THE INSPIRATION COMPILATION A NEW DAY, A NEW SEASON “Always be alive to the fact not to define


yourself as an aging person,” Rosenthal says. “Because it constrains you unnecessarily. I like walking up my street and seeing people of all ages. I like talking to young people, and I like talking to very old people. I like getting a bunch of different perspectives on things. It’s very fascinating to suspend my prejudice that things have got to be thought of in a certain way. Why do they? Who says so? Let’s think in a different way.”


STAYING UNSTUCK Keeping an open mind and staying open to new possibilities takes effort, however. How can people keep from getting stuck in “rerun” mode? Rosenthal believes creativity is key:


Creative thinking leads to new experiences and perceptions. While there are many ways to help cul-


Norman Rosenthal, MD, psychiatrist, author, speaker


Once when Norman Rosenthal asked an older woman how she was doing, she sighed and said, “Everything that’s happening I’ve seen before. So now my life is all in rerun.” She had lost her ability to see the world


with fresh eyes, Rosenthal says, and was no longer alive to its variety and possibility. To prevent getting stuck, Rosenthal advocates for seeking out new ways of seeing the world. For older adults, it can be a way of feeling freshness in the days and avoiding the sensa- tion that life has no more surprises to offer. “Novelty, even if it's something as simple


as a new flavor of ice cream, or a new res- taurant, or a new way of seeing something, or a new song—I think that keeps us vital,” Rosenthal says.


tivate creative and refreshed thinking, two practices Rosenthal turns to are reading poetry and transcendental meditation. They can provide “scope and opportunity” for the growth of creativity within individuals. They inspire people to make unexpected connections that allow them to see the world in a new light, making for a more satisfying way of navigating life, Rosenthal says. His book Poetry Rx presents 50 poems


to readers to read, consider, and process through your own unique perspective. A 94-year-old woman recently told him that she picks up her favorite book of poems every night and reads wherever it opens. “She says invariably she finds some sol-


ace, comfort, excitement; something useful comes out of it,” Rosenthal says. “Even if it's a sad poem, if she's feeling


down or a little depressed, it's very validat- ing to read this beautiful little piece of art


that validates that, yes, there are times you feel that way. And that's a valid feeling. You don't have to exterminate it or extinguish it. You can live it and experience it and move through it.” “Poetry can serve as a creative way of


brainstorming whatever it is you're strug- gling with, whatever your life problem is, or whatever your mood is that you don't happen to exactly like at that moment.” In his book, Rosenthal recommends read-


ing a poem aloud, “to involve different sets of nerves and muscles” and to experience it a new way. The poem itself may be able to show you something new: “Be intrigued by what you don’t immediately understand,” Rosenthal writes.


NEW VIBRANCY Like poetry, transcendental meditation can inspire people to make unexpected connec- tions that allow them to see the world in a new light, making for a more satisfying way of navigating life, Rosenthal says. He has written two books on the topic, Transcendence and Super Mind. No matter one’s age, Rosenthal says, a


cluttered head is difficult to avoid. The day’s worries, responsibilities and frustrations can make it difficult to find the space for creativ- ity in any form. For Rosenthal, that’s where transcendental meditation has helped. Following a hectic, difficult day, one can


perform 20 minutes of meditation and “suddenly the whole world appears in color and vibrancy and detail,” he says. “That’s the renewing effect of meditation.


That is what all of us aspire to, including people who are getting along and are a bit older. It refreshes you. And when your mind is refreshed, it opens up vistas for creativity.”


TIP: Little changes can have a powerful effect in getting us out of “rerun” mode: changing your route to work, wearing a different color, or listening to a different style of music can refresh your outlook.


12 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021


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