Put the “Happy” back in Happy Birthday
I turned 50 this year, and when I shared the milestone on my socials and in conversations, a few people told me how “brave” I was for being happy about it, and for openly sharing my age in public. At first, I was a bit puzzled by their comments. I thought, “Who...
Pro Tip for Family Caregivers: IMPROVISE
Caregiving for a loved one is HARD. It's hard on the giver and on the receiver. As much as it can be rewarding, it can also be frustrating, thankless, inconvenient, demanding, and—dare I say it—ageist. If we're not careful. Perhaps you've seen or experienced it: the...
NotAfraidofMyBirthday
How are you feeling about your next birthday? Depressed? Over it? Maybe that's because we need to change the narrative about how we think about aging. What if birthday celebrations became a moment of celebration instead of dread? Just over a year ago Changing the...
5 Ways to Silence Your Inner Ageist Judge
Curious minds want to know: Do you let your wrinkles, greys, or aging body dictate what you do or don’t do? Do you allow social assumptions like “Old people are not tech savvy,” or “Old people can’t successfully start a new career” stop you from pursuing the career...
Turns out it’s a competition after all
Recently, the Associated Press published an article entitled, “The Return of Simone Biles and Sunisa Lee is a Boon for US Gymnastics. It’s Created a Logjam, Too.” Then, the other night during a Baltimore Orioles baseball game, one of the announcers noted that because...
How Age-Inclusive Is Your Business? 10 Ways to Get a Pulse Check
This November will be one year since I went on my self-prescribed sabbatical. While this year has blessed me with more than I could have imagined, I’ve decided it’s time to rejoin the workforce. Don’t get me wrong, I love the flexibility of contract work, but I miss...
Gearing up for Ageism Awareness Day 2023
Saturday, October 7 is Ageism Awareness Day 2023 Led by the American Society on Aging, this day provides an opportunity to draw attention to the existence and impact of ageism in our society. Of course, at Changing the Narrative, every day is ageism awareness day! So...
Never the Right Age: Women in Leadership
The findings of recent research on women in leadership and ageism reminded me a bit of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Instead of “too hot or too cold”, the study, published in Harvard Business Review, found that women in the workplace were deemed to be...
Real Aging: Nothing to Prove
Editor's note: The following is a submission from guest contributor Trish Laub, previously interviewed in this blog. “When there’s nothing to lose and there’s nothing to prove, I’ll be dancing with myself!” – Billy Idol I have never felt more alive than I did on May...
Joining Forces: Q&A With Changing the Narrative Founder, Janine Vanderburg
(The following is republished from NextFifty Initiative, with permission.) In April 2023, Changing the Narrative, a leading U.S.-based initiative that seeks to increase understanding of ageism and to change how people think, talk, and act about aging and ageism, and...