The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul
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- Create Date：2021-09-29 06:51:23
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Connie Zweig
- ISBN：1644113406
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Summary
A guide to working through the inner obstacles of late life and embracing the spiritual gifts of aging
• Offers shadow-work and many diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness， move from self-rejection to self-acceptance， repair the past to be fully present， and allow mortality to be a teacher
• Reveals how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life
• Includes personal interviews with prominent Elders， including Ken Wilber， Krishna Das， Fr。 Thomas Keating， Anna Douglas， James Hollis， Rabbi Rami Shapiro， Ashton Applewhite， Roshi Wendy Nakao， Roger Walsh， and Stanislav Grof
With extended longevity comes the opportunity for extended personal growth and spiritual development。 You now have the chance to become an Elder， to leave behind past roles， shift from work in the outer world to inner work with the soul， and become authentically who you are。 This book is a guide to help get past the inner obstacles and embrace the hidden spiritual gifts of age。
Offering a radical reimagining of age for all generations， psychotherapist and bestselling author Connie Zweig reveals how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life， attune to your soul’s longing， and emerge renewed as an Elder filled with vitality and purpose。 She explores the obstacles encountered in the transition to wise Elder and offers psychological shadow-work and diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness， move from self-rejection to self-acceptance， repair the past to be fully present， reclaim your creativity， and allow mortality to be a teacher。 Sharing contemplative practices for selfreflection， she also reveals how to discover ways to share your talents and wisdom to become a force for change in the lives of others。
Woven throughout with wisdom from prominent Elders， including Ken Wilber， Krishna Das， Father Thomas Keating， Anna Douglas， James Hollis， Rabbi Rami Shapiro， Ashton Applewhite， Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao， Roger Walsh， and Stanislav Grof， this book offers tools and guidance to help you let go of past roles， expand your identity， deepen self-knowledge， and move through these life passages to a new stage of awareness， choosing to be fully real， transparent， and free to embrace a fulfilling late life。
• Offers shadow-work and many diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness， move from self-rejection to self-acceptance， repair the past to be fully present， and allow mortality to be a teacher
• Reveals how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life
• Includes personal interviews with prominent Elders， including Ken Wilber， Krishna Das， Fr。 Thomas Keating， Anna Douglas， James Hollis， Rabbi Rami Shapiro， Ashton Applewhite， Roshi Wendy Nakao， Roger Walsh， and Stanislav Grof
With extended longevity comes the opportunity for extended personal growth and spiritual development。 You now have the chance to become an Elder， to leave behind past roles， shift from work in the outer world to inner work with the soul， and become authentically who you are。 This book is a guide to help get past the inner obstacles and embrace the hidden spiritual gifts of age。
Offering a radical reimagining of age for all generations， psychotherapist and bestselling author Connie Zweig reveals how to use inner work to uncover and explore the unconscious denial and resistance that erupts around key thresholds of later life， attune to your soul’s longing， and emerge renewed as an Elder filled with vitality and purpose。 She explores the obstacles encountered in the transition to wise Elder and offers psychological shadow-work and diverse spiritual practices to help you break through denial to awareness， move from self-rejection to self-acceptance， repair the past to be fully present， reclaim your creativity， and allow mortality to be a teacher。 Sharing contemplative practices for selfreflection， she also reveals how to discover ways to share your talents and wisdom to become a force for change in the lives of others。
Woven throughout with wisdom from prominent Elders， including Ken Wilber， Krishna Das， Father Thomas Keating， Anna Douglas， James Hollis， Rabbi Rami Shapiro， Ashton Applewhite， Roshi Wendy Egyoku Nakao， Roger Walsh， and Stanislav Grof， this book offers tools and guidance to help you let go of past roles， expand your identity， deepen self-knowledge， and move through these life passages to a new stage of awareness， choosing to be fully real， transparent， and free to embrace a fulfilling late life。
Reviews
janne Boswell
，
I enjoyed this book immensely。 I took notes。 I thought the Author did an excellent job with a very dry subject。 I enjoyed her personal perspectives， as well as the various intellectuals she pulled in to provide their opinions。Some highlights I enjoyed:"the shift from role to soul"， "reinvent ourselves， from the inside out"， "a life review should be backwards， forwards， above and beneath"， "welcome fears into awareness; they lose energy and their impact on us。"The only criticism I have， is that t I enjoyed this book immensely。 I took notes。 I thought the Author did an excellent job with a very dry subject。 I enjoyed her personal perspectives， as well as the various intellectuals she pulled in to provide their opinions。Some highlights I enjoyed:"the shift from role to soul"， "reinvent ourselves， from the inside out"， "a life review should be backwards， forwards， above and beneath"， "welcome fears into awareness; they lose energy and their impact on us。"The only criticism I have， is that the book could have been shorter。 I thought the information was continually reformatted and amplified over and over to the point where it became redundant。jbhttps://seniorbooklounge。blogspot。com/ 。。。more
Paul
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Very good。 This is a "contemplative" book， meaning one that is read slowly and thoughtfully。 Author covers a lot of ground， and brings in lots of perspectives。 Highly recommended。I really appreciate the free review copy！！ Very good。 This is a "contemplative" book， meaning one that is read slowly and thoughtfully。 Author covers a lot of ground， and brings in lots of perspectives。 Highly recommended。I really appreciate the free review copy！！ 。。。more
Eugene Kernes
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This book acts as a practical guide to do the inner work of age。 To know how to orient oneself when faced or facing age。 To do inner work of self-reflection that facilitates awareness and overcoming inner obstacles。 Humans used to have shorter life spans with many years of decline and loss of capacities。 But now humans have an extended life span with decades of good health until sudden decline before death。 Cultural messages and media marketing discriminate against age， or are ageist。 Projecting This book acts as a practical guide to do the inner work of age。 To know how to orient oneself when faced or facing age。 To do inner work of self-reflection that facilitates awareness and overcoming inner obstacles。 Humans used to have shorter life spans with many years of decline and loss of capacities。 But now humans have an extended life span with decades of good health until sudden decline before death。 Cultural messages and media marketing discriminate against age， or are ageist。 Projecting negative stereotypes of elderly as frail， senile， or needy。 This is a devaluation of elders who have obtained a lifetime of skill and wisdom。 Elders have a bountiful of experience。 Which can be shared and be used by future generations。The early 20th and 21st century culture has no guides for transitioning to older years and becoming Elders。 Denying reality is easy in an anti-aging culture， until the problems drag the individual to the inevitable reality。 Aging has complex and opposite dimensions such as freedom and dependency， vitality and fatigue， gains and losses， beginnings and endings。 Aging is different in different bodies and different cultures， but eventually， the fate of the human being is death。Neither the promises or perils to aging should be denied， as focusing on either or places the other into a blind spot。 The gifts and struggles allow for developmental possibilities and overcoming challenges。 It is an age that is unnamed， making it difficult to discuss and conceptualize。 Becoming an Elder needs a rite of passage， to make it a conscious process。 People’s longevity increased， but with it changed the form and meaning of life， and changed how communities and families develop。 Teaching and passing on that experience allowed everyone to benefit from the experience。Creativity does not end in youth。 The wisdom， longing， and mortality awareness provide powerful ingredients for creative thought。 Work ageism dictates that older worker are less productive， harder to teach， and cost more。 But turns out that there are many benefits to having older workers as they can be high performing in many ways， and create stability。 Many people want to keep working because it gives them meaning， purpose， and structure。 Some cannot afford to retire。 Companies founded by older people have a much higher chance to be successful。Because of the negative stereotypes， the elderly themselves choose to act as if they are younger。 Being a target of ageism affects health， more so when the ageist is internalized。 Culture has segregated age。 From a lack of mutigenerational homes to young， middle-age， and older people not sharing any time together because they inhabit different places。 There is a lot of efficiency in having mutigenerational homes。 Sharing time together also shares experiences。 The age segregation means that elders are often not seen and become very lonely。 Loneliness creates negative health outcomes。 Aging is sometimes seen as either being successful vs failed， which results in self-blame and shame when the individual does not live up to society’s standards。 The perceived failures of aging such as illness， needs to be placed in context of its complexity and mystery。 The emotional， social， existential， and spiritual dimensions of a person’s life should not be ignored when they are ill， while conventional language adds more suffering to illness by ignoring those dimensions。 The Shadow is a reference to the subconscious。 Containing the traits and feelings that are rejected or unacceptable。 But because so much is buried in the Shadow， it also contains many valuable hidden gifts and talents。 Denial of age through various means prevents development by creating internal obstacles。 Resisting transition prevents the discovery of hidden power in late life。 Those inner obstacles need to be handled internally， to age from the inside out。 By consciously examining denial， an individual can live in the present。 Reinvention from the outside in can create the same persona but in new roles。Psychological and spiritual practices facilitate a discovery of human development。 It’s not about what is or is not done。 It’s about the process of getting things done。 The state of mind arising from the inner work of age。 Releasing former heroic efforts and values， wounds and regrets， allows the individual to understand from a higher vantage。 Discovering renewed purpose and meaning which creates a transition from Hero to Elder。 It requires effort to shift from role to soul。 Cultivating the Elder by intentional inner work。 This means freedom from the past， having a presence， awareness of shadow， and service to the common good。 Obstacles to finding the hidden values include being unaware of internal ageism by denying age。 Being beholden to former values which are no longer appropriate， lack self-reflection， ignoring physical or cognitive symptoms which prevent opportunities for self-care， regret or victimize personal history are all signs of the inner ageist。 Denial of age， illness， and death prevent triggers for change。 The messengers of age， illness， and death provide awareness of nature’s fragility and the quality of time。 They reorient priorities to what is essential， and away from the trivial。 Values that are gifts of mortality awareness。Keys to value are hiding in darkness， beneath awareness。 The three qualities of awareness are shadow， pure， and mortality。 Awareness of the shadows results in self-knowledge about missed opportunities that can be used。 Pure awareness comes about through reflection and silence。 A way and place to calm the noisy mind。 Resulting in recovery and rejuvenation of the mind。 The preciousness of life and available time only comes about after looking at death。 Death can be a teacher， if the individual allows it to be。 A life review facilitates seeing from deep and wide vantage。 It can help release the past and allow the individual to live in the moment。 Self-reflection that increased insight， and allows the repair the past and pass on what was learned。 Each chapter contains shadow character， and practices that can be guideposts on the way to becoming away of the shadows and living a more fulfilling life。 The practices need to customized for what the reader resonates with， but also to avoid customizing them for dogma， projection， and other sacrifices of essential parts that make individual。 Although the book is going against ageism there is a bit of ageism in it。 There are many attributes which are given to the Elders， but focusing on only the Elders， it appears that the attributes apply only to Elders。 The lessons from aging and generally this book， can be applied no matter one’s age。 There seems to be a lot of requirements and obstacle to become an Elders。 The attributes seem virtues， but they may not be fully applicable to everyone。 The obstacles seem like vices， but they can enable many positive outcomes given the context。 Another problem with the book is assuming that being an Elder means having a lot of experience that can be shared。 But just having experience does not make it in and of itself useful。 Experience needs to be put in appropriate context。 Relating experience may be completely inappropriate given that it comes from a different time and context。 This can be overcome by sharing values which leads to an understanding appropriate context。 。。。more
Anne
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