Your humble Substack writer turned 60 on September 2, but he’s only now getting around to addressing it.

Could anything be more 60-ish? Like, what’s the rush? I’ll get around to it. So what if this arrived in your inbox nine weeks after the fact?

But I had to get around to it, sooner or later. After all, turning 60 is a major milestone, and as Alignment subscribers can attest, I don’t need much of an excuse to engage in pontification, I mean to write a post.

So what’s going through my mind and coursing through my veins, now that I’ve entered my seventh decade?

If you’ll indulge me, as you usually do (thank you!), I’d like to share a few ideas that might inspire or help you on your own journey through the aging process.

Let’s divide this in two parts: Physical and spiritual.

Physical

Here’s a statement that is mostly true: I don’t care about grey hair, age spots, and bags under my eyes.

But I am motivated to maintain muscle definition, bone mass, leanness, strength, balance and flexibility – at least to levels that defy my age. Call it pride. Call it narcissism. The reality is, I enjoy and embrace the challenge of creating a juxtaposition between my chronological age and my appearance, without the aid of Botox or plastic surgery.

In the end, though, this is less about vanity and more about practicality. I want to keep doing what I enjoy doing, whether that’s hiking with Maizie, lifting heavy objects at home and work, or taking power-yoga classes with Kathryn.

Inevitably, if we live long enough, the walls close in on us. It has already happened to me. I used to be a runner. Loved it. Completed a hilly marathon in 3:39, which isn’t great but not too shabby. Eventually, however, my left hip disintegrated (quite literally) and I had to give it up.

So I don’t run long distances or play full-court basketball anymore. But I’ve drawn a line in the sand. I’m determined to keep the walls at bay and to keep going to the gym, doing power yoga, riding my bike, walking Maizie twice a day and hiking up mountains as long as I can.

The best piece of fitness advice I ever received is this: If you want to be in good shape when you’re 80, then get in good shape when you’re (insert your current age.) In other words, you only need to worry about how you’re moving and fueling your body today. Keep focusing on that and aging well will take care of itself.

Speaking of moving, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention this, and I certainly don’t want to be remiss:

As a general proposition, we gain weight as we age not because our metabolism slows down, but because we become more sedentary. I recommend that you move as much as you can, within reason.

Spiritual

My brother-in-law Chuck and I were born 10 years apart, almost to the day. So, ten years ago, when he turned 60 and I turned 50, his wife Mindy threw us a joint birthday party. During the festivities, I pulled Chuck aside and asked him a big question:

“Based on your experience Chuck, what would you say is the main difference between turning 50 and turning 60?”

“At 50, you’re still clinging to hopes that you can change the world and make something of yourself,” he replied. “At 60, you’re just trying to hang on until retirement.”

The funny thing is, the famous 20th Century psychiatrist Carl Jung would pretty much agree with Chuck’s proposition.

Jung observed that many people embark on a profound change of course after their 60th birthday. Before reaching 60, people are building their egos. After age 60, people are returning to their souls.

This dichotomy may be real, but not quite as stark as Chuck and Jung make it out to be.

As a professional animal rights advocate, I’m still trying my best to change the world. And I don’t see myself giving up on this pursuit anytime soon, don’t you worry.

But when I look at my own career trajectory, Jung’s statement applies.

Occasionally, people who knew me as an executive director of a national nonprofit ask me if I ever want to be an ED again.

My answer is not no. It’s hell no.

I was having dinner last week with a slightly older friend who describes herself as a NEOR, a Not Employed Or Retired. When I asked her what she wanted to do, she said she was unsure, but she was certain she didn’t want to manage anyone.

Amen, sister.

In my role at PETA, the only person I manage is the one I see in the mirror. That’s enough for me. I don’t need a corner office to feel satisfied. As Jung might have predicted, my ego and my ambition have atrophied, thank God. My professional life is about doing the utmost for the animals, nothing more.

Taking this a step further, I’ve grown less concerned about conforming with societal expectations. I would never advise anyone to completely disregard societal standards. But I’m more comfortable than ever before at just being myself.

Going vegan is great preparation for this. By definition, all vegans reject a major societal norm: consuming animal products.

Last but not least, it’s worth noting that psychological studies have shown seniors to be the happiest age group. The simple fact that most seniors are retired probably has something to do with it. Meditation is the second-best form of stress relief; not having a job, if you don’t need the money, is No. 1.

But since I’m still a worker bee, I see a deeper reason for contentment among my fellow 60-somethings. Presumably, if we’ve paid close attention to life and supplemented our education with good books and informative podcasts, then we’ve managed to accumulate some wisdom along the way.

I would never suggest that anyone, especially yours truly, has it all figured out. But I’m a lot calmer and a little closer to enlightenment (whatever that is) than I was even 10 years ago.

None of the above is meant to say that growing old is an eternal picnic. Our bodies will decay and we will die, eventually. But we can improve our chances of extending our capacities into the far reaches of our golden years, if we adhere to at least some of the concepts and ideas in this post.

As I grow ever-older, I’ll certainly let you know how it goes. If I ever get around to it.