pring flower, autumn fruit, I am in transition."

Aging Beautifully is achieved by addressing the three spiritual principles that support spiritual work: paying attention, letting go, and self-forgiveness.

There is nothing simple about following these principles, but they will lead, over time, to the major accomplishment of aging beautifully. And, if we will remain faithful to the journey, we will receive riches beyond our wildest expectations.

However, we must resist judging ourselves and militate against keeping a running calculation of results. Aging beautifully is a process that will not be finished in a month, or a year, but will take a lifetime. Being finished is not the goal. The goal is to have deep self-respect as we age and, by remaining devoted to these principles, we can steadfastly develop an inner core that will naturally lead us to the appropriate action for taking care of our beauty.

Take comfort from knowing that there will be tangible rewards, both large and small, throughout the journey and though the gains might not be immediately apparent, they will nonetheless show up over the long haul.

At the end of the day, aging beautifully is a lifetime devotion to the development and practice of the spiritual life. Keep faith with the universe, commit to starting the journey, and trust the unevenness of the process. This is your one, precious life and your only obligation is to meet it fully and wholeheartedly.

*the principles that are fundamental to all spiritual work

*the opportunity to delineate the three phases of your life and how each has defined you

*a deeper understanding of loss and grief

*the experience of witnessing the therapeutic intervention: insight into working wisdom

*the chance to witness the empowering process of change and letting go