Do you dread aging?
Have you bought into the belief that youth is the gold standard?
Aging is not just biological but culturally defined. We ALL get to decide how "old" is valued. It starts with accepting and celebrating every age.
BE BOLD, CLAIM OLD is a national movement to embrace aging. Join us!
History of Be Bold, Claim Old
Through my work with the Leading Age Leadership Academy, I realized that many of our challenges stem from deep rooted ageist views in our society and that I wanted to play a role in shifting our views of growing older. I launched the Be Bold, Claim Old campaign through my TED-inspired two-minute talk at Leading Age.
I have been surprised and pleased at the resonance that this campaign has with people of all ages. The Be Bold, Claim Old idea seems to plant a seed for individuals to further explore in their own time. I frequently hear from individuals after our discussions that it brought up some new ways of thinking they had not considered. Equally exciting is the empowerment that is expressed by many after connecting with Be Bold, Claim Old.
Be Bold, Claim Old received exposure on the national stage when I was a guest blog writer on Dr. Bill Thomas’ Changing Aging blog, a guest speaker on his webinar for the Disrupt Aging Tour and received a shout out about my video from Ashton Applewhite, author of This Chair Rocks. The video has over 2,500 views.
The campaign is growing. Be Bold, Claim Old has been shared as a keynote and educational session at national and statewide conferences, and as workshops for local nonprofit organizations and older adult groups. In addition, organizations have used the toolkit to implement their own rendition of Be Bold, Claim Old.
"I was surprised that many of our seniors were more than happy to share their age. It is truly inspiring to hear the stories of long lives lived. Age can be so meaningful and positive when we realize that we should wear it with pride." - Staff member who incorporated Be Bold, Claim Old into their community celebration event
