WILDLY FREE ELDER
The Artistry of Aging
DAY 13: Uber Elders
Bababara Beskind of Design Within Reach
“Healthy aging can be summed up by this moto: Stay vertical and move forward with a sense of humor and an inquisitive, creative mind.”
Barbara Beskind
Creative and vibrant people, whether they be elders or any age, inspire me….which then brings joy into my life. The short 7-minute video below came to my attention today and I thought it a perfect addition to the 31-Day Joy & Laughter Project.
Every single one of us will be facing challenges as we age and of course an inevitable transition out of our present bodies. Barbara Beskind is on a mission, already in her 90’s, to have as much quality of life as possible before that happens and to enhance other people’s lives while she is still here.
Barbara defines “Uber Elder” as “Someone 95 and beyond who is living a fulfilling and purposeful life.”
She is proving that in her own life by working with a well know Silicon Valley Engineering firm called IDEO as, what she calls, a “conceptual designer” to help design equipment for vision and hearing loss, mobility, balance and memory loss.
On no prescription medications and actively going to a fitness center 3 days a week after many years of walking at least 2 miles a day she exemplifies what an Uber Elder is. Take a few minutes to watch the video below and find out what she has designed to replace walkers….and why.
A delightful and playful sense of humor she does have….and a presence that inspires!
ABOUT ENDWELL: “As we increasingly rely on technology to problem solve, conceptual designer Barbara Beskind is a testament to the power of personal input. Using her experience as an occupational therapist, Barbara, then aged eighty-nine, instigated the role of advisor for aging-related projects for the international design firm, IDEO. Inventive, practical, playful and always human-centered, Barbara and her can-do spirit set the stage for an exploration of design values that honor, respect and expand our understanding of ourselves and others. Learn about the End Well Symposium: https://www.endwellproject.org/
We believe all people should experience the end of life in a way that matches their values and goals. End Well is a dynamic gathering of individuals committed to generating human-centered, interdisciplinary innovation for the end of life experience. We are a diverse group of people who listen and learn from each other. Our goal is to create a cultural shift that supports new collaborations, systems, protocols, and products to foster new and existing networks of support to make the end of life more human-centered for all.”
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfm6… Share End Well videos on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endwellproject/ View End Well videos on Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/endwellsf Tweet End Well videos on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/endwellsf Follow End Well on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company-beta…
About 31 Days of Joy & Laughter Project:
As elders with a long life behind us and not as much embodied life before us, and as humans on the planet Earth at this time, we are being faced with incredible challenges that compete to take our attention.
A couple of days ago I realized I no longer choose to have my attention taken by the fear, doom and gloom broadcast daily, whether on our smart phones news feed or while talking to others. I am weary of it all and need a higher vibration energy bath!.
It is not that I don’t want to know what is happening in the world, but instead the question I am posing to myself, and to you, every day is – where do we want to place our attention? We most always have a choice.
For the month of December I am placing attention on joy, laughter, creativity and acts of kindness as a experiment to see what unfolds. Seeking out and being aware of moments of joy sometimes hidden in the deep pockets and lining of each and every day that seem to get passed over without even looking back. They are always there.
Each day in December you will find a small nugget of joy, humor, creativity or small act of kindness that found me and pulled my attention which will be posted here. I invite you to join me and share your experiences and what you noticed so that we may spread it around! (Please use the “Comment” section below).
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You can also find all of the posts in the archives here: http://wildlyfreeelder.com/2021/12/
Gaye Abbott, Natural Passages Consulting, 12/13/21. Please feel free to share this post and link to WildlyFreeEld