June was a month of arrival.
After years of research, writing, and reflection, ThriveSpan: Walking Gently Into What Matters Now was finally published. The launch itself was only one moment. What followed was something quieter and more interesting: conversations with readers, media interviews, reviews, reflections, and the gradual process of watching the book make its way into the world.
Publication also created space for new questions. Once the book was finished, I found myself reflecting less on writing it and more on what had led me to write it in the first place. Many of June’s essays explored the themes that sit beneath ThriveSpan: identity, purpose, ageing, attention, contribution, and what it means to create a meaningful life beyond work.
June also marked the beginning of a new paid series on SubStack, 52 Reflections on Later Life, which will continue throughout the coming year. These shorter reflections offer a more personal and contemplative space to explore the questions that emerge as we grow older.
Themes in My June Writing
This month’s writing explored several interconnected themes:
- life after publication
- ageing and identity
- retirement, purpose, and contribution
- paying attention to ordinary moments
- lifelong learning and personal growth
- creating space for reflection in later life
Representative pieces included:
Watching Midlife From the Other Side
Keeping the Mind Alive Is Not the Same as Keeping a Job
What I Noticed at My Woodland Book Launch
The Career Coach I Thought I’d Left Behind
What a Radio Interview Reminded Me About Growing Older
What Are You Doing for the Rest of the Day?
Sometimes It’s Enough to Sharpen the Pencils
What a Children’s Film Made Me Think About at 68
Media
June brought a range of media opportunities connected with the publication of ThriveSpan, including radio interviews, podcast conversations, and discussions about ageing, retirement, identity, learning, and later life.
The publication of the book also generated thoughtful responses from readers, reinforcing my belief that many people are looking for a different conversation about ageing: one that moves beyond decline on the one hand and relentless optimisation on the other.
Looking Ahead
As June came to a close, it felt as though one chapter had ended and another had begun.
The publication of ThriveSpan brought a long period of writing to completion, but it also opened new avenues for exploration. Through Ageing Reimagined, Olderhood Unfolding, and 52 Reflections on Later Life, I find myself increasingly interested in the quieter questions of later life: not simply how long we live, but how we inhabit the years we have.
Those feel like conversations worth continuing.
