You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins. . . . There is only one thing for it then—to learn. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust . . . never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.
—T. H. WHITE, THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING
Living a long life, a full and joyful life, requires making friends with the passing of time. It also requires a willingness to see that there is always more to discover and more to experience along the way. There is always more to learn.
As for most of us, your own life’s journey may include unwanted physical and mental changes—tangible signs that you are growing older. Barely glimpsed beneath the surface, there may also be fears about what your future holds as you move beyond the expansive promise of youth.
Yet for many people, the second half of life can also be the richest and most fulfilling phase of their lives, bursting with what is yet to unfold and be discovered. It is the goal of this book to help you learn how to transform the second half of your life so that this can be true for you too.
In part 1 of Staying Sharp, we introduce you to the basic information you’ll build upon as you embark on your journey toward a well-lived life. Surprisingly, there are just three things you need to pack for this journey, but they are absolutely essential to reaching your goal.
The first of these necessities is a healthy degree of doubt. This journey demands that you courageously set aside the prevailing myths and assumptions about aging as a negative experience, as we will do in chapter 1. The second requirement is a basic understanding of the brain, which we will take up in chapter 2. There you will learn how you can rewire your brain so that it remains youthful throughout your life. Lastly, leave plenty of room in your suitcase for discovering the central role that attention plays in staying sharp. Chapter 3 will show how you can use the science of attention to dramatically improve your day-to-day experience for the rest of your life.
With your packed suitcase in hand, it is time to begin your journey. Climb aboard. While the stakes are high, it helps to remember that what you seek—what we all ultimately seek—is not so distant and is reachable by following the track we lay down. In the remainder of the book, we show you how to reach for it through nine steps to create your own path to a full and authentic life, rich with meaning and purpose. Enjoy the ride!