Silver Age of Opportunities

At first we dream of becoming a grown-up as quickly as possible. After getting it we dream of staying young. Thent we dream of pushing old age back away. We rarely seem to be satisfied with the age we are at.

But the one thing is known for sure: the thoughts of ageing bother us one way or another. Some people worry about losing former attractiveness. Some find it difficult to start new ambitious projects or to change jobs. Others are afraid of being helpless.

We have prepared an engaging interview with Elizaveta Sadova, the founder of Silver Age of Opportunities. This is a community searching for ways of involving the mature generation into more active life.

AA: Please tell us some more about your community?

Elizaveta: Well, that is not a community as such. I have created a profile on social network with more than 4,500 followers. I have those who completed my programme "Restart 55+. New Meanings and Opportunities" at Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO. It is my desire to convey to as many people aged 55+ as possible that life is great at any age.

By the way, those who have been through the programme and/or communicate with me can hardly stand the word "old age".

After all, one gets old biologically after the age of 75, according to the WHO figures.

My main message is that life doesn't stop as you get older. On the contrary, it provides new opportunities to recall the things you dreamed of, the things you didn't have time to accomplish, to find new hobbies and activities that please you. It all depends only on us. Only we can set new goals, only we can make them come true.

I get to recall a well-known quote again and again:
"A goal is a dream with a deadline." Well, it's no big deal if the deadline has passed - the thing is to remember the dream.

You may have wanted to paint at a young age, but following your parents' advice, you became a lawyer? Well, now is the time to join a painting course and buy an easel!

You need to acquire knowledge of a new subject to bring your dreams out of your imagination. It can be art or programming, playing the piano or gardening. Fulfilment of a dream brings meaning to our lives. And the active brain work stimulates the body while studying.

I often talk about my life path, especially to those considering me to be simply lucky in life. I have never felt like going with the standard flow: school, institute, family, work.

Recently, I took part in a discussion on the topic of "luck".
- For me, luck is about spotting new opportunities and not missing out.
- For me, being lucky is not being afraid of new experiences. Otherwise, how do you know what yours is?
- For me, real luck is thinking about this new thing with enough passion for it to become a part of life.


I came back to music at a rather mature age. As a child I studied the violin, now I play the piano. Playing the piano had been an unfulfilled childhood dream.
I preferred basketball as a child, now I prefer pilates. It helps to harmonize my brain and body.
I'm also fond of photography. I saw new colours in nature thanks to it. A "third eye" has opened up.

AA: Do you think mature or young people need more activity?

Elizaveta: It depends on the definition of activity. If we say it's just moving around and being busy all the time, that's one thing. If being active means development, new learning, hobbies, activities of great interest, then it doesn't depend on age. I believe this quality inheres in every personality from childhood. It seems strange to expect a person who was inactive in youth to suddenly become active in adulthood.

AA: How did you accept your age?

Elizaveta: There were several stages. The first time I was upset about life having passed at the age of 35. I remember everyone wishing me happy birthday, and I was wondering what else there was to expect. My son was there, my husband was there, I had a job, and what was going to be next?
But it didn't last long. I started a new job, new opportunities came up, and everything began to sparkle with new colours. There was no suffering any more.

The next stage was at the age of 55 when I got my "old-age pensioner" status. They know how to inspire us like that!!! New opportunities and prospects pushed the suffering away again.

And then I no longer thought about age, but just did what I wanted to do, what I was fond of. Lucky me! Not everybody can say the same thing. My main idea was this: no one will do anything for me. If you have something to desire, dare to take it. Look for opportunities, relish the challenge and the new victories! That's how I have been living my life so far!

This is why I created the programme "Restart 55+. New Meanings and Opportunities" at Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO. I wanted to share it with others and expand my circle of like-minded people.

I often hear my young colleagues saying they are not afraid of ageing when they look at me. It is not a problem that the age will be going up. I am happy to have it and to have this life!

AA: Where do you draw energy and love for life from?

Elizaveta: Find people you wish to be like, and read, observe, try, learn. That's the reason why lifelong learning is not just a word for me.

We composed our programme 55+ as a multi-part film. In it, we move step by step towards the main goal - revealing new talents from inside us and creating a new self.

AA: Is your success a challenge to the world? Or is it your common component: a person has to be successful?

Elizaveta: That's an intriguing question. Do I consider myself successful? Or do people around me consider me successful?
I can say that I am a happy person. I do what I love to do. I am happy to live an interesting life. I am a well-established person who appreciates those around me. Those people share my values. I communicate and learn new things from and with them.