What gives life meaning as we age? Is purpose something we’re born with — or something we can cultivate at any stage of life? And does it really matter for health and longevity?

In Episode 6 of Be Well Age Well, hosts Dr Susannah Ward and Dr John Ward explore the science and lived experience of meaning, purpose, and lifelong growth with one of Australia’s most respected leaders in healthy ageing, Emeritus Professor Julie Byles AO.

Professor Byles is a gerontologist and clinical epidemiologist with an extraordinary national and international career. She is Chair of the Hunter Ageing Alliance, Co-President of the International Longevity Centres Global Alliance, a member of the Lancet Commission on Long-Term Care, and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science. In 2024, she was named the City of Newcastle’s Senior Citizen of the Year in recognition of her ongoing contribution to community and healthy ageing.

Drawing on decades of research, policy leadership, and real-world community engagement, Professor Byles brings clarity and nuance to a topic often spoken about in abstract terms but rarely explained with evidence.

Together, they explore:

• The evidence linking purpose and meaning with healthier ageing and longevity
• How purpose influences physical health, mental wellbeing, and cognitive resilience
• The relationship between purpose, curiosity, learning, and engagement
• Whether meaning is innate or can be learned and cultivated later in life
• What “sufficient” purpose actually looks like — and why it’s deeply individual
• The role of education, work, volunteering, relationships, and community
• Broader societal and environmental factors that support meaning across the lifespan

A central message of this episode is empowerment: purpose is not fixed, and it does not disappear with age, illness, or changing roles. The brain remains adaptable, and meaning can evolve — often in quieter, more grounded ways — throughout life.

Key Takeaways & Suggested Actions:

• A sense of purpose is a modifiable factor for healthy ageing
• Curiosity, learning, and contribution protect wellbeing at any age
• Meaning does not have to be grand — it can be found in connection, service, and growth
• Communities and systems play a vital role in supporting purpose
• It is never too late to re-engage, re-imagine, and re-invest in what matters

This episode reframes ageing away from loss and decline, and toward adaptation, contribution, and continued relevance, offering listeners both evidence and hope.

Thoughtful, inspiring, and deeply reassuring, this conversation invites listeners to reflect on what gives their life meaning — and how nurturing that sense of purpose can support not just longer life, but a better one.