To Thy Own Self Be True

Growing older is a fact of life. Death is the alternative. Therefore, instead of dreading aging, fearing what comes with it and seeing it as a slow march towards the end, perhaps we need to view it differently. Maybe we can learn something from how Eastern cultures, notably the Chinese, think about aging.

Within Chinese culture growing older means gaining greater social status. Those gray hairs and wrinkles are a sign that one has lived life and learned some important lessons along the way. With age comes wisdom, wisdom that can be shared with others. With age also comes the opportunity to truly be one’s self. It is a time to explore all of those dreams pent up when you were younger because you did not have the time, had other pressing responsibilities (being a parent, working), or were too afraid to pursue because of what others might have thought about it. Growing older is a time for release and blossoming into a new creation. For the Chinese aging is not an end, but a beginning. What a refreshing way of thinking about life!

This way of thinking not only covers life in general, but specifically issues that go along with midlife. Take menopause for example. Among the Chinese there is no word for menopause. Instead this time in a women’s life is referred to as “second spring.” No longer able to conceive and bear children, the physiological and emotional changes that come for women during menopause serve as an opportunity for self-examination & recognition of accomplishments; a time for revitalization; and a period of reinvention for the next phase of living. Midlife is a time to finally become one’s truest self. Last night’s Health Watch guest, Dr. Maoshing Ni (better known as “Dr. Mao”) really helped put midlife and menopause into perspective for us.

Dr. Mao, a thirty-eighth generation Chinese medical practitioner, who has recently released a book entitled, Second Spring, told our listeners about the meaning behind such common menopause symptoms as hot flashes, loss of libido and sex drive, memory difficulties and mood swings. Many of these have to do with “flow” and “energy" or the lack there of. Dr. Mao also offered our listeners natural and inexpensive ways to improve and maintain balance, making “second spring” a joyous time in a woman’s life.

So inspired by the possibilities that come with “second spring’ Dr. Mao and his colleagues have dedicated their careers to helping thousands of women become the people they were always meant to be. Maybe there really is something wonderful about growing older, something worth (re)discovering and anticipating with joy. The Health Watch team definitely looks forward to finding out. Hope you do too. Here’s to growing older with style and grace. Until next time, remember, “When we know better, we should do better, so pass it on.”