about her fears as she gets older and shares how she plans to keep on living passionately.
EXPLORE HERE
NEWS & VIEWS
Below we have shared some resources, articles or tools related to ageing well that we think you might find of interest.
City of Toronto launches anti-ageism campaign with fake ‘aging cream’ posters
The City of Toronto is working to combat ageism in the workplace with a new campaign, complete with fake “aging cream” posters.
EXPLORE HERE
Too Old To Become An Entrepreneur? Surprise Yourself With This New Research