Reading Happiness is a Choice You Make by John Leland has helped me do just this, learning about the life course as well as gaining perspective in my own life. The book has given me the time and space needed to think about aging, and moreover, Leland has managed to grasp some impactful lessons about life. A quote that really resonated with me was Leland’s remark that “If you want to be happy, learn to think like an old person” (Leland 14). I love this quote so much because, similar to the exercise we did at the retreat, it allowed me to imagine myself as an older person. I thought about what my day-to-day life would be like, and thought about what might give my life purpose. This exercise gave me the perspective to understand what and who is really important in my life. As a perfectionist who often compares myself to others, I can sometimes feel behind in life. I should have more internships, more leadership experience, more of a sense of direction career-wise – I should do more, more, more. But Leland’s quote has helped me to reflect on what truly matters. When I reach 80 – if I’m lucky enough to reach 80 – all of these seemingly important (and very stressful) things I’m currently worried about won’t matter much. When I’m older, I will have hoped that I have lived a life of purpose, serving others and investing deeply in relationships that are meaningful to me.
Throughout these first few weeks, I already feel as though I’ve learned so much in this class, from Leland’s book to the lecturettes to the tour of the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center. When I initially registered for this class, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about the aging process and debunk my preconceived notions about older people. I didn’t realize that this class would be so much more. Life Course Scholars is about educating ourselves on the aging process, learning about the dire need for affordable housing for seniors and the tremendous number of older individuals living below the federal poverty line, and reflecting on our lives through the lens of an older person, understanding more about ourselves and the things that matter most to us.