THE THREE SECRETS OF AGING
By John C. Robinson, Ph.D., MDiv.
I believe three powerful spiritual/mystical forces are now creating a new kind of aging. I call them The Three Secrets of Aging because the media, and most new elders are primarily focused on overcoming aging with anti-aging creams, exercise, vitamins, hormones, cosmetic surgery, positive attitudes, new jobs, new mates and new cars, but that only works for a while. In the end, aging wins, but that doesn’t mean we lose; rather we must surrender to a life transforming process. So, let’s look at these Three Secrets of Aging and see what we can learn about this remarkable new stage of life. By the way, there’s a lot packed into these secrets, so read them slowly and ponder their possibilities in your own life.
The first Secret of Aging says, “Aging is an initiation into a new and extraordinary stage of life. The events and processes of aging – changing bodies, fading identities, and losses of all shapes and sizes – represents an initiation into an entirely new dimension of life, a time of personal and spiritual growth unprecedented in human history. While aging may represent the end of our old life, it is also the beginning of a new one.” Does this fit your experience? Are you surprised by how different this aging is from what you expected? Does it feel like a new kind of life?
The second Secret of Aging explains, “Aging Is a Transformation of Self and Consciousness – it’s enlightenment in slow motion. It begins spontaneously, naturally and subtly. As we wake up from the illusions of mind, we transition from personal identity to the consciousness of Divinity, giving birth to the enlightened Elder.” I believe we become more spiritual with age, expanding our consciousness from tired old identities and beliefs to new spiritual and mystical intuitions and experiences. Have you noticed a change in your consciousness? Are you more aware of the sacred as you grow older?
Finally, the third Secret of Aging tells us, “Aging is a Revelation of Heaven on Earth. As the veil of thought dissolves in conscious aging, the world is sacred once again. We have come home from our long journey through the world of thought and invite others to join us in a new consciousness of Creation.” As we age, we slow down and stop to “smell the roses” of life. We begin to feel the holiness of the life. Aging is a time of sacred homecoming.
John C. Robinson is a clinical psychologist with a second doctorate in ministry, an ordained interfaith minister, the author of nine books and numerous articles on the psychology, spirituality and mysticism of the New Aging, and a frequent speaker at Conscious Aging Conferences. You can email John, learn more about his work, and access many of his lectures at www.johnrobinson.org.