Thrive as we age is the key takeaway, as facilitator Shelley Jackson-Berry brought a positive message to Lloydminster participants at the Legacy Centre on the occasion of National Seniors Day.
“Remember that you have control over so much of aging well,” says Jackson-Berry. “It’s not just written because of your genetics.”
The acronym THRIVE stands for:
- Thoughts
- Gratitude, conscious kindness, relive positive moments, contemplate what you think about aging, look for positives
- Healthy habits
- Sit five minutes less today, try a new healthy recipe, add another colour to your plate, sleep 7-8 hours, walk during TV commercials
- Relationships
- Call a friend and catch up, coffee date, compliment someone, chat with your cashier
- Interests
- Take a different route, listen to a new podcast, spend 15 minutes reading, learn new technology, try something that makes your brain sweat
- Values & Emotions
- Focus on a positive emotion, be kind to yourself, take one small step to support your passion, I feel most energized and connected when…., reach out for help
Steps to take
Jackson-Berry shares with a packed Legacy Centre about steps you can take to thrive as we get older.
“There are lots of things we can do for happiness and improving our health, our brain and the social part of us.”
Even though life happens and you may, for example, have a challenging health issue, Jackson-Berry stresses you are in control of how you look at it.
“You are not destined to anything. You have lots of control. Look at the perceptions you have and through your mind, what set of lenses are you seeing your world through? Is it holding you back or is it helping you thrive?”
Novelty: Taking the path less travelled
Jackson-Berry held up a colouring book to the audience, first showing the blank pages, then the drawings without any colour, and then, as if by sleight of hand, flipping the pages through the colourful art.
“Creativity is important, and when I talked about getting outside the routine – because when we are stuck in a routine, we don’t see the other possibilities, so colouring outside the lines provides us with a different set of lenses, where we go, “Oh, I never even thought of doing that,” says Jackson-Berry.
Even as you show yourself a little kindness and maintain a positive mindset in the face of life challenges, you may choose to colour inside the lines or create a new journey by bringing colour and creativity outside the lines.
“The more time I spend doing the THRIVE stuff, it opens your mind that you don’t have to do things the way you have always done them, which opens your mind that there are other ways to address this issue,” says Jackson-Berry.
National Seniors Day is observed on October 1 in Canada, with 2026 marking the 15th anniversary of the observance.
The Lloydminster event celebrating seniors was coordinated by the Lloydminster Learning Council, and City of Lloydminster.
