Our Good Old Brain
Written by Rev. Dr. Scott Paczkowski
“For you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. ”
Too many of us over the age of 55 begin to embrace decline. It is a subtle and insidious shift. We buy into the idea that we have less and less to offer the world, our career, our families, and ourselves. I appreciate Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool for reminding me older people still have a lot to offer as we continue to grow and learn. In their book, Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise, they affirm, “Still, both the brain and the body retain a great deal of adaptability throughout adulthood, and this adaptability makes it possible for adults, even older adults, to develop a wide variety of new capabilities with the right training.”
We older adults require the ongoing challenges that Ericsson and Pool say, “drives changes in the brain.” However, each of us can take advantage of our brain’s adaptability. Continued growth in older adults is more than simply genetic luck. The brain is capable of guiding us forward. Even if we lose some small amount of our cognitive ability, our brains still provide incredible power to make a positive difference in our lives.
Getting older is no excuse for shutting down and giving up on life. To nurture our brains, Ericsson and Pool point out, “learning now becomes a way of creating abilities rather than of bringing people to the point where they can take advantage of their innate ones.” The more we challenge our brains with more learning, the more we push our brains to expand and grow. Continued growth does not mean we can have our twenty-year-old brains back, but it does mean we can continue to grow. I would rather have my 58-year-old brain, with the added experience, than my 20-year-old brain with little life experience.
Today, pray for God to give each of us over 55 the drive to keep expanding our brains. As much as the activity broadens the brain’s ability, it is also the self-care and confidence the activities provide. For those who are younger, be careful not to fall into ageism, but to affirm the aspects of experience and wisdom older persons carry with them. When we nurture our brains and continue to challenge ourselves with disciplined activity, we can continue to make a meaningful difference and honor God.
