No Regrets, Let’s Clean Up the Mess Together

By Jim Selman | Bio

The Wall Street Journal last week had an article on the new theme of the annual commencement speech celebrity sweepstakes: “We are really, really sorry”. On campus after campus, speakers of the Boomer generation were apologizing to the twenty-something generation (I don’t remember the nomenclature for this batch of graduates) for the self-centered and often greedy abuses of

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Pessimist or Optimist: Who Has the Edge?

By Jim Selman | Bio

I was reading an interesting article by a prestigious think tank this morning that was saying perhaps the ‘recession’ isn’t as black or white as most of us make it out to be and that it most certainly isn’t as bad as conventional wisdom and media hype would have us believe. I noticed I felt a little better after reading it, but then I wondered why my mood shifted so easily based on only one article. Tomorrow I could read a darker scenario by another equally reputable

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Social Networks: Ending Isolation

Earlier this month, the NY Times reported that researchers are now looking into the possible benefits of older people joining social networks. With one third of people over 75 living alone (according to a 2009 AARP study), the National Institute on Aging will be awarding $10 million in grants to explore "social neuroscience and its effect on aging". According to comScore, a media measurement

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Alternative News

Alternative news sources offer a different perspective on what’s happening in the world than mainstream media. If you’re thinking of turning off news altogether, consider checking out options like these instead:

Centre for Research on Globalization (independent research group and organization of writers, journalists, scholars and activists)

Democracy Now! (independent daily news report)

Independent Media Centre (collective of independent media organizations and journalists)

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Kiev: Update

By Jim Selman | Bio

I have enjoyed my short stay in Kiev immensely and am looking forward to more exploring in this part of the world in future. I had the opportunity to have fairly intensive conversations with only 60 or 70 people, representing a reasonable cross-section of the country (from what I can tell). Aside from it being a very different culture (in terms of language, alphabet, history and architecture), it was evident to me that the people of the Ukraine share the same concerns, dreams and issues that we have in our part of the world.

This may be
obvious to anyone who has lived and worked in different cultures around
the world. But for those of us who have not, we sometimes live with the
unchallenged assumption that our differences are larger than our shared
ways of being and our common concerns. For example, much of the success
of European/American enterprise has been based in the power of the
Cartesian Paradigm—the worldview that everything in the ‘objective’

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Moving: The Big Change

By Shae Hadden | Bio

I’m sitting at my desk, watching the sun set behind the mountains, listening to the city winding down at the end of a long, hot summer day. My big move is now complete: all boxes unpacked, everything put away (at least somewhere, for now), cupboards stocked, and fresh linens on the bed. Three months ago, when I chose to relocate, I had no idea it would be such a circuitous route to my new ‘home’. But now that I’m here, I’m glad for everything that showed up in my

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Boomers: Change Agents for Aging

By Kevin Brown | Bio

Earlier in the spring, I wrote an article titled The Care and Feeding of
Seniors
in which I stated "I view aging: as a natural progression of life that embodies endless possibilities. This view is the core reason why I joined the Eldering Institute, an organization that promotes a life of power, purpose and possibility for Elders. I choose to live in a world in which individuals, regardless of age, are committed to continually creating new possibilities for their lives.  I am speaking of possibilities that allow individuals to share the very best of who they are.  In the world I envision, imagine the impact that Elders, collaborating with other generations, will have on the communities in which they live, learn, work and play!" Through my work with the Eldering Institute, I continue to be exposed to the work of other organizations around the world that share our concern for collaboration among the generations within community, for re-defining the way aging is experienced, and for seniors living a life in which new possibilities are generated.  What I am beginning to observe is the active influence that ‘Boomers’ (those born after World War II) are now exerting in re-defining the way in which aging occurs for society.  As Boomers experience aging for themselves, their interest appears to be shifting from a focus on family, work, and freedom ’55’ to a focus now (either directly or indirectly) on aging in which experience, wisdom and grace are willingly contributed back into community. Boomers are emerging as active in organizations around the world that are focusing their individual and collective efforts on the quality of life in the communities in which we live, learn, work, and play. For example:  The Vital Aging Network (VAN) is dedicated to creating vital communities in which people of all generations work together to find the right balance between meeting individual needs and achieving the common good.  Community Earth Councils (CECs) are groups of local citizens (young people and elders) in thoughtful, heartfelt conversation about their interests and concerns, followed by meaningful and productive action addressing both local and global human and environmental needs.  The Ashland Institute helps individuals, organizations and communities manifest their potential for wholeness. They seek to create opportunities for renewed alignment with purpose combined with a passion for emerging possibilities.  Here at The Eldering Institute we are a stand for people of all generations collaborating to create a world that works for everyone.  We offer courses and products that guide people to create satisfying, fulfilling lives, demonstrate their wisdom in action and collaborate in inventing possibilities that support a sustainable future.  Visitors to our web site are encouraged to sign the Eldering Manifesto in support of transforming our view and experience of growing older from one of decline, loss, boredom, isolation, loneliness and resignation to one of power, purpose and possibility.  What is increasingly clear is that new opportunities to collaborate to meet local, regional and global needs are being created as possibility each and every day.  No matter what age you are, the opportunities to impact your world have never been greater. As a ‘Boomer’ myself, I consider it a privilege to collaborate with other generations in which each one of us contributes the very best of who we are to enhance the quality of life in the communities in which we live.

Is the possibility of being a ‘Change Agent for Aging’ in your future?

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First Impressions: Kiev

By Jim Selman | Bio

I am in Kiev, Ukraine this week. This is my first time here. In fact, it is the first time I have been in this part of the world or to a country using the Cyrillic alphabet. I am not prepared to write a travelogue since I just arrived a day ago, but sometimes first impressions are fleeting but useful. In this case, my first impressions are reflections on an ‘old’ country that (from what I can tell) has yet to be discovered by the tourism industry. Even at one of Ukraine’s

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Following Your Bliss & U-Turns

The following segment from Tom Freston’s 2007 commencement speech to the graduates at Emerson College contains four pieces of wisdom about ‘being in action’ that are timeless. This man built MTV and Viacom’s cable empire, was fired by chairman Sumner Redstone, accepted a $60 million severage package and is now helping Oprah build her new TV network while you travels to Afghanistan, Burma, Rwanda and beyond and works with Bono to reduce global poverty and AIDS. 

One.

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