Ready for Prime Time

It’s no secret that our society typically approaches aging as bad news. What you may tend to overlook is that there are pluses to aging as well. You just need to leverage your hard-won wisdom, clarify your direction, and make some adjustments. This time in your life can be better than you imagined, and you can still contribute to the world.

Sue Muirhead, a 72-year-old therapist and artist, sees clients who are “seeking a renewed sense of purpose and meaning as they age.” Her approach “draws on both personal experience and the wisdom of others who embody engaged, vibrant aging.” She supports clients in “aligning their lives with their deepest passions and longings, fostering a sense of authenticity and vitality.”

Prepare to move from the sidelines to prime time!

A wisdom inventory

Leveraging your wisdom requires self-awareness and acknowledgement of what you’ve learned over the years. It’s probably more than you realize. Muirhead says that “in a culture that often idolizes youth and frames aging as something to resist,” she helps clients “embrace the strengths, creativity, and insight that come with growing older.” The point is to shift your focus from deficit to surplus so that your view of yourself includes your wisdom and gifts as well as your real-life challenges.

What’s missing in your life?

Reflect upon what your life used to be like, what it’s like now, and what could be adjusted to improve its quality. We are notoriously slow to update ourselves, so you may be surprised to recognize the bright spots, as well as what has diminished or vanished. “Many people come to realize that, over time, they have adapted, compromised, or hidden aspects of themselves in order to navigate the expectations of the world around them,” Muirhead says. “Together, we explore ways to reconnect with their authentic selves—to unearth what has been buried and to live in a manner that feels genuine and fulfilling.”

For example, it may be that retirement initially allowed for a welcome opportunity to rest and recharge, but now you’ve become isolated. Or maybe you notice you’ve become very serious and miss laughter, fun, and adventure!

The cost of status quo

There is no requirement to change anything about how you approach your life as you age, but there may be a cost. The shifts you’re experiencing can have spin-off effects, such as less clarity of purpose, weaker sense of belonging, less confidence in your value, more stress, poorer coping skills, and even increased susceptibility to dementia. Although this may sound ominous, it may also give you the impetus you need to make some adjustments!

A practical framework

There is a good deal of research on the value of belonging, meaning, and purpose, all of which can diminish as we age. Fortunately, the research doesn’t just highlight the problems; possible solutions are also being explored.

A 2021 study published in the Australian Journal of Psychology suggests that a sense of belonging (i.e. connection and inclusion), which is so important for self-esteem, resilience, and coping, can be boosted by focusing on four interrelated components:

1. Competency
2. Opportunity
3. Motivation
4. Perception

To illustrate, perhaps you’re great at connecting (competency), love the feeling (perception), and have lots of chances to do so (opportunity) but have developed the habit of hibernating. The area to focus on is finding a way to motivate yourself to step outside of your habitual routine and re-engage with the world (motivation). In this case, try identifying one clear, achievable action that you commit to doing. For example, invite someone to have a coffee or go for a walk. Doing this can give you momentum, leverage, and self-confidence.

One person’s experience

Muirhead leads an intentional life that includes diversity, close relationships, gratitude, supporting others, and leaning into death as part of life. Having married an Indigenous partner and lived in a northern Indigenous community for 21 years, she has witnessed the traditional respect for elders and the communal approach to dying. Muirhead has a close and intimate relationship with the natural world, spending lots of time outside in what she calls “wild space” to support staying enlivened. She leans into her purpose, reflected in the last words her mother shared with her: “just love.”

Taking action

Remember that you have acquired wisdom over the years, you have value, and your presence matters. Start by identifying one way in which you might adjust your attitude or behaviour in order to move toward something you yearn for. Be patient, have a sense of humour, and view this as a new adventure—it took your entire lifetime to arrive at where you are, so it may take a few minutes to adjust!

This article was originally published in the March 2026 issue of alive magazine.