Inclined Elders: How to rebrand aging for self and society

How many of us have heard people joke about being “over the hill”? “Put out to pasture”? “In my twilight years”? We as a society have relegated people past a certain age to a slow downward slide from middle age to death. Many people think their later years bring nothing but a trip to the nursing home, there to sit and wait for the Grim Reaper to knock at the door. And since medical science is allowing us to live longer, the prospect of decades of withering away, seen as a doddering elder, good for not much of anything anymore, is bleak.

But getting older doesn't have to be like that! As I'm right about middle-aged myself, I jumped at the chance to read and review Ramona Oliver's book, Inclined Elders: How to Rebrand Aging for Self and Society. The basic premise of the book is simple: We don't have to fade away as we get older. Instead of declining, we can choose to Incline – to move onward and upward, stay active, stay involved, and stay positive.

Oliver's book is broken into three broad sections: Attitude, Growth, and Empowerment. Each section is chock-full of the experiences and inspiring stories of people who have chosen to continue to be active learners and experiencers of life as they have gotten older.

The Attitude section focuses on what we can do internally to continue to Incline as we get older. One of my favorite stories here is that of Carolyn, who found a way to “dance” even when religious restrictions didn't allow for dancing. (I grew up in the Baptist church, so I can relate to that, a little bit.) The stories look at characteristics like curiosity, courage, gratitude, and resilience.

The Growth section has an external focus and relates ways in which we can choose to interact with others around us. Stories here touch on topics such as connections, community, culture, and wisdom. I loved Lee's story, reading about all of the challenges she overcame and how she made wise choices as she grew older.

The Empowerment section focuses on leaving a legacy and living as a role model to the generations coming behind us. The people whose stories are told in the book do this in a variety of ways, from setting a higher standard for their children through their own education, to overcoming introversion and volunteering to help others with disabilities, to creating a program that helps children learn to make life decisions on their own. These stories were particularly uplifting, because who among us doesn't want to think that, when we leave this earth, we will leave something of value behind?

Each chapter had questions for personal reflection, designed to help the reader move toward his or her own life of Incline. I haven't worked through them all yet, but I will re-read and take time to answer them all. The book is also packed with helpful resources, many of which I've made note of to go back to and work through. I read an ebook version of Inclined Elders for the blog tour, but I've enjoyed it so much, I'm going to pick up a hard copy. (And if you're interested, scroll on down and enter the giveaway to win your own copy!)

This book is excellent for anyone who's getting to the midpoint of life, or even younger people who have parents that may benefit from the wisdom found here. It is a glorious guide to making your later years even more fabulous than your younger ones, and a great reminder that we're not all doomed to waste away and slide into the grave quietly. Like Def Leppard says, “It's better to burn out than fade away.” So I'm going to put this book into practice and Incline and shine!

Five big stars, y'all. It's good stuff.