It gets clearer to me every day that the aging process is all about our chance to wake up and grow up and I’m beginning to see that they even might be one and the same thing- at least that growing up is actually the key to truly waking up.
There are many theories out there about the stages of development of a human and I’ve studied several of them. What they all say, is that the ultimate aim of human existence (at least as we know it so far) is all about Oneness and even Non- Dual living. The various paths we take to get there all go through some of the same steps. One such theory – created by Terri O’Fallon – simply known as STAGES- starts us out as babies, totally impulsive, simply in a receptive state and then very egocentric and active. We progress gradually towards a rule orientation to society and then as conformists. Much of the population remains at these last two stages.
For some of us, we move on to become goal-oriented experts and then achievers and finally for a few – we become pluralists and strategists. In future weeks I may spend some time defining these more clearly. But, for today, I want to introduce you all to what I see is the work of the aging process itself – a time to give up goals and achievement and become aware that we’ve been making things up all along. It can be a bit disconcerting to surrender, let go and give up what has been our identity. They call this stage “construct aware” because we recognize that everything is constructed and what we’ve been seeing as ‘reality’ is really only a perception and perhaps even an illusion. We then eventually get to a stage where we experience the transpersonal- the beginning of understanding that there’s really only ONE of us out there. The next few top stages studied by the theorists so far, are known as universal and illuminated. And of course, evolution will eventually take us perhaps to what Barbara Marx Hubbard has termed universal human.
Since I’m not there yet, I can’t really talk about the highest stages – but I do know both from study and my own growth experience, that the older I get, the more I come to know that I just don’t know! I recognize life as a game or an even better analogy – a movie and I have invited a cast of characters in to help me experience my true self more deeply – in the hopes that I will eventually get to see the Oneness of all of Life and start to truly experience the Good that I have come to know as God.
We all are meant to get there eventually. I find that exciting. Do you?
I’d love to start a dialogue with any of you that have discovered the truth of all of this as well. Together we can forge a path that can tell the world what the aging process is REALLY all about. Yes, it is decline – but the decline is of the separate self. It really is about so much more. Each of us individually, and all of us collectively are causing evolution to move forward.
Please comment below on what this all means to you and where you might want me to go with these messages. Thanks for being part of my movie!
I love your newsletters! My husband and I live in MA, but for the last 7 years we spend winters in Bradenton, probably near you. And i have a few things on being a senior in my spastic website beverly schultz.com. When I retired, I wrote a book about my life in high tech, [“Skip the Typing Test, I’ll Manage the Software”, at booklocker.com or amazon], but since then have been writing articles and learning about the retirement years. Have written a few articles [small one published in May/June issue of Escapees], but have been thinking in these past few years in the same directions as you have, and so you feel like a kindred soul as I try to make the most of these late years of my life. I even belong to a group of great women who call themselves the Third Age Group from the Boston Club in MA. I keep learning. Please keep sharing your thinking, and continue to make your movie!
Thanks Beverly – how delightful to hear from you – I’ll check out your work as well – maybe you’d like to send me something I can include in my newsletter? Send it to drtoni@tonilamotta.com and I’ll point people to your work.
You made my day!
Toni
I love your newsletters! My husband and I live in MA, but for the last 7 years we spend winters in Bradenton, probably near you. And i have a few things on being a senior in my spastic website beverly schultz.com. When I retired, I wrote a book about my life in high tech, [“Skip the Typing Test, I’ll Manage the Software”, at booklocker.com or amazon], but since then have been writing articles and learning about the retirement years. Have written a few articles [small one published in May/June issue of Escapees], but have been thinking in these past few years in the same directions as you have, and so you feel like a kindred soul as I try to make the most of these late years of my life. I even belong to a group of great women who call themselves the Third Age Group from the Boston Club in MA. I keep learning. Please keep sharing your thinking, and continue to make your movie!
Thanks Beverly – how delightful to hear from you – I’ll check out your work as well – maybe you’d like to send me something I can include in my newsletter? Send it to drtoni@tonilamotta.com and I’ll point people to your work.
You made my day!
Toni