Transcripts

Mike Carruthers:
Some people it seems grow old in the second half of life and dread it, while others thrive.

Ronda Beaman EdD:
For 99% of human history our age span was 18 years old. We're new at this getting older stuff - we don't even know what to do with this whole extended second half of our lives.

Ronda Beaman, author of the book You're Only Young Twice, says it takes some work to try to stay young but it's worth it given the alternative.

It's almost like taking a look at yourself when you were eleven, and that curiosity, that resilience, that optimism - you have to make a concerted effort to use those again in your adult life.

Ronda says actor/director Clint Eastwood is a role model for this.

He's seventy-six and just has a new movie coming out and he said, "I'm constantly changing and I'm constantly learning." People who attack life like that, like it's a continual class, instead of "been there, done that" that are maintaining their youthful characteristic.

Simply starting to think this way is the first step and Rhonda has a question for you.

Do you have a library card? You'll be surprised; I travel around the world giving these workshops - how many people go, "Wow, I used to." Yeah, go get one again, that has a lot to say about whether you're learning and whether you're continuing to grow.

You can link to Ronda's website from ours: somethingyoushouldknow.net I'm Mike Carruthers and that's Something You Should Know.