Breathe
By Concha León Portilla
Worldwide, two people turn 60 every second and life expectancy is increasing exponentially. Celebrating 100 years is no exception.
Science and technology have given us 30 years of life, without instruction. We are witnessing an unprecedented demographic transition that is changing the future of humanity. In January 2024, the World Economic Forum established it as a "macro trend" because of its irreversible impact on all aspects of society.
We are living longer and longer, and living is not the same as lasting.
The question is: if we are going to live longer, what do we do to live better?
Living longer means opportunities and challenges. It demands new models and strategies in all areas: health, jobs, savings, housing, family and social structures, education, entrepreneurship, health insurance, urban planning, pensions, tourism, entertainment, linkages and more.
It seems incredible that we are still more interested in discovering the elixir of eternal youth to reverse or disguise the years, than in designing urgent strategies to enjoy and face an unknown phenomenon: the new longevity .
In each one of us lives a potential senior citizen, we all go there.
It is time to work together to create a new culture of longevity, to put aside the stereotypes of aging and ageism, and to stop and plan how we want to live the third chapter of our lives, which can be the longest and most relevant if we choose to do so.
Undoubtedly, youth is a treasure, but let us not make it the only valuable stage of life. Enough of venerating it at any cost! Aging is part of the life cycle and can be lived with integrity, purpose, autonomy, health, meaningful relationships and dignity.
It is true that old ages are diverse. There are as many ways to age as there are individuals, and each person's vital baggage increases the dividing gaps. However, we cannot fail to see that many of us who are now in our 60s and 70s are healthier, more productive and active than ever. Undertaking, working, falling in love again, getting divorced, studying another career or master's degree, volunteering, running marathons, reinventing ourselves, participating, sharing wisdom. Defending our place in the world. In addition, we have endless options in networks, courses and seminars to learn how to age with dignity, values and physical, mental and economic independence. The new longevity demands, among other things, to reinvent ourselves several times. The previous scheme of: study, get married, work, retire and die no longer works.
Unfortunately, there is also another reality: that of the elderly who suffer from chronic degenerative, physical and mental illnesses, isolation, extreme poverty, physical and emotional violence, abandonment and loneliness.
Faced with a demographic change that requires ever greater attention and commitment, the WHO World Health Organization has named the decade from 2021 to 2030 the decade of healthy aging, emphasizing four fundamental pillars for the quality of life of the elderly: health, participation, security and the economic dimension.
"The Decade of Healthy Aging (2021-2030) offers an opportunity to bring together governments, civil society, international agencies, professionals, academia, the media and the private sector around ten years of concerted, catalytic and collaborative action to improve the lives of older people, their families and the communities in which they live."
There are more than one billion people aged 60 and over in the world, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. Many of these people do not even have access to the basic resources necessary for a full and dignified life. We have a huge job to do in terms of integration, labor insertion, economic opportunities, rights, education, housing and more, so that these years that science has given us have meaning and we do not lose sight of the goal that is to add life to years.
We are the most important person in our care. Our overall health is our responsibility. It is never too late or too early to start taking care of ourselves and to stop and plan for what's next. Self-care is the key to maintaining autonomy. Today we are fortunate that information is at our fingertips. With one click we can find everything we need to take care of our physical, mental, emotional, financial and spiritual health, our relationships, education and training. Putting it into practice is the task that no one can do in your place.
Remember: "Life is divided in two: the one you have lived and the one you have left to live... and even if you have only one day left to live, you have your whole life ahead of you".
*Collaborates in the media since 1982: directs, writes and produces videos on personal growth, culture, biographies, documentaries, institutional, educational and philanthropic.
She is the creator and founder of Enlace50, a community with presence in radio, social networks, courses and conferences that aims to enrich the quality of life of those 50 and older, through promoting a new culture for longevity with proposals and content that inspire healthy, dignified, happy, independent, productive and meaningful lives.
Since 2015 she hosts every Saturday on MVS102.5 and mvsnoticias.com his radio program Enlace50 aimed at a segment of the population that increases every day and that means endless opportunities, an underserved sector that urgently needs to be seen for its potential, resources, education, vitality, desire to make friends, learn and enjoy life.
She collaborates in the Senior Portal since 2018 and in the YT channel of Retos femeninos since 2019.
Convinced that curiosity is what keeps us alive and that it is never too late to create the life we have always wanted, she works to form communities committed to making a difference in the Longevity Revolution.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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