Soul-Searching in the Wake of Biden

A Special Message to the Spiritual Aging Community

Many of us coming into age, ourselves, have been shaken to the core by the wracking conversation about aging—How old is too old?—that has been relentlessly dominating the public consciousness. The following is an excerpt from my forthcoming book Spiritual Aging: Weekly Readings for Embracing Life that finds resolution to the difficult question in an alternative vision of growing older that views aging as a spiritual practice.

Dear Old Souls,

Of course you want to do what you can to make your contribution to the world. But when it comes to the particular challenge at hand, do you sometimes find yourself asking which is the right thing to do: push through the obstacle or instead to accept what is?

If you listen to the heroic voice of the warrior within, you’ll be warned that surrender is always premature. “You’re weak if you stop fighting too soon. Never give up hope.” Cue the triumphant music because no matter how tired you are, how bleak the prognosis, you’ve got what it takes. And often, you do.

But there are other times when in your heart of hearts, try as hard as you might, there are no magic arrows in your quiver. You could keep fighting at least for awhile if you want, but why? Not every occasion calls upon you to play the hero. You don’t always need to go to great lengths, try harder, learn more or do anything at all to instead surrender to the divine love guiding you to accept your life as it is.

You, old friend, already live here. You know this. But the worn out warrior who has been struggling all those years to get you here, doesn’t recognize that you have arrived.

When you are faced with a challenge and you feel called to rise to the occasion, God speed! But consider, too, how early this is in your process of casting off the old heroic models; how little experience you have in accepting the divine love that is already promised.

Whatever you choose, do so trusting that you are already in the embrace of a deep love that goes to the very root of divine consciousness. There are no mistakes here—to push or to accept. Only the fulfillment of life’s promise whichever it is you choose.

Spiritual Aging, while largely evading mainstream paradigms, is gaining traction on a grassroots level. If you are new to us, you can learn more about this burgeoning movement HERE —Fiercely Yours, Carol Orsborn