If you're not familiar with Dr. Ken Dychtwald and his organization, Age Wave, you should be. Founded in 1986, Age Wave has become the pre-eminent consulting firm on our aging population. Dychtwald has just released a new book with co-author Bob Morison called What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life's Third Age. Dychtwald is contributing his earnings from the book to the American Society on Aging.

In a recent article for Forbes magazine, Dychtwald and Morison discuss the "Third Age," which begins somewhere after we turn 60 years old. They see the Third Age as an exciting and vibrant time of life, very much unlike what "retirement" used to mean. Instead, they write, "The third age is now full of potential for individuals, families, and society. The scope of this potential is enormous and unprecedented. And from this perspective, modern elders are seen not as social outcasts, but as a living bridge between yesterday, today, and tomorrow – a critical evolutionary role that no other age group can perform."

Still, Dychtwald and Morison pose an important question: "Will the Boomers use their experience and assets to help shape a future based on mindfulness and generosity of spirit? Or will they act only to promote their own interests #OKBoomer-style?" Psychologist Dr. Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, told Dychtwald and Morison, “The legacy to the Boomer generation won’t be the ‘me first’ image of their early years, but rather the potential huge surge in volunteerism that might characterize their later years. It’s not how you begin the act, it’s how you leave the stage that people remember.”

I think Dychtwald, Morison and Goleman have hit upon one of the key challenges of the aging process. Are we in it for ourselves or for something bigger and, presumably, better?

Most of the Boomers I know seem to be on the right track. They're interested, engaged and fully embrace the Third Age.

Personally, I've embraced the Third Age by calling it "rewiring" instead of "retiring." As I've written in previous posts, I chose to leave my primary professional career and rewire, not retire, to live what I like to think of as a multi-faceted life that includes some work, some play and some giving back.

During this tough time of COVID-19, it isn't always easy to maintain a positive attitude -- but you can be a survivor. How? If you have the kind of variety in your "rewired" life that frees your mind, heart and soul... and your underlying outlook is generally optimistic. More importantly, you'll leave a legacy of which you can be proud.

HappilyRewired.com is a Top 75 Baby Boomer Blog.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

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Most Boomers realize that we are at a higher risk for serious symptoms and perhaps even life-threatening complications from the coronavirus because of our age. Those of us who have underlying conditions may be at even higher risk. Given current virus surge conditions in several states, some of which have high retiree populations, Boomers need to remain vigilant when they venture out and prudent when it comes to mask-wearing, hand-washing and social distancing.

In our digital world, information about COVID-19 flows at lightning speed. At times, it seems overwhelming, especially if you have to cull through sources you may be uncertain about. I've been finding this to be especially true when it comes to the coronavirus pandemic and its deleterious effects on Boomers. Unfortunately, even the federal government is not always providing information you can trust.

One strategy I've used is to rely on legitimate health-related organizations, educational institutions and non-profit foundations for unbiased, objective information.

One such organization, The John A. Hartford Foundation, which is dedicated to improving the care of older adults, offers a particularly comprehensive resource of trustworthy information for older adults, including:

What Older Adults and Their Family Caregivers Should Know
Links to articles from ten respected organizations

What Long-Term Care Providers Should Know
Links to four helpful articles

What Health Care Professionals Should Know
Extensive information, including geriatric and serious illness care.

You'll find this excellent resource here:
https://www.johnahartford.org/dissemination-center/view/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-resources-for-older-adults-family-caregivers-and-health-care-providers

In addition, if you are looking for more general information about COVID-19 from an authoritative source, you might want to check out the Coronavirus Resource Center provided by Johns Hopkins: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/

Finally, if you want to know the risk level for the pandemic where you live, check out this remarkably useful U.S. county/state map from the Harvard Global Health Institute: https://globalepidemics.org/key-metrics-for-covid-suppression/

HappilyRewired.com is a Top 75 Baby Boomer Blog.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Read about 156 best and worst brands of the 50s and 60s!

This is an unsettling time for everyone, and homeowners are no exception. The good news is that if you own a home, it is likely to be your most valuable asset -- probably of greater value than any other material possession. You may have used the equity in your home to borrow money. You may have refinanced over the years to reduce your monthly mortgage payment. Or you may have been able to pay off your mortgage by now, meaning the equity you have in your home is all yours. 

But today, the place you call home may very well be an empty nest. The kids have grown up and you have excess space you are no longer putting to good use. It's a dilemma for a significant number of Boomers. Do you stay put -- in more house than you really need? Do you put your beloved home on the market and downsize into more modest living quarters? Or is there some other way to take advantage of your most valuable asset?

Here's a smart alternative -- Boomer homeowner Art Barry calls it the "downsize side hustle." He and his wife Sharon considered downsizing, but none of the typical options were attractive to them. So they decided to downsize with a twist. Instead of selling their home and moving into smaller quarters, they stayed in their home and did some clever remodeling, converting an unused bedroom and bathroom into a rental unit with a separate private entrance. The idea turned their most valuable asset into an income-producing property. Art says, "If you have a home and have too much unused space, you can probably come up with a way to turn it into real money. We had positive cash flow with our first month of leasing."

What does it take to create an opportunity to make part of your home into a rental property -- and what's it like to be a "micro-landlord"? In his well-written book, The Downsize Side Hustle, Art covers his experience in detail. He goes through how he and Sharon did it, pros and cons of using contractors and tradespeople, furnishing, utilities, marketing and advertising, tenant screening, landlord and tenant responsibilities, leases and regulatory issues. While Art and Sharon decided they wanted to rent only to longer-term tenants, this same concept could apply to short-term rentals designed for vacationers.

Obviously, not every home can be modified to the extent that it can become a rental property, but maybe Art Barry's experience will inspire you to think creatively. A "downsize side hustle" is an intriguing idea that enables you to stay in your home while generating some income. In this tough economic environment, it may be a smart strategy to consider. 

HappilyRewired.com is a Top 75 Baby Boomer Blog.

Read about 156 best and worst brands of the 50s and 60s!

Boomers who have self-isolated over the past several months may have been just about ready to loosen up a little bit and start venturing out. Then the surge in COVID-19 cases hit many states. This is both troubling and discouraging. Add that to what seems to be national tumult and finding a way to be positive is a challenge, to say the least. In fact, some Boomers may be wondering if it is even possible to be happy right now.

While there is no magic formula for happiness, the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, recently published an article that might be helpful. The article discusses important new research that points to resilience as a key differentiator among people who are happy vs. those who are not. According to the article, "research has found that resilient people—people who handle life’s challenges especially well, and who quickly bounce back from setbacks—are better able to hold on to the good, even in the presence of the bad."

Thankfully, resilience is a trait that can be cultivated, according to researchers. Research data from the study indicated that there are a number of things that resilient people do to find happiness right now:

1. They set aside time to take care of body, mind and spirit.
2. They help others.
3. They use social media properly.
4. They find ways to occasionally meet face to face while observing social distancing.

Read the full article for details about each of these four elements.

All of us have endured pain and made sacrifices, some more than others, during this pandemic. Some Boomers have taken ill, some have lost jobs and some may even be facing eviction from their homes. One thing I really believe about our generation, though: It is our perspective on life -- knowing we have survived life's challenges before -- that contributes to our own resilience.

As this hopeful article reminds us, "...when faced with challenges, resilient people don’t avoid negative states, thinking everything is fine. Rather, even while feeling stress, anxiety, loneliness, and depression, the resilient among us continue feeling love, gratitude, joy, and hope. Accepting (not suppressing) negative emotion is part of what it means to be resilient."

HappilyRewired.com is a Top 75 Baby Boomer Blog.

Photo by Kawin Harasai on Unsplash

Read about 156 best and worst brands of the 50s and 60s!