Welcome to my blog . . . I’d like to share some of my recent articles, Op Eds, policy suggestions and musings, as well as some recent interviews, both print and audio. I’d also like to share some excerpts from the TV show, called Positive Spin, of which I am the UN and Foreign Affairs Correspondent. I’d love to hear your comments. Thank you, Kim
Please see my recent articles below, entitled:
1) Yes We Can! 2) Social Entrepreneurs as Obama’s Agents of Change 3) The Spirit of Ubuntu in America 4) Time for a New Human Rights Agenda 5) Time for Greater Support for the UN 6) Peace Day: The Economics of Peace 7) 9 Steps to Vitality in Aging 8) The Third Act for Women: Finding Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment Over 50.
YES WE CAN!
By Kimberly Weichel
I was profoundly moved by the election of President Obama as our new president. As I reflect on why this election is so significant for me and for our country, I find there are many layers of meaning:
• President Obama offers hope at a time of wide hopelessness.
• He brings the promise of change most of us have hungered for after 8 very difficult years. A great ray of sunlight is penetrating the darkness, and this light is spreading everywhere.
• He symbolizes the potential that America offers. His father 60 years ago could not have been served at a restaurant, yet today he is president. This potential is there for everyone.
• His election has remarkably united America around something positive – ie. a hopeful direction for our nation. He has also catalyzed a national conversation within groups and communities across the country.
• He calls upon us to stretch – to go beyond petty differences, party politics, and the need to be right and to ignite a spirit of unity and collaboration – to choose unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
• His ‘Yes You Can’ message is very empowering to us all in our own lives and in our collective life as a nation. It represents possibility, dreams, and hopes. We can each translate this message to ‘Yes, I Can’. It transforms the old government philosophy of “No You Can’t” to “Let’s work together so we can”.
• He is a bridger of differences – he is black and he is white, he is from America and from Kenya and Indonesia. He speaks to all Americans when he says there is not a black America and a white America and latino America and asian America, but the United States of America. He speaks to all nations and cultures when he says that America is a friend of each nation. He speaks to the Muslim world by saying “we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and respect”.
• He evokes a spirit of service and reminds us of the price and promise of citizenship – that each of us are needed if we are to succeed, that we each matter and that our actions make a difference.
• He models shared responsibility with others and with life – in healthy, respectful and loving ways that helps create an environment within which we feel safe, loved and encouraged to offer our best. Responsibility is the keynote of the soul, and he is an expression of the soul of America.
• He raises the bar for us, to think out of the box, to see new possibilities, to dream dreams, to go beyond more of the same, to overcome apathy, and to honor the core values that constitute the foundation of this country.
• He raises the bar in government, outlining a new code of ethics for government, and aims to end secrecy and require transparency in all dealings.
• He inspires us to place trust in him and his team as they tackle the enormous problems facing this country. This evokes confidence despite uncertain times.
• He walks his talk. He found his roots and his voice in the community organizing tradition that fueled many of the social justice movements, which he still carries with him. He cares, he acts and he follows through. He is a great role model for us all.
• He reminds us of the importance of honoring our ancestors – how hard they worked and what they had to endure for us to have the lives we have today.
In many ways we were all being sworn in to our own highest potential at this election. We can ask ourselves – How can we each raise the bar in our own lives, including our words and actions? What is our own code of ethics, what secrecies do we need to overcome, and how can we be more transparent? How am I serving? How can I be more collaborative? Do I walk my talk?
I rejoice in this new era and all it means for ourselves, our community, our nation and our world.
YES WE CAN!
Social Entrepreneurs as Obama’s Agents of Change
By Wilford Welch and Kimberly Weichel
On the campaign trail, President Obama stated that he would create an office of social entrepreneurship, possibly in the White House, to support a new era of personal responsibility, and service. This is now becoming a reality.
The United States faces economic, environmental and social challenges so severe that “game changing” solutions are called for. We are no longer in a world where “business as usual”, or “government as usual” can cope with the challenges we are facing. We need fresh thinking by people not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom and approaches.
Social entrepreneurs think “out of the box” and explore unorthodox approaches to critical challenges. They focus on a big vision, take risks if the potential results seem justified, seldom take ‘no’ for an answer, and know how to collaborate. As Ashoka founder Bill Drayton is fond of saying, “social entrepreneurs do not give people fish, or teach them how to fish, they seek to change the fishing industry”.
While business entrepreneurs develop products and services for the marketplace to earn a profit, social entrepreneurs often use market forces to solve social and environmental challenges. Their primary goal is to solve a problem, not make money for themselves. And, they are happy to have others replicate their approaches. They see themselves as change agents rather than members of the status quo, collaborators rather than competitors.
Take Van Jones, for example, who was recently appointed as special adviser for green jobs, enterprise and innovation at the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Van is the founder of Green For All. While others see poverty in America, and our dependence on foreign oil, global warming and the need to jump start our economy as separate challenges, Van sees them as problems that can best be addressed in tandem. As a result, Green for All is working to generate “green color jobs” such as installing solar panels that will lead to enhanced skills for the poor, safer streets, and healthier communities. This in turn will result in a healthier economy, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help curb global warming.
President Obama has consistently stated that the problems we face will only be solved if everyone takes actions that will make them part of the solution not part of the problem. While such a message might have fallen on deaf ears a decade ago, they resonate with a large segment of the population today. Most Americans are well aware that we have been living beyond our means both as individuals and as a nation. That awareness has accelerated as clear evidence has been presented that global warming is real and may have catastrophic consequences. In addition, most Americans recognize that the federal and state governments do not have the creativity to solve our many social and environmental challenges on their own, despite the billions the administration is now spending to address these challenges.
The social entrepreneurial movement is the cutting edge of the “civil society movement”, made up of “private people doing public good”. It is arguably the fastest growing movement in human history, made up of millions of individuals taking actions, big and small, that address social and environmental challenges. Until recently these individuals and the important contributions they are making, were given little notice by the mainstream media, because their initiatives were not considered sexy or dramatic.
But, no longer. Take Greg Mortenson, whose passion for peace through education, has now facilitated building over 75 schools in remote parts of Pakistan, and was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Or John Wood, founder of Room to Read, who has worked tirelessly to provide educational access to 10 million children in the developing world. There are more and more of these remarkable examples that inspire others to take action rather than sit on the sidelines. Courses on social entrepreneurship are being taught in most business schools, and newspaper articles and television programs are giving social entrepreneurs more coverage.
The establishment of an office of Social Entrepreneurship in the White House suggests that this administration is serious about exploring new ideas to solve the tough challenges we are facing. Social entrepreneurs are the agents of change whose time has come.
Wilford Welch’s new book is entitled “The Tactics of Hope – How Social Entrepreneurs are Changing our World”.
Kimberly Weichel is a catalyst for change, author, and co-founder of entrepreneurial organizations. www.kimweichel.org.
THE SPIRIT OF UBUNTU IN AMERICA
By Kimberly Weichel
Ubuntu is an African word that embodies so much of what we seek in society today. In the Xhosa and Zulu languages ubuntu means “people are people through other people.” It is the spirit of oneness, unity, and compassion, and expresses itself in a desire to help others and include everyone. As Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa says, in ubuntu “my humanity is caught up inextricably in yours. When I dehumanize you, I inexorably dehumanize myself. The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms.” And Nelson Mandela explains “The spirit of ubuntu – that profound African sense that we are human only through the humanity of other human beings – is not a parochial phenomenon, but has added globally to our common search for a better world.”
The call for our time is to nurture the spirit of ubuntu in these United States of America. This means building on the spirit and principles our country was founded on – the principles of fairness, equality, justice, freedom and democracy. As we embark on a new administration with new leadership, this is an ideal time to reignite these values and principles into our government and society. Our Constitution begins with “We the People” – we entrust our government to govern “of the people, by the people, and for the people”. President Obama said it well in his inauguration speech, “What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character than giving our all to a difficult task.”
Ubuntu is the spirit of peace – it’s the spirit of win-win – meaning that if a solution doesn’t work for you, then it doesn’t work for me either. Yet it goes beyond Western concepts of me and you to “I evolve and grow because of you.” It refutes our past decade morais of “Look out for No.1”, the competitive motto “it’s about winning”, and the capitalist value of “more is better”. Our ability to be fully alive and fulfilled is integrally linked with the actions, perceptions and attitudes of others. It is the spirit of cooperation in action.
What if peace, well-being and the spirit of ubuntu were the organizing principles of our government and society? How different would our policies be? How can we build bridges of peace in our communities, schools, mass media, workplaces, and our country? How would this affect the climate within this country, and the reputation and relationships externally? How do we advance a culture of peace?
Peace is commonly defined as the opposite of war. But peace is much more than the absence of violence. Peace is the dynamic presence of truth, justice, sustainability and well-being for all. Peace is a process – there is no instant method. It must be developed over time. Peace is a state of mind, a way of being. It is also a path of daily action. Peace is deep connection with self and others. Peace is personal, political, spiritual and practical.
In order to make peace an organizing principle we need to understand the root causes of conflict, develop a cadre of trained personnel, require peacebuilding courses in our schools, establish structures of peace in our government and in society, and learn to value peace as a core tenet. As Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated clearly, it is time to focus on diplomacy and development, two of the three Ds of our foreign policy.
The principles of ubuntu begin with the recognition of two essential elements of what it means to be human as our societies navigate together in this changing world:
The human spirit: In addition to survival needs, every human being has a fundamental need to lead a life of dignity, meaning and purpose – to know that our lives make a difference.
Interconnectedness: Our actions are shaped by and affect all other people and our natural environment. Our responsibility extends beyond our immediate lives and families to the entire human family. Issues of hunger and poverty are not problems of one country or another but are global issues, and we must solve them as global citizens.
We live in a world of vast differences that truly enrich our lives. Yet it is important that we learn how to effectively work with and honor these differences, and how to reduce misunderstandings and conflict so prevalent today. When we transform conflict by peaceful and nonviolent means we deepen the relationship with ourselves and with the other. It is time to end the cycle of utilizing force and violence to attempt to end or resolve conflict.
Today much work has been done to cultivate initiatives and organizations that do just that, and that help to establish a culture of peace and spirit of ubuntu. The following initiatives are extraordinary examples of that spirit:
1) The United Nations International Day of Peace – http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org
2) The Department of Peace and Non-Violence (HR808) – http://www.thepeacealliance.org
3) The National Peace Academy – http://www.nationalpeaceacademy.us
4) OH State Resolution Commission – http://disputeresolution.ohio.gov
5) 3D Security Initiative – http://www.3dsecurity.org
6) United States Institute for Peace - http://www.usip.org
7) Peace and Justice Studies Association – http://www.peacejusticestudies.org
Association for Conflict Resolution – http://www.acrnet.org
These are just a few of the many initiatives that support a foundation of peace in our society – so critical at a time when violence continues to escalate, unemployment is rising, foreclosures are increasing and uncertainty abounds. In 2004 research from the World Health Organization stated that the cost of interpersonal violence in the USA was $300 billion dollars annually. While adding more prisons, weapons and police may be necessary, it does not solve the escalation of violence nor establish a culture of peace. It is imperative, starting at an early age, that we offer the structures, tools, courses and departments in schools, and throughout society, that effectively teach and enhance ways to communicate skillfully, understand differences, negotiate, govern and do business in the spirit of cooperation.
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey states it well when she says, “We must do everything possible to prevent wars from happening in the first place. In fact, war is the result of failed diplomacy. It is an outdated, calamitous way of resolving international crises, and it doesn’t make us safer.” And President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “More than an end to war, we want an end to the beginning of all wars – yes, an end to this brutal, inhuman and thoroughly impractical method of settling the differences between governments.”
We stand on a threshold of possibility in a moment of crisis. We have the tools and we know what to do; may we have the wisdom and courage to act in accordance with our better nature. We stand with President Obama as he states unequivocally, “America’s moral example must be the bedrock of our global leadership.”
As the African saying goes, “When there is Peace in the individual, there is Peace in the family. When there is Peace in the family, there is Peace in the community. When there is Peace in the community, there is Peace in the nation. When there is Peace in the nation, there is Peace in the world.”
Time for A New Human Rights Agenda
By Kimberly Weichel and Kirk Boyd
December 10th is the 60th anniversary of Human Rights Day, a milestone in the movement to protect people’s rights and freedoms around the world. This UN Day has a special significance for Marin County, since UN headquarters were originally planned for Strawberry Point, and there is a plaque in Muir Woods to honor the UN Founders. Fortunately, we have a new President elect, Barack Obama, to help us achieve the enforceable human rights that Eleanor Roosevelt, with others, envisioned with the creation of the Universal Declaration. Here is what our new President should do:
Follow in the Footsteps of Franklin Roosevelt.
The Universal Declaration enshrined the Four Freedoms that Franklin Roosevelt described in an earlier State of the Union address: Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear. Roosevelt stated that the Four Freedoms were intended for “everyone, in every country.” President Obama should make a public statement that the Four Freedoms continue to be a valuable guide.
Take a Seat on the Human Rights Council.
The United States was a leader drafting the Universal Declaration. This is a proud piece of American history that harkens all the way back to our Declaration of Independence and the principle that we stand for fundamental rights for all people, whoever they are, wherever they are. It was a tragic breach of our culture and our heritage when the Bush Administration left our seat on the very body that created the Universal Declaration. It’s time to ask our international community to let us rejoin them at the table.
Make Human Rights Enforceable.
We should plan to make the Universal Declaration enforceable. There is a project at the Berkeley law school, the 2048 Project, which is working to draft an international framework for enforceable human rights that can be in place by the year 2048, the 100th anniversary of the Universal Declaration. You can participate in the creation of this framework by going to the website at www.2048.berkeley.edu. Let your voice be heard!
Ratify the International Covenant on Economic and Social Rights.
Freedom from Want includes economic and social rights such as education and health care. President elect Obama said during a debate that “health care is a right,” and it is. It’s time for these rights to be put on an equal footing with rights such as free speech and freedom of religion. This is also a security issue. Abject poverty is fertile ground for despots. The US should ratify the Covenant on Economic and Social Rights.
Ratify the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW):
This Convention declares equal rights for women “in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field” and requires nations to take “all appropriate measures” to ensure equality. It was passed by the UN General Assembly in 1979 and was approved by Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2002, but there has not been a floor vote.
Ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:
This Convention incorporates the full range of human rights – civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights – for children. It came into force on September 2, 1990, and to date, 193 countries have ratified it, except the United States and Somalia. The U.S. has signed the Convention, but not ratified it.
Fulfil the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):
In 2000, world leaders committed their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and set out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015. The eight MDGs– which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education – form a blueprint that has galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest. The U.S. needs to meet its goals in each category.
When asked about the Universal Declaration, Eleanor Roosevelt said “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” She was right. “Yes we can” also applies to enforceable human rights.
Kimberly Weichel, a Tiburon resident, is president of the United Nations Association of Marin and San Francisco, and director of the Institute for Peacebuilding. Kirk Boyd, a Mill Valley resident, is Executive Director of the 2048 Project at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law.
Time for Greater Support for the UN
William Miller and Kimberly Weichel
President Barack Obama’s “inbox” certainly is not suffering from a paucity of suggestions on how to deal with both domestic and international crises. Yet high among them needs to be greater support for the United Nations. The good news is that he nominated Susan Rice, a highly-competent career diplomat, US Permanent Representative to the UN, and elevated the position to Cabinet-level status. Being a member of the President’s Cabinet is extremely important because UN issues are now on-par with the other key issues and not lumped in with or sublimated under other issues.
Ms. Rice is off to a good start by emphasizing Obama’s pledge to strengthen the relationship between the US and the UN. Ambassador Rice also stressed the US paying its legal UN dues in full and on-time. The US will soon be $1.6 billion in arrears to the UN and in danger of reverting to its unflattering moniker of the 1980s and 90s of being an “international deadbeat” by not paying its legal financial obligations. The US benefits more overall from the UN than any other country.
To strengthen the UN and enhance international treaties and initiatives, we recommend:
1) Strengthen global nonproliferation and the disarmament regime. The US can play a substantive role in 2010 during the review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty by emphasizing the commitments made by both the nuclear and non-nuclear countries to make sure they adhere to their original agreements.
2) Halt the proposed anti-missile system in Poland and the Czech Republic. This system will not achieve its goals, will alienate the Russians, and will cost close to $9-13 billion, according to a recent Congressional Budget Office study.
3) Ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The recent civil unrest in Pakistan emphasizes the frightening scenario that could occur if Al-Qaeda or the Taliban got access to Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. Arms reduction at all levels must be a high priority.
4) Support the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce abject poverty affecting 2 billion people, reverse the AIDs epidemic and other diseases, secure universal primary education, reduce child and female mortality rates, battle environmental degradation, empower women – cooperating internationally to achieve these goals. The US should play a leadership role in rallying international support.
5) Play an active role in helping draft the follow-up agreement to the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012 that will confront the ill-effects of global warming and climate change. As a run-up to the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December of 2009, both UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and President Obama stressed that 2009 would be the year for climate change and agreed that climate change is an “existential threat” to the world.
6) The US should seek a seat on the Human Rights Council (HRC) in the upcoming HRC election of May 2009. The HRC must have more hands-on leadership to broaden the agenda dominated by a handful of countries. The US, now that it is moving to improve its own human rights problems with the Patriot Act and Guantanamo Bay atrocities, can be more of a moral compass for the HRC.
7) The US Congress should ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Law of the Sea Treaty, (CLOST). CEDAW and CRC both inculcate major human rights provisions that are extended to everyone in the US and guaranteed by the Constitution. The US is only one of a few countries, such as Somalia, that has not signed on to these treaties.
The US should join the International Criminal Court that pursues individuals who have committed genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity. The concept of “complementarity,” which allows a national court to deal with any of its citizens accused of these crimes, negates the bogus argument that US troops who inadvertently committed some crime would be hauled before the ICC.
To its credit, the Obama Administration recently restored US support for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) by contributing $50 million to promote safe pregnancies and childbirths, as well as HIV/AIDs prevention and gender equality in over 150 countries and territories around the world.
With massive problems worldwide, it will take a multilateral forum and many countries’ involvement at the UN to bring the key players and resources together to confront these challenges. Most challenges today are global ones, and will take collaborative action working through the only organization that has the capability to deal with them collectively. During his campaign, candidate Obama said, “No country has a greater stake in a strong United Nations than the United States.” That phrase is even more accurate and timely today than it was a year ago.
William Miller is past chair of UNA-USA’s Council of Chapter and Division Presidents, accredited journalist for the Washington International and moderator of Global Connections Television. Kimberly Weichel is president of the San Francisco chapter of UNA, UN Correspondent for Positive Spin TV, and director of the Institute for Peacebuilding.
Peace Day: The Economics of Peace
By Chic Dambach and Kimberly Weichel
Today, September 21, is the International Day of Peace. It was established by the United Nations in 1981 to “commemorate and strengthen the ideals of Peace both within and among all nations and peoples.” This is an opportunity to reflect personally and collectively on how we live peace in our families, communities, workplaces and in our world, and to take specific corrective steps where needed.
As President Obama addresses the UN General Assembly this week on the importance of peace, it is also an opportunity to examine and dispel the myths around peace and war so prevalent in our society. We often hear the comments – “War is good for the economy, war is inevitable, war is patriotic”. Yet we rarely hear the affirming truth that peace is good for the economy, peace is inevitable, and peace is patriotic. We know it is. Consider the evidence:
Contrary to popular mythology, war is not good for anyone’s economy. If it were, the US would be thriving as we have been fighting two wars for almost eight years. War is a serious drain on the US economy and it is devastating to the economies where the fighting takes place, interfering with education, health, business, personal safety and human well-being. Oxford University economist Paul Collier in “The Bottom Billion” writes, “Civil war tends to reduce growth by around 2.3% per year, so the typical seven-year war leaves a country around 15% poorer than it would have been.” Business suffers, people suffer, and government suffers.
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost American tax payers at least a trillion dollars, with little to no impact on employment or economic productivity. If those same tax dollars were to be invested in reducing the debt or on domestic infrastructure development, education and health care, more jobs would be created and productivity would improve.
The obvious corollary is that peace pays. A recent economic report entitled “Defining Peace Industries and Calculating the Potential Size of a Peace Gross World Product by Country and Economic Sector”, found the total positive effect of peace in 2007 could have been some $7.2 trillion – if the world had been at peace. This net economic gain amounts to an addition of 9 percent to the world economy. The peace dividend varies from a modest 3% in Japan, to 80% for countries like Cambodia, Guatemala, or Haiti to doubling for conflict-ridden nations like Zimbabwe.
For those who argue that war is inevitable, we point to the Global Peace Index. It identifies dozens of countries, large and small, that thrive in peace. The Sydney based Institute for Economics and Peace, working with the Economist Intelligence Unit in London, quantifies the peacefulness of nations based on 23 indicators to produce a ranking from most to least peaceful. The raw measures include such variables as: number of external and internal conflicts; number of deaths from organized internal/external conflict; displaced people as percentage of the population; level of violent crime; jailed population per capita, and military expenditures as a percentage of GDP. New Zealand ranked #1, while the US ranked # 83 (out of 144) and Iraq ranked last. European and Scandinavian countries rank high along with Japan, Canada and Chile.
On November 1-3, a Global Symposium of Peaceful Nations will honor and study the most peaceful nations in nine regions of the world. Libraries and journals are filled with books and studies of war, but the qualities and characteristics of peaceful nations have not been examined. For the first time, the world will know not only which nations are living in peace but also how they achieved it. These models of peaceful behavior will be shared with the public and with governments worldwide to demonstrate that peace is possible and the pathway is marked. www.peacefulnations.org
There is a growing global network of citizen-based organizations with the skills to help people, societies and nation states prevent and mitigate violent conflicts, and they are becoming remarkably effective. To build a more peaceful world, we feel a reasonable investment of resources needs to be made to enable these organizations to scale up and have the capacity to meet the demand. Just the cost of the next F-22 (which has never been used in combat) would make an enormous difference.
Ultimately war is absolutely needless. No one wins. Systems and mechanisms have been established to resolve conflicts through dialogue, negotiation, and mediation. Over 90% of all violent conflicts are now resolved through negotiation rather than conquest. Let’s use the wealth of wisdom and expertise to by-pass the warfare and proceed directly to dialogue, negotiation and mediation to solve differences BEFORE they fester into violence. The International Day of Peace is a good time to start.
Chic Dambach is President and CEO of the Alliance for Peacebuilding (allianceforpeacebuilding.org) Kimberly Weichel is co-founder and Director of the Institute for Peacebuilding (kimweichel.org).
9 Steps to Vitality in Aging
Justine Toms and Kimberly Weichel
Why is it that some people seem so vital when they are older – looking and acting much younger than their years – yet others seem old before their time? What are the qualities and practices that keep us young and fit? How do we maintain passion, radiance and vitality as we age? Justine Toms and Kimberly Weichel share their wisdom and experience on these vexing questions.
1) Life-Long Learning
There is a cultural assumption that some day we will grow up. Educator and author of Spot of Grace, Dawna Markova questions this assumption. She asks, “But then what?” In fact, most of us never truly feel as if we are “grown up.” That is a good thing. It means that we are continuing in the process of learning.
In surveys done with people who are living an active and vibrant life into their eighties, nineties, and beyond, they found that one of the most common characteristics is that they are life-long learners. No matter what their age, they continue to be excited and curious about life and about learning new things. Science has proven that the brain has the ability to re-wire itself. Thinking, learning, and acting actually change the brain’s physical structure, anatomy, and functional organization. The physiology of the brain changes from top to bottom, called neuroplasticity or neurogenises. Markova says that life-long learning keeps us healthy. She states,”[O]ne of the things that keeps us growing forward is a state of wonder. This state of. ‘I don’t know.’ . . wonder promulgates growth.”
Indeed, the benefits we receive when we consciously apply ourselves to lifelong learning are enormous. It can influence our health, our outlook on life, and our social interactions. A Chinese proverb states, “Learning is a treasure which will follow its owner everywhere.”
“In a time of drastic change it is the learners who inherit the future. ” Eric Hoffer
2) Finding What Has Heart and Meaning
All of us want to live a life with meaning and one of the best ways to insure that outcome is to know we are making a contribution to the lives of others. This can manifest itself in as many ways as there are people. It could be one’s life work, or some volunteer work in addition to how we earn a living. It might be serving meals at a senior center, or picking up garbage in a parking lot. One might find deep satisfaction by planting milkweed in our garden thereby contributing to the health of the butterflies.
What any of these activities have in common is that they take us outside ourselves. One’s life opens up and becomes more joyful when contributing to the lives of others. A life filled with meaning often entails serving others in some way that has meaning both for us and for them. In these stressed-filled times our tendency may be to go into isolation. More than ever we must take great strides to connect with others rather than isolate ourselves. This will give our lives meaning, deep comfort, and a sense of belonging.
As Albert Schweitzer has said, “I do not know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
3) Importance of Friends
Friends are our support system. Growing up, friends were a big part of forming our personalities and supporting who we have become. Friends are people who like us in spite of our faults and who listen to us and tell us the truth. Friends support our decisions and tell us when we’re foolish. They laugh with us and share our grief. They are companions and share our interests. They argue with us and stimulate our minds.
Friends offer acceptance and emotional support. They also help occasionally with the practical aspects of day-to-day living, cooking a meal (or taking us out), helping with chores, or giving us a lift when we need one. Friends also are there to offer advice, an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on. Friendships help us feel connected, less isolated and help reduce stress. According to Pamela M. Peeke, MD, a professor of medicine at the University of Maryland, friends can even bolster our immune systems.
There are many different forms in which to share together with friends. Beyond sharing one on one, circles are a popular way for women to share together on an ongoing basis. Jean Shinoda Bolen inspired women in her book “Millionth Circle” to form circles as vehicles of societal and psycho spiritual change. Another form is Salons – gatherings for sharing food and dialogue in homes. Salons are an enriching way to share and deepen friendships over time.
A friend is someone who knows your song and sings it to you when you have forgotten it. - An African saying
4) Take Time to Celebrate Small and Large Accomplishments
One has only to look at nature to realize that it has something to say to us about the power of celebration. Have you ever wondered why there are so many different species of birds? Or so many varieties of flowers? Maybe nature is trying to tell us that this precious planet of ours is all about celebration. Award-winning architect and co-author of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, William McDonough has suggested, “Those who celebrate the most are the true evolutionary winners. Nature is all about fierce celebration.”
It’s important to take time to celebrate both the small and large accomplishments in our lives. Pause at the end of the day and take a moment to ask yourself, “How much did I enjoy the day?” More often than not we are looking towards the future and to all the things we must do rather than what we have completed. In fact, often times we find that most of the things we accomplish go unnoticed. The ritual of making lists can often help expand our enjoyment of life. No one can deny the deep satisfaction we get when we are able to complete something. Or, for some, getting away from lists and being in the moment is a way to celebrate the preciousness of life.
Take the time to celebrate all you’ve achieved and enjoyed!
5) Importance of Humor
Studies show that humor and laughter can prevent heart disease, boost the immune system and produce cancer fighting cells while making one feel optimistic and energized. It is a lifestyle choice and if it were a pill it would be a miracle drug.
Dr. Goodman, director of The Humor Project, defines humor as, “creative self expression that is an attitude, a perspective, a way of looking at life and a way of laughing at life. You can’t always control situations around you but you can control your internal responses to them with humor.”
Laughter activates the release of endorphins in our brains, the body’s own pain-reducing substance. It can raise morale, enhance the immune system, increase oxygen consumption, and benefit our positive connection to others.
So, next time you are down, try not to take things too seriously – take a laughative!
6) Positive Attitude and Gratitude
The way we think affects all aspects of our lives. It affects our attitude, our behavior, our relationships, and our actions. A positive attitude helps us better deal with the ups and downs of daily life, and particularly with all of the changes associated with aging.
A positive attitude manifests in a number of ways, including creative thinking, optimism, and motivation to accomplish our goals. We’ve all been inspired by stories of those who have been able to overcome enormous obstacles by choosing to have a positive attitude and not giving up. These people are choosing happiness and are looking at problems as blessings in disguise. Believing in ourselves and in our abilities, displaying self-esteem and confidence, we can accomplish great things. The Dalai Lama often talks about the need for us to have confidence in ourselves, “With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”
What we focus on grows. If we dwell on what isn’t working, that will increase, yet if we focus on what is working, what we are grateful for, that will increase as well. Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to increase happiness because it reminds us of all that is working in our lives.
Consider writing daily in a gratitude journal. Each evening write down three things from that day for which you are grateful. This practice will have an instant physiological effect on your body: your breathing will deepen, your blood flow will be less constricted, and your brain will receive more oxygen. It is like a magic pill. Test it out for yourself – see if it makes a difference in your life.
Cultivating the practice of gratitude is a simple reflection that gives great spiritual benefit. It does not deny the difficulties of life we all face, but it will give us a break from feelings of scarcity and fear. Sometimes it is helpful to switch our focus, like changing stations on the television, to the gratitude channel.
Try having an attitude of gratitude and see what changes!
7) Spiritual Centering Practice
In these chaotic and stressful times it is immensely important for us to pay attention to how we are caring for ourselves. This care includes taking time for our spiritual practice, whatever that might be for us. It may or may not be related to a religious practice. We need to be able to anchor ourselves in the world. Taking time for introspection and contemplation will give us the energy to stay involved in all of the different layers and levels of our lives whether it be our families, our work, or our community. This time of introspection keeps us from being overwhelmed by the tremendous challenges we face today.
Our spiritual practice might include daily mediation, yoga, prayer, or time in silence. It might include going to a church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious place. It might include being in nature and talking walks. It might include spending time playing music, singing in a choir, or practicing art. It might include taking time to read good books. Any way that we can spend quality time doing what we love in a way that nurtures us and feeds our soul is very important.
We are all spiritual beings having a human experience.
8) Adapting to Loss and Staying Flexible
Developing an ability to adapt to loss is something we all have to face. Loss is not a respecter of age. As we age, we will be confronted with many types of loss: the loss of a loved one, a relationship, an animal companion, a job. The list is long. Collectively we feel the stress as we go through major worldwide, cultural change in a postmodern world. It is only natural to want to cling to the old because it is familiar.
There are many practices to help us in adjusting to loss. One of them is the feng-shui practice called the nine-day, clutter- clearing practice. For nine consecutive days we either move, throw away, or give away twenty-seven items. This begins to set up an energy of flow in our life. It will bring more spaciousness to our day and for each item we pass on, tapping into the process of letting go. It is important to take a moment to savor the freedom of letting something go. This small practice will help us when it comes to the bigger losses that come to us.
Also, being able to stay flexible with the changes that will inevitably occur as we age is very important to our health and well-being. We know our bodies will decline, our memory will lapse, our eyesight will worsen, our emotions might alter, yet this is all a natural part of aging. While we might wish we were younger, or wish these shifts didn’t happen, we also need to accept what is and do what we can to make the best of these inescapable passages.
Being flexible might mean changing our exercise routine from jogging to walking, lap swims to water aerobics, or adding yoga to stay limber. It might mean cutting back on some activities or commitments to conserve energy and spend more time with family or time reading. Being adaptable means staying in the present and not being stuck wishing for past abilities, relationships or circumstances.
Appreciating what is – and adapting to our changing bodies and circumstances – is a gift!
9) Regular Exercise
Many of us know the joys of being in the out of doors and communing with nature through many types of physical exercise. We feel more alive, happier and healthier. Regular exercise is good for us in many ways. The Mayo Clinic cites 7 benefits of regular physical activity:
a. It improves our mood. A workout at the gym or a brisk 30-minute walk can help us calm down. Exercise stimulates various brain chemicals, which may leave us feeling happier and more relaxed. We’ll also look and feel better when we exercise regularly, which can boost our confidence and improve our self-esteem. Exercise even reduces feelings of depression and anxiety.
b. Exercise combats chronic diseases. Worried about heart disease? Hoping to prevent osteoporosis? Regular exercise might be the ticket. Regular exercise can help us prevent – or manage – high blood pressure. Our cholesterol will benefit, too. Regular exercise can help us prevent type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and certain types of cancer.
c. Exercise helps us manage our weight. Want to drop those excess pounds? Try walking or other physical activities. When we exercise, we burn calories. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Walk during your lunch break. Turn off the TV and take a brisk walk. Dedicated workouts are great, but activity we accumulate throughout the day helps us burn calories, too.
d. Exercise strengthens our heart and lungs. Winded by grocery shopping or household chores? Regular exercise can leave us breathing easier. Exercise delivers oxygen and nutrients to our tissues. Regular exercise helps our entire cardiovascular system – the circulation of blood through our heart and blood vessels – work more efficiently, giving us more energy to do the things we enjoy.
e. Exercise promotes better sleep. Struggling to fall asleep? Or stay asleep? It might help to boost our physical activity during the day. A good night’s sleep can improve our concentration, productivity and mood. Regular exercise can help us fall asleep faster and deepen our sleep.
f. Exercise can put the spark back into our sex life. Too tired to have sex? Or feeling too out of shape? Regular exercise can leave us feeling energized and looking better, which may have a positive effect on our sex life. Exercise improves our circulation, which can lead to more satisfying sex. And men who exercise regularly are less likely to have problems with erectile dysfunction than are men who don’t exercise, especially as they get older.
g. Exercise can be fun! Wondering what to do on a Saturday afternoon? Looking for an activity that suits the entire family? Take a ballroom dancing class. Check out a local climbing wall or hiking trail. Push the kids or grandkids on the swings or climb with them on the jungle gym. Plan a neighborhood kickball or touch football game. Find an activity you enjoy, and go for it. If you get bored, try something new. If we’re moving, it counts!
Exercise helps us feel more alive, happier and healthier!
Authors:
Justine Willis Toms is co-founder and managing producer of New Dimensions World Broadcasting Network/Media, and author of Small Pleasures: Finding Grace in a Chaotic World and co-author with Michael Toms of True Work: Doing What You Love and Loving What You Do. www.newdimensions.org.
Kimberly Weichel is a social pioneer, educator, author and specialist in global communications, leadership and conflict resolution, assisting individuals and organizations to realize their potential. She is co-author of “Healing the Heart of the World” and director of the Institute for Peacebuilding. www.kimweichel.org.
The Third Act for Women:
Finding Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment Over 50
By Beverly Scott and Kimberly Weichel
We are the first generation of women who have had careers for most of our lives. We are living lives that most of our parents and grandparents didn’t have and, perhaps, couldn’t imagine. We are entering a period of life that is virtually uncharted, a time in which we are free from social expectations and reduced family obligations, with the freedom, resources and desire to engage in new activities with meaning and purpose. Science and medical advances have extended our years with generally better health than previous generations. This gives us the opportunity to turn our dreams into realities, to consider options previously considered impractical, and to prioritize how we want to spend our time. Now, it’s up to us to decide and plan for our continued vitality.
In fact for many today, retirement is a “roleless” role. This is true in large part because the traditional notion of retirement fits with a worn out notion of aging that conceives of it primarily in terms of disengagement and decline. The news reports that “old” is being redefined as more of us are living to be over 100. The Department of Labor reports in 2006 over 6% of Americans over 75 work. So, today how appropriate is retirement for a vital person with 30-40 years left to live?
We use the metaphor of the theater to ignite people’s imagination. Our growing up years constitute the first act, our second act includes our middle years focusing on career and family, and our third act (often for the first time) is ours to choose – we have an opportunity to create a better quality of life, leave a legacy or pursue our life-long dreams.
What is Waiting in the Wings?
The years ahead beyond 50 offer exciting opportunities and infinite possibilities. Yet, this less structured time of choice can also be frustrating and overwhelming if we have not adequately planned and prepared for it. It is best to take some time to prepare for the transition from your second act to your Third Act. Preparing for your Third Act begins first by reviewing your second act (and maybe your first act), and exploring the scripts (themes or patterns) from your work and career, your family, volunteer and social life. What scripts can you build upon? Which ones are liabilities for your Third Act that you need to adjust or learn to manage differently? What patterns or beliefs get in your way from doing your best, what relationships, job and other commitments are a drain and not life enhancing? Taking stock of our second act, and making adjustments where necessary, is a critical step in moving fully into our Third Act.
Science tells us that most of our aging is influenced by our lifestyle. The good news is that we can make changes that will enhance our lives. We have found it helpful to raise questions about our current lives– the physical, emotional, professional, personal and spiritual dimensions—to clarify for ourselves what is waiting in the wings before we leave a full time job, change careers or move– and launch our Third Act.
Physical
We know that many of us have two, three, four or more decades of life remaining and that each generation is more active with more health and vitality than ever before. According to Trends reported by Audio Tech Business Summaries (9-15-2005) average life spans are projected to reach 88 for women by 2065. By 2010 there will be 131,000 Americans over age 100 compared to 37,000 twenty years ago. Yet, in our second act, we also may have neglected our fitness, gained some weight and find our cholesterol or blood pressure too high for good health. How is your current health and fitness? Do you have a commitment to support your health and wellness? Do you need to take some action to lose weight, quit smoking, improve your diet or get more rest?
Emotional
Popular stereotypes would lead us to believe that most of us go through a mid-life crisis between 40 and 60 leading to unhappiness and depression. Yet researchers who have been studying the development process of our lives report that, far from being a time of turmoil, dissatisfaction and dread of getting old, only a small percent of participants report having a midlife crises (23% in the MacArthur Foundation Research Network Study) and in many cases it had nothing to do with aging. Based on the results of this study most people are entering their sixth or seventh decades with increased feeling of well-being, equanimity, a sense of control over many parts of their lives and feeling younger than their years. The AARP study in 2006 also reports that 85% of those who have already retired are satisfied with their lives. These studies suggest that aging is not the dreaded time of our imaginations, but rather with intention and focus we can create a joyful and satisfying Third Act. What brings you joy, pleasure and deep satisfaction? How can you continue to find those emotional rewards in the coming years?
Professional
As we mentioned in the opening paragraph, we are a generation of women who have pursued careers for most of our lives. For many, those careers have brought achievements, and the personal and financial rewards of success in our chosen fields. Such success has also meant the stressful demands of long hours and hard work to meet unfair expectations or to challenge traditional stereotypes. Many women have had two full time jobs – raising a family and a career. Many of us are ready to “slow down”, have more time for relaxation and to enjoy other interests. Yet some of us do not want to quit or financially can’t afford to. The Fortune 2005 Retirement Guide reports that 42% of the over-50 population wants to rotate between work and leisure. Others of us, a startling 56%, want to leave one career behind and launch a new and perhaps more entrepreneurial venture that we have always dreamed about. Others of us want to use our professional skills in ways that contribute and make a different to our community or to the world. Do you want or need to continue to work? Are you interested in launching something new? How much do you want to work? How do you want to contribute your skills, experience and your time?
Personal
Full time work and raising a family leaves little time for women to pursue hobbies, leisure time activities or make contributions as a volunteer. As our family obligations are reduced and we think of working only part time or even leaving our work and careers, opportunities open up. We can pursue long delayed dreams, complete neglected projects, learn to play the piano, speak Spanish, study history, or make a meaningful contributions to causes about which we are passionate. The 60 year olds in the AARP study reported that they wanted to spend time with loved ones, engage in their interests and hobbies or make time to do what they had always wanted to do. Do you have a passion to make a difference, to contribute to your community? Do you have dreams or projects you have longed to plunge into with time to pursue and accomplish? Do you have subjects or skills you want to learn?
Spiritual
The multi-tasking, over-scheduled life cruising on auto-pilot leaves little time to explore the questions of deeper meaning in our lives. We may be disenchanted with the “rewards” of climbing the corporate ladder or when time does emerge, we are often at a loss, drifting and feeling somehow empty of purpose and direction. Many women feel that some how during the second act, they set aside something important they want to retrieve. The experts suggest that the changes that matter during this time are more often spiritual and psychological. Are you asking what you are called to do and what will provide meaning and purpose in this next phase of your life? Is your life fulfilled and guided by your spiritual beliefs? Are you wondering if you will be satisfied if you quit work and leave your career?
Creating a Star Performance
Yet, now is the time to plan your transition, to draft your script for your Third Act. This requires being proactive, taking personal responsibility and being open to learning about your self. Writing your own script may be new to you and it may require mastering your tendency to be reactive, overcoming habitual thought and belief patterns that have governed your behavior or following the wishes and expectations of others. You may need to establish boundaries, find routines that support your needs and exercise more independence. Now is the time to do that before you find yourself center stage in your Third Act without a script.
Researchers studying the lives of seniors have found that those seniors whose lives are happier and healthier include attitudes and activities which bring them more satisfaction and a more positive outlook on life. They are deeply engaged with contributing to the lives of others or what Bob Buford calls socially productive aging. Four specific areas seem to have the most impact as you draft your script:
Positive Appreciation: Experiencing the present moment and being mindful of what is new without judgment, looking back with contentment and gratitude or looking ahead with optimism and seeing its potential. To some extent, positive feelings may fluctuate around an inborn “set point.” However, psychologists say that anyone can learn to increase positive feelings, although some of us with lower “set points” may need to work harder. Mindfulness is one key to increasing positive feelings and enjoying the present. Mindfulness is actively noticing things without evaluating or categorizing them. Gratitude exercises not only lift your mood but also improve physical health and raise energy levels.
Seeking Meaning: Transcending the self and using your signature strengths to belong or serve something that is larger than yourself. Creating meaning through involvement in a cause for which you have passion and creates meaning in your life is one of the most important components of happiness. It may involve nature, art, community, spirituality or something else. Giving makes you feel good, frequent acts of kindness boosts well-being and volunteering gives you a sense of purpose because you matter to someone else.
Active Engagement: Being in “flow” occurs when our skills are balanced with sufficient challenge to keep us engaged but not overly frustrated. We are more likely to be fully engaged when we are active rather than passive and when that activity requires using skills and focus. This may be a challenge at any time for some of us, but particularly so in our third act, when the structure and goals of our second acts are no longer provided for us through our work. Rowe and Kahn in ground breaking research on aging, found one of the key components in successful aging – to be engaged with life. By deploying your highest strength and talents, you can have more intense absorption—flow—in more areas of your life.
Quality of Everyday Experience. While traditional approaches to life planning often emphasize the importance of vision and goals, it is clear that the quality of our everyday experience is an important determinant of satisfaction. The simple pleasures of leisurely reading the paper, calling a friend, having a cup of tea or taking a nap can bring daily contentment. Having strong ties to friends and family gives a big boost to happiness and savoring the sensory experiences increases the pleasure of our daily lives.
This suggests that creating the vibrant rewarding script for our Third Act, may require some intentional focus on how to bring these qualities into our lives. It is not as simple as leaving a job or enjoying a retirement party. It is a big psychological shift and it is important to be prepared for change and growth. Creating the script for a socially productive Third Act means clarifying your values, finding out who you really are at your core and repositioning yourself with this self-awareness for fulfillment. We have found that one way to find this self-reflective focus is to create a space and opportunity to explore questions both personally and in dialogue with others and to take time to think through the hopes, dreams and realities that will help shape a vital, vibrant and engaging script for the Third Act.
What does the curtain call you to do in your Third Act?
Authors
Bev Scott and Kimberly Weichel offer workshops, training, retreats and coaching in Third Act development for groups and individuals. Bev Scott is an organization and management consultant who has supported leaders, teams and individuals in developing their full potential and finding meaning in their work. Kimberly Weichel is a social pioneer, educator, and specialist in global communications and conflict resolution, assisting individuals and organizations to realize their potential.
Bev and Kim have spent their careers addressing development and change, consulting with organizations to create more meaningful workplaces. They have coached individuals to support the development of their potential. The richness of life-long learning and the significance of meaning and purpose have been foundations for them personally and in their work with others. They want to use their expertise and life experience to support others in creating their own Third Acts, as well as encourage women’s voices to be heard. They offer Third Act workshops, retreats and coaching for groups and individuals.
Christoffersen, John, “Need, Lifestyle Keep Seniors on the Job”, SFGate.com, August 14, 2007.
“Trends”, Audio Tech Business Summaries, 9-15-2005.
Goode, Erica, “New Study Finds Middle Age is Prime of Life”, New York Times, undated.
Buford, Bob, “Finishing Well: How Pathfinders Transform Success to Significance” LEADER TO LEADER, Winter 2007.