Taking Calculated Risks w/ Helen Hirsh Spence

Are you a risk taker? Do you thrive on trying new things, new things that may take you out of your comfort zone?

Helen Hirsh Spence knows all about taking calculated risks. She climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro, among other peaks, reclaimed her life after a bout of depression, and worked in places like Bolivia, and Honduras. She believes in getting out of her comfort zone to "expand, reach, and learn." Oh, did I mention that she was a Jane Goodall Institute board member? Helen knows Jane well and sees her as a role model for older women. "She's ninety, and travels more than 300 days a year to get her message out."

Helen has been a feminist since the early sixties, but as she has aged, she became aware of how she'd internalized many of the stereotypes about older women. "I'd been born into a lifetime of questioning my value as a woman, particularly as an older woman. If I'm feeling this way as an educator, I can't imagine how stereotypes and biases impact other women's lives. I felt like I couldn't or shouldn't do as much." This self-directed ageism led to depression.

"I'm too old to _______________"

"That doesn't suit me _________________"

"I shouldn't wear _______________ because this outfit is only for younger women."

Today, she is comfortable taking calculated risks. "Life is short; there is more work to be done." Helen is a self-described "age provocateur" who wants to provoke people to reframe the whole conversation about aging. She created Top Sixty Over Sixty, a niche consultancy that promotes longevity literacy by providing the tools and training to thrive in today’s aging and multigenerational world.

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