Ahlander - Older and wiser inspiration and advice for retiring baby boomers

To Gunilla,
my beloved life partner

All quotes are translated from the Swedish as they appear in the original edition.

COPYRIGHT 2014 by Dag Sebastian Ahlander

ENGLISH TRANSLATION 2014 by Skyhorse Publishing

First published in 2014 as Tnkebok fr glada gubbar by Dag Sebastian Ahlander, Bonnier Fakta, Sweden

Graphic design by Eva Lindeberg

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the publisher, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. All inquiries should be addressed to Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018.

Skyhorse Publishing books may be purchased in bulk at special discounts for sales promotion, corporate gifts, fund-raising, or educational purposes. Special editions can also be created to specifications. For details, contact the Special Sales Department, Skyhorse Publishing, 307 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10018 or .

Skyhorse and Skyhorse Publishing are registered trademarks of Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., a Delaware corporation.

www.skyhorsepublishing.com

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication

Data is available on file.

Print ISBN: 978-1-62914-417-7

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-073-0

Printed in China

TOWARD GREAT PERSPECTIVES

WE BABY BOOMERS have practically added an entire life onto our lifespans. Swedish men now live an average of eighty years (and Americans arent far behind), and more men than ever before live to both eighty-five and ninetywithout being in constant pain, as used to be the norm. Our generation has had opportunities that few before us ever did; indeed, it almost feels like we made the dream of eternal life a reality. We grew up during the Golden Age of the Market Economy, and now we can enjoy the warming glow of the setting sun.

Our generation is so big that it has, thus far, left its mark on everything that has come its way. In Sweden we are referred to as the 40s kids, in America as the Baby Boomers. Through our size alone, were creating a new age group, the young elderly, just as we once created the teenager and youth counterculture. Nah, real old age can wait! One obvious fact is that society as a whole is aging because we are agingthats how many of us there are. Another is that we older folk seem to be necessary for maintaining activity in many spheres of society.

Local politics couldnt do without us. Weve become an ever-heavier part of the electorate, and thus shifted politics in our own direction. No retirees are forced to give up on politics. Were the ones sitting at the helm of boards of local organizations, doing much of the voluntary work. We comprise a disproportionately large portion of small-business owners outside of the big cities. Activity in rural areas would absolutely not survive without us.

There is, quite simply, a silent revolution going on. We older folk are also putting more of our money to use in different ways: travel, experiences, culture, health and social care, and thereby affecting the overall alignment of consumption, both private and public.

THE POLITICIANS TELL us that we must work longer, indeed, perhaps all the way until were seventy-five, because otherwise, our retirement money will run out. Professionals and managers who are on top are more and more willing to stay on the job as long as they can. But most of us dont want to work that long, not at the same old jobs, and certainly not full-time, at any rate. We want to be active on our own terms, doing the things that interest us. This is how we can do some good while living a good life.

Besides, society needs stability and experience now more than ever. It cant tolerate any more risky young investors and economic crashes.

The Roman philosopher and statesman Cicero wrote: Old age will only be respected if it fights for itself, maintains its rights, avoids dependence on anyone, and asserts control over its own to the last breath.

Old age is not an interest group. It is universally human. Only if we are lucky will we be old.

MANY OF US can imagine assignments and volunteer projectsbut on our terms, and certainly not full time. Becoming King of the Hill doesnt matter anymore. Jealousy can finally subside. Life is not a zero-sum game. Most of us want to devote ourselves to new areas of interest that give us deeper insights and greater perspectives, which, in turn, create an inner peace and make us wiser.

For happy old men, what matters is attaining a balance and greater perspectives, both into oneself and the world. Its no longer about learning for life but rather about living in the moment. Its important to live life to the fullest, every step of the way. Its about shooting for the stars and landing somewhere in the middle. We wont leave any unlived life behind when were gone. And I want to do less now in order to achieve more.

THE MAN WHO turns sixty-five today can count on living another eighteen years. This means most of us can hope to be quite old. For many, the years between sixty-five and eighty are the best of their lives. After that, real old age begins. This means that we have a lot to look forward to.

Getting older involves transitioning from one stage to another, from self to soul, and attaining some fraction of wisdom. You lose one thing, but win another.

Wisdom does not automatically come with age. You have to search for it yourself, in philosophy, in nature, in fine art, or in religion. Its not about training or education anymore, but about cultivation and balance. Dont forget that life is short, but art is long, as the Romans said.

By looking at oneself from the viewpoint of eternity, we all become contemporaries and can socialize with Homer and Montaigne on equal footing. Our circle of friends expands precisely in that instant in which our friends begin to depart. This makes the last stretch easier to travel.

MAN IS THE only living organism that is conscious of its own ultimate death. Many of us find that unnerving. But man is also the only living organism with a sense of humor, able to laugh at itself. This makes everything considerably easier.

For our entire lives, our mortality drives us to actthis notion of wanting to really do something with the only life we get. Whats important, then, is to avoid dying while we go on living, and to actually be alive when we die. Its not over until the end.

Concrete advice isnt always enough. We need the support of those who have lived before us and who have developed worldviews that can comfort us and cheer us. For this reason, I have collected 109 comforting thoughts for the continuing journey here, in Older and Wiser . Now, its all about celebrating each happy day, and forgetting the rest!

The meaning of life most likely cannot be found in science or religion. We have to find it within ourselves. Different people find different meanings at different times. My own ethos consists of a bit of everything Ive picked up along the way: snippets and words of wisdom built on my own experiences and the experiences of others. In this field, there are no experts. Your thoughts are worth just as much as mine.

WHERE SCIENCE ENDS, spirituality begins! said Albert Einstein.

I find that to be comforting.