tion>
Advance Praise forThe Power of Positive Aging
“David Lereah takes us on a personal journey for the ages; his battle against stage three cancer. Along the way he discovers the power of positive aging and presents his findings in this book. It is an inspiring story of how a positive mindset can overcome the physical and mental challenges of aging and disease. A must-read for anyone over 50 years old.”
—Chip Conley, founder of Modern Elder Academy, New York Times best selling author, and Next Avenue’s 2019 Top Ten Influencer in Aging
“The Power of Positive Aging is an essential resource for anyone facing the prospect of older age. David Lereah adeptly shows how aging does not have to be the negative experience we’ve been taught it is.”
—Lawrence R. Samuel, author of Aging in America and Boomers 3.0 and Next Avenue’s 2017 Top Ten Influencer in Aging
“If you’re a baby boomer, this indispensable guide needs to be in your personal library. Filled with spiritual insights, practical tools, and helpful resources, you will return to it time and again as you navigate the uncharted territory of your own unique journey into older age. Kudos to David Lereah for infusing each page with both extensive research and the wisdom of one who knows whereof he speaks.”
—Mary Eileen Williams, host of the Feisty Side of Fifty podcast
“A supportive and practical guide for positive aging. This brilliant and engaging book embodies wisdom, personal insights, as well as the tools we all need for facing life’s greatest challenge. A true inspiration.”
—Susan Landeis, author of Optimal Caregiving
“The Power of Positive Aging takes us on a different path to aging that is profoundly productive for ourselves and others. Aging is the greatest education about life a person can have, and David Lereah has laid out all the study tools needed to graduate with high honors. David shows us a path that changes aging from a challenge to an experience. It is a masterful collection of tools—physical, mental and spiritual—that enable us to craft our own path through the aging process.”
—Lee Mowatt, vlogger, senior fitness motivator, and host of The Aging Academy podcast
“The Power of Positive Aging is not just another feel-good book about growing older. Driven by David Lereah’s personal journey with cancer and its aftermath, this book is a guide for creating a positive framework for leading life as we age. He examines inner spirit, social networks, and emotional intelligence in a thoughtful way. Particularly insightful is his chapter “Reclaim Your Life” and his advice on creating a lifestyle plan for positive aging. An easy read and very insightful, this is a must-read as you embrace this stage of life and positive message that we need now more than ever due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
—Lori Bitter, The Business of Aging, author of The Grandparent Economy, and Next Avenue’s 2017 Top Influencer in Aging
“David Lereah’s book The Power of Positive Aging is an important contribution to help meet the challenges of aging. You will learn the mental and spiritual strategies that he used to personally overcome his big challenge to emerge healthier and happier as he ages positively. His concept that the challenges that come with aging are just inconveniences, is one we all should embrace.”
—Rico Caveglia, author of Ageless Living and host of the Fearless Aging podcast
“David Lereah’s book The Power of Positive Aging provides a no-nonsense, fact-based approach to tackling the challenges of aging with grace and dignity. A cancer survivor himself, his reflections enhance the reader’s understanding of how growing old comes with ‘inconveniences.’ This informative how-to guide provides instructions and solutions for his vision of aging positively while at the same time fostering an age-friendly society that will benefit anyone who reads it.”
—Angela G. Gentile, MSW, RSW
“Full of hard-won wisdom. David Lereah has written a personal, practical and comprehensive book on how to accept the challenges of aging, while enjoying the richness of the present moment. The book is well researched and full of great examples of how to live your best life until the very last breath. I love the concept of ‘the inconvenience of aging’—it puts the process into real perspective.”
—Nicole Christina, LCSW, psychotherapist, and host of the Zestful Aging podcast
The Power of Positive Aging
Successfully Coping with the Inconveniences of Aging
David Alan Lereah, PhD
The Power of Positive Aging
Copyright © 2020 by David Alan Lereah. All rights reserved.
Published by Quill Driver Books
An imprint of Linden Publishing
2006 South Mary Street, Fresno, California 93721
(559) 233-6633 / (800) 345-4447
Quill Driver Books and Colophon are trademarks of Linden Publishing, Inc.
cover design by Tanja Prokop, www.bookcoverworld.com interior design by Andrea Reider
ISBN 978-1-61035-360-1
135798642
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file.
Contents