We've gotten older, but are we wiser?

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), April, 2006

Older adults can demonstrate to younger generations that they truly have something special worth listening to, maintains Charles Hayes, author of The Rapture of Maturity: A Legacy of Lifelong Learning. "It's an open secret that the best part of getting older is the opportunity to follow pursuits previously unexplored," he says.

Hayes identifies at least 15 key properties of life that every man and woman must know how to use to achieve purpose and clarity of understanding. "It's up to each of us to understand how each property affects our lives and then decide to share our wisdom. Using these examples will allow you to get the most out of every situation and thrive...."

Recognizing and applying these characteristics is powerful and rewarding, Hayes declares. Among them are:

Exploring the puzzle of time. Time is central to our lives, though its true nature remains a mystery. We are told that time equals money, but age teaches us that time has greater value than dollars. Beyond the gadgetry of clocks and calendars, our lives are the true measure of time.

Appreciating the power of place. Your geographical history is a very important, almost physical part of you. Learning about how geography influences your worldview is insightful and liberating.

Changing your life when you want to (but only if you want to). Go with the flow of life. You can choose to move with the current or move against it. Learn to recognize the things you can control and those you cannot. The way to make sense out of change is to expect it, plunge into it, and go forward with it.

Dealing with regret. One of the benefits of age is that you can reflect on your experience and realize the things you wish you had done differently--the moments you would like to fix and put right. Sensitivity to your past decisions and behavior allows you to bring the past into the present and influence the future in new and powerful ways. This yields inspiration and action that demonstrate true wisdom.

Acting with love and passion. Love is not just a sensation between people; it is that special feeling where you savor living in the present, when you become super-aware of the glorious wonder of the things around you. Passion is the energy you place into what you are doing--it is the fire in your belly, the rage of the storm, the flame that drives you to achieve your best. Love and passion misperceived can destroy relationships.

Controlling fear and hatred. Nothing feeds these two emotions like misperception and ignorance about the intentions of others. It takes conscious action to acquire knowledge that will allow us to overcome our irrational and absurd assumptions.

Concludes Hayes: "Rapture is the reward of living authentically and acting deliberately to leave the world a better place than we found it."