Growing older has its joys and challenges, just as earlier life stages do. This video describes indicators of living well, wisdom in old age, spirituality and aging, and gerotranscendence. Gerotranscendence is shift in perspective from a materialistic and rational vision to a more cosmic and transcendent one, normally followed by an increase in life satisfaction and peace of mind even when persons experience physical frailty.

1. Living Well into Older Age:
Joy & Meaning
Jane F. Gilgun, PhD, LICSW
Professor, School of Social Work, University of Minnesota,
Twin Cities, USA
February 28, 2015

2. Topics
 “Rainbow in the Clouds:” Maya
Angelou
 Gerotranscendence
 Indicators of Living Well
 Spirituality and Aging
 Spiritual Autobiographies
 Suggestions

3. Rainbow in the Clouds Video
 What words or ideas did you hear in
the Maya Angelou’s video? In one
sentence or less.
 What do these words or ideas mean to
you?
 What are these words or ideas calling
you to do?
 If you have time, please discuss.

4. Gerotranscendence
 Gerotranscendence is regarded as the
final stage in a possible natural
progression towards maturation and
wisdom.
 Balance between positives &
negatives
 Integrity vs. Despair
◦ Wisdom

5. Small Group on
Gerotranscendence
 Count off by threes.
 Select a facilitator.
 No discussion until the end.
 Take Turns.
 Each person shares responses to one
of the items.
◦ This can be a brief description of how the
item applies to you or to someone you
know.
◦ You can also tell a story that illustrates the
item.

6. Indicators of Living Well
 Vital Involvement
 Meaningful Relationships with Others
 Physical Activity
 Mentoring Relationships
 Resilience
 Being Someone Else’s Rainbow
 Self-Honesty/Humility/Modesty
◦ Willingness to fail and to be wrong
◦ Learns from Mistakes
 Sense of Humor
 Duchenne Smile
 Spirituality

7. Duchenne Smile

8. Willie Mays, Then and Now

9. Willie Mays
 Which of the indicators of Living Well do
you identify in Willie’s interview with Jon
Stewart?
 Count off by threes.
 Select a facilitator who asks each person
to comment on each question. No
discussion until the end.
 Take turns.
 Each person shares an indicator of living
well.
 You can also tell a story that illustrates
the indicator in your own lives.

10. Spirituality
 Tends to increase during later adulthood
 Spirituality is associated with
◦ life satisfaction
◦ desire to be useful and of service to others
◦ psychosocial well-being, and
◦ physical and mental health.
 Fosters
 recovery from illness
 meaning and purpose in life
 relieves psychological distress and anxiety about
death
 caregiver coping

11. Spiritual Autobiography
 Life story viewed from a spiritual
perspective
 Spirituality: personal experiences of
connection to transcendence

12. Spiritual Autobiography
 Has your perception of God changed
during your lifetime?
 When I pray, I ….
 I do things for others because….

13. Guidelines
 Count off by threes.
 Choose one item to think about or
write about.
 After about five minutes, take turns
sharing what you wrote.
 After everyone has shared, please
discuss.

14. Reference
Phifer, Nan Merrick Memoirs of the soul
: a writing guide. Eugene, OR: Ingot
Press.

15. Resources for Spiritual
Exploration
 Spiritual autobiographies
 Reminiscence groups
 Life reviews
 Video projects
 Center for Healing & Wellness,
University of Minnesota
 Penny George Institute for Health &
Healing

16. Wisdom & Mystery
 To hold the full mystery of life is
always to endure its other half, which
is the equal mystery of death and
doubt.
 Wisdom happily lives with mystery,
doubt, and “unknowing,”
Rohr, Richard (2011-02-11). Falling Upward: A
Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (p. 112). Wiley.
Kindle Edition.