There was a 2-page spread in my local newspaper the other day about epigenetics. That's a newish branch of science that acknowledges that the DNA conversation isn't quite as cut and dried as many would have us believe. While DNA may encode many traits and diseases, we now know that there are things such as perception that act upon DNA to activate it or even to change its coding. Cool, eh? Having been a fan of Dr. Bruce Lipton's work for some time, I became aware earlier than many that the human body didn't operate quite so much like a machine as many scientists and doctors would like. Because we carry a gene for something doesn't mean that we are doomed for it to become active. It appears that our beliefs about our world are powerful mitigators in a complex process that determines what gets activated and what remains dormant. For me, this kind of article in the popular press is always exciting because it tells me that new discoveries, new thinking is not only possible, but that even though it takes longer than I'd like to impact the world, it still happens.

So what does this have to do with retirement you ask? Well, for me, it speaks to the fact that our perceptions about the world around us have a direct impact on our physical health. And let's face it, whether you are edging towards retirement like me, are boldly stepping into it, or are still trying to decide, health is an ever present conversation connected to aging ...for our generation, at least.

It may well be that for our children and grandchildren the conversation will change dramatically as the implications of epigenetics are explored. How much of the decrepitude that we presume is a fact of aging is a fact only because we presume it to be? Are we really genetically encoded to physically go to hell in a handbasket as we age? Or is it that way because we think it is that way?

The link between our habits of thought, our deeply held beliefs and our physical 'reality' is one that has fascinated me for a long, long time. My coaching and workshops are an exploration of these topics and the creativity work I do with clients shows me time and time again just how powerful the link is. So I am wondering a lot these days about what the future is going to look like for us boomers because we think differently.

Already we are experiencing some of that change in the "60 is the new 40" phenomena. Mind you, I sometimes wonder how much botox is keeping that boat afloat! However, I look around at many of my friends and see so many alive, vibrant, creative, lively people who don't look or act their chronological age. (I also see lots of people significantly younger who look old and used up before their time and who seem to have very negative outlooks on life.) Even those who, like me, aren't fitness freaks and who choose to let the gray show seem able to move through the world with an energy and optimism that I don't remember being present for my parents or their friends when they were the same age.

I believe that this new 'think young' approach many of us have is going to serve us well as we add more calendar years. And here's what I think is the challenge for many people: 'retirement' for many signifies slowing down, moving away from too much involvement, etc. When that is our attitude, I don't think that ill health and decline are very far away. And the stats are there to back it up ...death rates are high in the first few years after retirement, and it appears that they are higher amongst those who have created the fewest meaningful plans for themselves. A real 'use it or lose it' scenario.

Dr. James Nininger, a former CEO of the Conference Board of Canada argues that we need to 'get a life while you're working' based on his study of retirement. He found that an active and varied life outside work helps people make a smooth transition into retirement. And StatsCan has lots of data linking our investment in preparing for retirement to the quality of our experience of retirement. Surely concrete evidence of a link between our thinking and the outcomes we experience.

So back to epigenetics ...I am extremely curious about how our thinking about ourselves as we age will impact on the rate at which many things we presume to be genetically encoded will actually occur. I wonder what the long-term health impact will be for those of us who continue to create meaning in our lives rather than allowing ourselves to quietly fade away on some ingrained set of societal beliefs about what's possible for us as we age.