I didn’t set out to write a book.
It began quietly—with a question:
Is it still possible to flourish in the final third of life?
That question arose from real life—a health challenge, a shift in time, and a desire to live fully and leave nothing undone. What I found was unexpected: hope. Not just in research, but in the lives of others who weren’t winding down, but growing deeper and more intentional.
This book is for anyone asking: What now? What next? Can this chapter be the most meaningful of all?
I’m Gordon Parry—author, coach, and fellow traveler in the “final third” of life. (You can learn more about me here.)
I’d love to share occasional insights and updates about thriving, transition, and legacy in the later seasons of life.
Subscribe and receive those updates and an announcement when my book, Along the Road: The Art of Thriving in the Third Period of Life is released.
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Coming Early 2026!
Is it possible to flourish in the final third of life?
Too often, aging is framed only as decline—marked by limitations, losses, and endings. This book challenges that narrative.
Blending research in positive psychology, neuroscience, and well-being with practical tools and lived experience, Along the Road reframes the final third of life as a season of growth, meaning, and contribution. It offers frameworks for navigating life’s later chapters, exploring how mind, body, and soul can remain sources of vitality. It provides practical approaches to cultivating generativity, resilience, optimism, and wisdom—while crafting a lasting legacy and achieving a fulfilling end.
The book is both roadmap and companion: a guide for anyone entering—or already in—their mid to later years who longs not just to endure but to flourish.
“Live fully. Contribute wisely. Leave a legacy.”
Gordon Parry is an author, consultant, and coach dedicated to helping people flourish at every stage of life. A graduate of Penn’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology program and co-founder of Authentic Impact and The Hesly Center, he blends research and practice to unlock human potential. MORE ABOUT GORDON
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GORDON PARRY
12306 Emmet Street
Omaha, NE 68164
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Recent Posts
Acorns, Oaks, and the Power of Noticing: Reclaiming Potential in Life’s Third Period
This past weekend, I tried out the advice of two voices in human flourishing, Arthur Brooks and Ellen Langer. Their message is simple but powerful: if we want to rediscover joy, counter negativity, and unlock our potential at any stage of life, we need to train our...
The Third Period of Life
One of the reasons I first began thinking about life in “thirds” came from an unexpected place: my son’s youth hockey career. He played goalie, and I learned how much games can change in the third period. What happened in the first and second didn’t always predict the...
What Aging Reveals About Us
Aging is not just a personal journey; it also reflects society's values. How we treat our elders, how we discuss aging, and how we get ready for it reveal what we truly value. I began to see this clearly as I walked with my parents into their 70s and 80s. I observed...
The Power of Ideas that Stay With Us
When asked about three books that influenced me, my response came quickly. Some works leave a lasting impact, not because they provide easy answers, but because they open new ways of understanding ourselves and the world. For me, these three books have laid a...
Why I Chose to Write About Aging
Aging is inevitable, undeniable, and deeply part of the human experience. However, despite its universality, it is often described inaccurately and incompletely. Common narratives reduce aging to decline, limiting possibilities, shutting doors, and a time when our...
The Beauty of Patina — and an Abundant Perspective on Aging
I believe the later years of life are full of possibilities, growth, and meaning. Today, I want to share both a metaphor and a mindset that help me understand this more clearly. I live on a property with a restored 100-year-old dairy barn. Its wood, stone foundation,...
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