Ep 17: Hari Baskaran, 77, active ageing ambassador: ‘You have to invite joy’

When Hari Baskaran chose to formally retire at 64, he hit the “ground running”, taking up cycling and trekking. At 70, he cycled 3000 km from Chennai to Delhi in 58 days. However, it was at 75 that the active ageing ambassador was asked to slow down by his doctor, which put him on a fresh path of self-discovery, which he calls an “inflexion in the mid-70s”. Listen in as the author of Battling On to Vibrancy@80 talks to Gen Seasoned’s Anuradha Varma, touching upon thoughts of mortality; taking inspiration from his happy-go-lucky teenage grandson, who has cerebral palsy; the power of community; his love for Chat GPT and, of course, his excitement as he prepares for the upcoming Bengaluru 10K running challenge.Follow Hari Baskaran on: LinkedIn His book: Battling On To Vibrancy@80Timestamps:04:10 On turning 60, getting into cycling and trekking11:25 Life changes at 75, dealing with death of loved ones17:23 Battling health issues and facing mortality19:30 An inflexion at 75; the frailty index23:00 Staying mentally strong; internal triggers27:50 How grief changes as you age32:20 Finding purpose again - the three stages36:20 It’s about participation, not performance40:27 The power of community43:34 On his spiritual practice47:40 Overcoming his bad phase51:25 Having fun in senior groups; pre-retirement life58:20 Balancing family time post-retirement01:03:27 On his grandson, a happy child with cerebral palsy01:6:15 Inviting joy into our lives01:09:06 Journalling, writing a blog and then his book01:12:30 A fan of Chat GPT01:18:20 The Bangalore 10K ChallengeTo get in touch, email [email protected]: Views are personal. Listener discretion is advised.