Fordham Researcher Seeks Individuals Age 100+ for Study

Fordham University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you know anyone who is 100 years or older, there may be a great opportunity to help contribute to the sciences.

Daniela Jopp, Ph.D., of Fordham University, is looking for individuals 100 years and older for her study on life as a centenarian. To date, researchers have spoken to approximately 80 centenarians in New York City and are seeking an additional 20 individuals to participate in the on-going study.

More people than ever reach this very advanced age, yet very little is known about their life situation. Whereas other centenarian studies look at which factors may be responsible for reaching an exceptionally long life, the Fordham Centenarian Study focuses on how centenarians actually live their lives. Specifically, the study considers what things they enjoy, which difficulties they encounter and how they cope with the challenges they face. "We welcome centenarians to share their life experiences and accomplishments, so that we can all learn from them," said Jopp. "We believe the rest of the population has much to learn from these individuals and how they have coped with life's challenges, including the process of aging."

The study is part of a series of studies that investigates the life situation and quality of life of centenarians in several countries, including Germany and Portugal, in order to better understand what is responsible for high-functioning and happiness at a very advanced age. For the ongoing study, Jopp and her team welcome centenarians from the New York Metro area to share their life experience and accomplishments. The study is supported by the Brookdale Foundation and Fordham University.

To participate in the study, please contact: (718) 817-0643 or fordhamlifelab@gmail.com .

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9 Retirement Truths that Ensure Bliss vs. Bust

Finding joy and fulfillment throughout retirement

by Julia Valentine

Aging is a fact, but how you experience it is your choice.  Many research studies show that life after 50 can be the most treasured time of your life. This because life perceptions are more positive and feelings of worry or stress decline.  Research also shows that a fulfilling retirement is impossible without concerted planning, which should extend beyond the requisite financial plan to also encompass your emotional wants, needs and desires based on thoughtful and practical self-reflection.

Retire­ment is the time when you have already fulfilled your obligations to others in life and are now free to make some new choices with yourself as the priority.  Indeed, with proper preparation and forethought, you can realize your full potential and enjoy an astonishing quality of life in retirement. This may include working, mentoring, volunteering, traveling, learning and anything else that helps you feel secure, joyful, independent, valuable and carefree.

Here are 9 Retirement Truths that will help ensure retirement is the treasure of your life:

Retirement Truth #1: Aging brings wisdom, not decline
It has been said that what you think about, you bring about. Telling yourself you are going to flourish in retirement can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. At the very least, you might take slightly better care of yourself and, in turn, find your way into the virtuous circle of feeling better emotionally and physically, doing more interesting things and ultimately enjoying yourself more.

Retirement Truth #2: Age is just a number
Chronological age is merely the number of candles on your birthday cake, while psychological age is your perception of how vital and vibrant you feel. Since the latter is a subjectively experienced age, you have a great deal of latitude in constructing beliefs that will either help you or limit your ability to flourish after 50. Construct wisely.

Retirement Truth #3: Creativity helps design your lifestyle
Discovering and exploring your everyday creativity is going to make a difference between boredom and the pure joy of being alive. Everyday creativity is invoked when the object of your creative efforts is your own life. It taps into our deepest need to feel useful and valuable. A creative life approach fosters flexibility and resourcefulness, helping you choose new pursuits, evolve with the changing times and design a satisfying lifestyle.

Retirement Truth #4: Fulfilling true needs is essential
Knowing what you want and, more importantly, what you need is difficult but critical. You cannot be happy without it. Research shows meeting one’s personal needs is essential for psychological health and, consequently, for more profound happiness, serenity and a high quality of inner life. 

Retirement Truth #5: Know your motivation
Knowing why you do something is important because it will motivate you to go through with the action. Motivation is how we access the energy necessary to do anything, whether that means saving money, acquiring new skills or staying fit to enjoy life after 50. Understanding your own intentions and desired result of any decision or activity will result in clarity, less frustration, more of what you want, and less guilt about foregoing what doesn’t meet your needs. 

Retirement Truth #6: Fail to plan, plan to fail
Research proves that a successful, happy retirement is impossible without planning based on self-examination. People who plan end up with twice the wealth of people who do not. Beyond financial planning, it is imperative to take time to figure out what lifestyle needs must be fulfilled to make you happy, and then find specific ways to ensure those needs can be met. Retirement lifestyle design then becomes the driver for making good choices and building the foundation of physical, emotional and financial health that ensures joy and fulfillment after 50.

Retirement Truth #7:  Evolution trumps fear
Do not be dragged along by the changing times when you have the freedom to preside over the process.  While evolution may not always mean improvement or progress, life’s progression is certainly an inevitability that should be embraced, not eschewed.  Change should be revered, not feared, as with change comes new learning and growth experiences - new opportunities and ways to contribute, to be significant and to create meaningful experiences for your self and for the people around you.

Retirement Truth #8: Joy requires harmony
A joyful life can only be truly achieved if your inner and outer worlds are in harmony – the alignment of your life’s needs and direction (which you can set to Joy, Meaning, Abundance, Fulfillment or anything else you desire) with your inner resources, like attitude, abilities, talents, skills, experience and personality traits. People wholly integrated at this level are conscious of their needs, emotions, impulses, pleasures and pains. They enjoy an amazing quality of life with frequent peak experiences, are more at peace, and are less split between an experiencing-self and an observing-self.

Retirement Truth #9: Quality of life requires more than money
It is easy to mistake comfort for quality of life.  An astonishing quality of life encompasses both material comfort and joy. To live with joy, it is imperative to not only identify and understand your emotional needs, but actively work to meet them. Do this and the second half of your life will be even better than the first.

Speaker and JoyCompass.com founder Julia Valentine is the author of Joy Compass: How to Make Your Retirement the Treasure of Your Life. Through cutting edge research in finance, motivation and creativity, Joy Compass offers a revolutionary new approach to preparing for, designing and enjoying life in retirement. Julia Valentine may be reached, and the interactive book may be accessed, online at www.JoyCompass.com.

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Day 20: Research Breast Cancer Charities Before Donating Money or Buying ‘Pink’ Products

When the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure throws the spotlight on breast cancer research, other national and local businesses take advantage of the publicityto market pink ribbon products and services and ask for donations.  Some are legitimate; others are not. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) advises consumers to research a charity’s claims before making a purchase or donating money.
The BBB encourages consumers to look for companies that disclose a charity name, the amount of a sale going to the charity, the duration of marketing campaigns and, if applicable, the maximum or minimum contribution amount.
“The ultimate goal is for a portion of the purchase to end up in the intended charity’s hands,” said Michelle Corey, president of the BBB.  “Consumers can ensure this will happen by asking the right questions.”
The annual Komen Race for the Cure event in downtown St. Louis is Saturday. The charity is accredited by the BBB.
While most pink ribbon marketing campaigns are trustworthy, consumers can eliminate the possibility of supporting companies that market false donation claims by doing the following:

• Identify the charity receiving the donation. If the product or service is linked to a donation percentage, contact the business or manufacturer to determine exactly where the money is going and what percentage is donated.
• Research the charity through the BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance.  If the product or service is in support of an unfamiliar charity, learn more about the organization by reviewing the BBB’s charity report online at bbb.org/charity.
• Confirm the charity’s corporate partners.  Many national breast cancer charities list the names of corporate partners and sponsors on their websites.

In addition to purchasing products and services, consumers may receive solicitations for general donations over the phone or by mail.  The BBB advises potential donors to be cautious of individuals claiming to represent national breast cancer charities.
Several breast cancer charities have faced criticism in recent years, largely for questionable fundraising activities.
One of the largest, Baltimore-based The American Breast Cancer Foundation, received nearly $9 million in donations in 2008, according to the organization’s most recent report to the Internal Revenue Service.   The charity’s records show that most of that money was raised by telemarketers. Of the $5.4 million raised by telemarketers that year, the charity received $765,000, or about 14 cents of each dollar.  Phyllis Wolf is the charity’s president. Her son owns Non Profit Promotions, the charity’s direct mail fundraiser.  Non Profit Promotions made $919,000 from The American Breast Cancer Foundation in 2008.
A smaller national charity, Coalition Against Breast Cancer, Inc., of Long Island, N. Y., raised nearly $1.5 million in donations in 2008,according to IRS records.  Of that total, almost $1.2 million, or about 80 percent, was paid to the charity’s professional fundraisers. 
The BBB advises donors to:

• Be wary of appeals that are long on emotion, but short on describing what the charity will do.
• If you contribute, do not give cash.  Make a check or money order out to the name of the charitable organization, not to the individual collecting the donation.
• Watch out for excessive pressure for on-the-spot donations.  Be wary of any requests to send a “runner” to pick up your donation.
• Be wary of charities that are reluctant to answer reasonable questions about their operations, finances and programs.  Ask how much of your gift will be used for the activity mentioned in the appeal and how much will go toward other programs and administrative and fundraising costs.

For more information on how to ensure that your donation gets into the right hands, visit BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance at www.bbb.org/charity.