In this inaugural episode, Julian explains that he loves podcasting because each show becomes a living thing where ideas evolve and grow based on the discussions that unfold. The rest of the episode lays out the primary challenge or theme for the podcast which is that gay men over 50 often feel invisible and unseen. The episode explores the ways that mainstream and gay culture pressure older people to diminish and the challenges that gay men in particular face as they age. Finally, Julian offers a mindset shift to change how you think about aging so that you can be seen, take up space, and shine boldly.

Key Talking Points:

• Podcasts become living things that evolve
• Gay men over 50 often feel invisible, unseen, and as a result tend to shrink from the biggest, best version of themselves
• Mainstream culture and gay culture pressure older people to diminish and fade into the background
• Due to the lives lost in the AIDS crisis gay men over 50 have few role models of how to age
• Individual challenges that become more commonplace as we age add to the struggle to flourish in the third chapter of life
• Shifting your view of aging from an arc (peaking in the 30s and then declining from there) to a staircase (each phase of life builds on the previous) encourages you to be the biggest version of yourself and take up space
• Our gifts, knowledge, and experience are needed right now so we need to figure out how to be the mentors we never had

Resources:
Julian's Website