My guest today is Dr. Dawn Carr. Dawn is the Associate Professor of Sociology and Director of the Claude Pepper Center in the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy at Florida State University and a former researcher at the Stanford Center of Longevity.

She is the co-author of the book, Gerontology in the Era of the Third Age: Implications and Next Steps, where she outlines the key factors that bolster older adults’ ability to remain healthy and active for as long as possible. She digs into the complex connections between health and active engagement later in life, focusing on the benefits of paid work, volunteering, and caregiving–and how staying active helps us maintain our cognitive, psychological, and functional well-being.

In our conversation, Dawn shares how losing her mother and grandmother within a month of each other changed her life, how people’s lives can truly transform for the better during the third age, and three things you can do right now to live a longer, happier life. 

In this podcast interview, you’ll learn:

• What Dawn learned studying the science of aging by working with very sick older adults.
• What the “third age” is–and why it’s so critical that we make the most of it. 
• How to focus on inner connection, get vulnerable, and dig into what truly matters most to you in life.
• Why working part-time (or volunteering) has so many of the protective health benefits of full-time work without the same level of commitment. 
• Why nations like Japan experience some of the best longevity in the world–and how we can apply those lessons to our own life. 

Show Notes: RetireWithPurpose.com/368

Rate & Review the Podcast: RetireWithPurpose.com/review

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