Women are redefining life after 60. They are asking whether the idea of aging gracefully is an old fashioned and outdated concept. If you want to live life in your 60s with passion and verve, being true to yourself while challenging stereotypes of aging, this video is one that you will enjoy.

Is Aging Gracefully Still an Appealing Concept?

In this episode of the Sixty and Me show, I speak with the articulate and gutsy Carol Orsborn. Carol is the author of 21 books including “Fierce with Age.” We talk about her journey to disengage from the expectations of society.

She shares how breaking free into the “post affirmation” stage of her life was liberating. For her, this time of life should be when women don’t have to worry about anyone’s judgment. It is a time to find one’s true self and age positively and independently, not serenely and quietly.

Carol talks about how society’s concept of aging gracefully encourages women to into the background. Marginalized, this woman does not upset the status quo and never expresses her point of view. She says this is what society expects of older women.

We talk about how women can respond. We discuss how grace and serenity are actually over-rated concepts and how they over romanticize the experience of aging.

Join Carol and I as We Discuss the Following Topics

• Should older women be expected to age gracefully?
• Why does society encourage women to try to stay young forever?
• How do perceptions of beauty change as women get older?
• Why Carol says that midlife women have an opportunity to experience a “wild space”

To be clear, I’m not saying that the idea of aging gracefully is wrong for everyone. That said, I do agree with Carol that aging gracefully should be a choice. We should all be able to choose our own “____ly” word.

How would you describe how you are aging? Do you agree with Carol that the idea of aging gracefully is outdated? Or, do you think that she is being too hard on this concept? Please join the conversation.