How this all started
Me and why I’m here, in less than 500 characters
Hi, I am Odile. Longevity is remodelling society, organizations and the second-50-years of our lives. There are huge opportunities at all levels. Because I have been reflecting and writing on this topic for a decade, I feel that I am in a good position to facilitate the necessary changes. So, I decided to become a longevity empowerment coach.
What is a longevity empowerment coach?
I don’t know if it’s a profession, a state-of-mind, an aspiration or an inspiration, but it sounded like a good name for someone who wants to help individuals and organizations navigate longevity and make the most of it.
Ageing needs change
My two cents
Key ideas
1.
While ageing has changed profoundly and for the better in the last 30-40 years, our society has turned against it. In the age of longevity, mainstream culture is paradoxically youth-obsessed and anachronistically associates ageing almost exclusively with negative traits (e.g. decline, frailty). These kinds of prophecies tend to become self-fulfilling. WE NEED TO CHANGE HOW WE SEE AGEING.
2.
Many people still see retirement as a final destination rather than the beginning of a journey towards becoming who we were meant to be. In the longevity era, people will spend 20-30 years in retirement many of which in good health. WE NEED TO MAKE RETREMENT A FULFILLING STAGE OF PEOPLES’ LIVES.
3.
There are little expectations regarding retirees’ potential contribution and participation to society, apart from providing unpaid help and financial support to their families, and, of course, spending money to fuel the so-called silver-economy. Retirement is seen as a phase in which one retires from an active role in society, as the word itself suggests. Seniors’ participation to society (defined as doing at least one of: working, studying, volunteering and community service) is neither encouraged nor supported enough. WE NEED TO ENCOURAGE AND ENABLE RETIREES’ PARTICIPATION TO SOCIETY.
4.
Organizations usually mirror society. It is not uncommon that they are youth-centric, allow glass walls between generations (sometimes even create them) and tolerate implicit (sometimes also explicit) ageism. Rather than mirroring society, they should lead it in the right direction. ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD ENCOURAGE SYNERGIES FROM GENERATIONAL EXCHANGE AND ENSURE AGELESS WORKPLACES.