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Joyspan: Enjoying Life, Not Just Living It

By Shlomo Maital

  Today’s New York Times brings an interesting piece by Jancee Dunn, on “Joyspan”.  Joyspan is about living long, but not just counting the years but doing so in a manner that is enjoyable, fruitful, happy, productive and meaningful.  Joy Span, not just Life Span.

    Chase suggests four key elements of a Joy Span:

      Grow.  Keep doing new things, learning new things.  Trying new things.  Welcome change.  Become smarter, wiser, and yes, fitter.  It is possible.  I gave up running, after a long span of running daily, two marathons, and a pure love of jogging.  Instead, I walk, often uphill, to boost fitness.  It came in handy recently, during a conference in a hilly city in Portugal.

       Adapt.  If you can’t run, walk. If you have trouble walking, do chair exercises.  If you have trouble reading fine print, buy large print books or listen to podcasts.  As we grow older, many parts of our bodies don’t work that well.  Fix what you can, or what the doctors can, and move on….

      Give.   Often, we seniors focus on ourselves, our needs, our pains, our difficulties.  That does not contribute to a Joy Span.  Focus on others. Family, grandchildren, loved ones, friends, even strangers.  And give to them, whenever and whatever you can.  That is a real joy.

      And Connect.  Connect with others.  It is pretty easy as a senior to let the walls close in.  As best you can, connect with others.  The storekeeper. The cashier.  The cab driver.  Even fleeting connections bring joy. Maybe, a little extra tip to the cab driver…and a big thank you. 

        Here is the mnemonic:  G A G C.   Try it.  Probably you’re already doing it.  And even 2 out of 4 is a big help.