Reading Away Life: Do Not Go Quietly by George Cappannelli

The Beginning

“Everything has to do with loving and not loving.”

~ Rumi ~

Breakdown or Breakthrough

We are entering a time of demographic revolution that will, over the next several decades, result in a large number — some say half of our population — being 50 years of age or older for the first time in history. Although this revolution is still in its early stages, it is clear from the conversations and conflicts being acted out in the chambers of government and in the boardrooms of our institutions and corporations that this “graying” of the world’s population is ushering in a time of unprecedented social, political, cultural, economic, technological, and environmental change for all of us who are passengers on this train called Humanity and especially for those of us who are older GenXers, Boomers, and Elders. And this, as they say, is only the beginning.

Couple this reality with the fact that many governments, institutions, and businesses at all levels and in all parts of the world, as well as the vast majority of us — and even the organizations that are supposed to advocate for us — are unprepared for the substantial challenges and unprecedented opportunities that lie ahead. Only then does one begin to understand that this confluence of factors represents either a recipe for disaster or fertile ground for a historic breakthrough.

Do Not Go Quietly weighs in on the side of those who believe that the time ahead will provide the fertile ground for breakthrough. It advances the proposition that many of us who are older GenXers (40 to 45), Boomers (46 to 64), and Elders (65+) not only have the opportunity but the time, resources, talent, and experience. And all of us have the need to revisit the values and priorities that have guided our individual lives. Through such an essential and periodic reassessment and in other important ways, we can contribute our wisdom and experience to help steer the ship of state onto a course that promises greater well-being, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and financial stability for ourselves and those who come after us.

So if you fall within one of these demographic categories and are interested in living more consciously and aging wisely you are, as they say, on the right page at the right time.

If you are under 40 and want to better prepare for your own road ahead — as well as to better understand the road your parents, older friends, and relatives may now be on — then you have also come to the right place.

If you want to use the time you have remaining — whether years or decades — to make right your relationship with yourself and with others, if you want to connect with greater meaning, passion, and joy and, in the process, contribute to a more positive and compassionate future, then Do Not Go Quietly is a good book for you.

We have written Do Not Go Quietly to remind all of us to use this precious gift of our lives to harvest the fruits of our past and turn them into gold that we can invest in the present and future. For only by living in each present moment with greater mindfulness can we fulfill the dreams we have come here to manifest.

Yes, we have written this book because we believe that no matter what religious beliefs or political philosophies we hold, what economic strata we belong to, what our educational background may be, or what we do or have done in the world to earn our daily bread, when we come to the end of our lives none of this will matter as much as the knowledge that we alone will hold in our hearts as to whether we have done our best to use our time, skills, heart, and resources to lead a life of genuine value and contribute to the “Common Wealth.”

Here at the outset, we want to be clear that Do Not Go Quietly is not one of those candy-coated self-help books full of pithy sound bites, designed to appeal to everyone without disturbing anyone. As we — and a number of others “who weren’t born yesterday” — already know, genuine transformation is not possible without experiencing some bumps and disturbances on the road. In fact, in our experience, without these bumps many of us would not learn the essential things we have come to Life to learn.

So you will not find “The 10 Effortless Steps to Easy Street” between these covers. Nor will you find promises of easy wealth, continual happiness, good health, the perfect waistline, and a no-cost timeshare on Maui without having to get up off the couch and work up a little sweat. So if you still believe in free rides or a life free of challenges, this is probably not your book.

Instead, Do Not Go Quietly is for those who understand that a life of genuine quality and accomplishment is most possible if we remember Helen Keller’s good advice — “life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

Do Not Go Quietly is also for those of us who recognize that we may not have always done as good a job as we could have — as individuals, parents, friends, colleagues, leaders, lovers, and stewards of our planet. But now, with the wisdom of experience and the gift of hindsight, we still have time to do some things — both large and small — to change some of that and to leave behind a legacy that makes a positive difference in the lives of our loved ones and the larger community.

So if you believe, like we do, that you are never too old or too young to learn what you do not know, and if you find value in stories about people who have accomplished things of genuine value—particularly if you are open to being surprised that many of these people did these things when they were in their 50s and, in some cases, in their 60s, 70s, 80s and even 90s—then please join us for what we hope will be a journey that reminds you that it’s never too late to live your dreams.

If you are open to digging a little deeper into some of the larger questions that lie at the heart of life’s mysteries and exploring alternative life strategies, if you have unfinished dreams and new territories you want to explore and are interested in opening your heart even wider so that Life can have its way with you, then welcome to Do Not Go Quietly.

While we can’t promise you those “10 Effortless Steps to Easy Street,” we can promise to help you remember how remarkable you are, what extraordinary things you are still capable of expressing in this lifetime, and how much joy and satisfaction this expression will bring to you and to others.

In Part One, we will identify and explore some of the challenges and opportunities we face — individually and collectively — as a result of the graying of the world’s population. As you will see, we also issue you an invitation to do one of the most important things you can do to inherit your individual dreams and contribute to the world around you.

In Part Two you will have the opportunity to explore some concepts, questions, and recommendations we believe can help you better prepare for the road ahead.

In Part Three you will have a chance to review your past, revisit some of your beliefs and basic values, and harvest some of your valuable experiences and wisdom and turn them into real gold that you can invest in living the life you were born to live in the present and future.

In Part Four you can experience the freedom that comes from learning to put down some of the burdens of the past and avoid worrying about the future so you can live more joyfully and successfully in each present moment.

And in Part Five you can take some important steps in envisioning and mapping a future that is brighter, more engaging, and more extraordinary than you can currently imagine. For as they say, “the best is yet to come.”

Finally, throughout the book, you are given encouragement, support, and inspiration. Life Inspirations are short, motivational stories about people who demonstrate some of the best principles of conscious living. Each chapter also concludes with a section that has some Life Rules, Life Achievements, and Life Tools that will provide you with some prompts and some practical techniques to create greater balance along with enhanced physical, emotional, and mental well-being.

At the back of book, you will find a description and link to P.E.P., the valuable and restorative Portable Energy Process that Sedena has created. Originally we included some of her easy-to-do, powerful processes in the pages of this book, but realized that it would be much more helpful to you if, rather than reading them, you could follow her as she demonstrates and leads you through them. So if you would like to give your body the same kind of attention you will give your mind, emotions, and spirit as you take this journey you may want to turn to the back page or go to www.donotgoquietlythebook.com and arrange to get your copy of P.E.P.

One final note: In his inspiring work, The Book of Awakening, poet and author Mark Nepo has this to say about turning the dross of our lives into gold:

But it is too late for me, you might say, I am already full-grown. Not so, for in the world of our inwardness, we are always growing…. We can return and begin again by facing ourselves. In this way, we can go below our hardened ways to the soft impulses that birth them. Instead of breaking the bone of our stubbornness, we can nourish the marrow of our feeling unheard.… Instead of counting the scars from being hurt in the world, we can find and re-kiss the very spot in our soul where we began to withhold our trust.