Free UH workshop offers chance at life enrichment

By Tanya Bricking
Advertiser Staff Writer

Abe Arkoff's goal is to help others re-evaluate their lives.

Nearing 80, the University of Hawai'i professor emeritus of psychology has categorized himself in the "third age" of life, someone who has lived long enough to draw insight from his experiences but is young enough to continuing looking for a sense of purpose and direction in life.

"Every stage of life should be a period of growth," he said.

Life after age 55 can't be a faded version of middle age, he said. That's why Arkoff, author of "The Illuminated Life," is offering a free course with a deep concept. He wants to help lead others to a more fulfilling life.

Beginning Tuesday, he and three instructors will lead a "life check" workshop at UH's Academy for Lifelong Learning, where they will ask participants to look candidly at their lives and affirm what's good and what can be made better.

"This is a workshop that can change your life," said Sebastian Mudry, a psychology professor at Manchester Community College in Connecticut, who has used Arkoff's textbook for a psychology course and came to Hawai'i to study under Arkoff and help teach the workshop. "He gets people to think about their life in a way they ordinarily would not."

The course is not necessarily New Age-y, but it takes a special kind of person to benefit from it, said Elizabeth Bailey, a former University of Hawai'i instructor, who in retirement is an art student at Windward Community College.

"It's not for everyone," she said. "If you're not a person who likes to look at yourself, it's not for you. But it is for you if you're into self-discovery."

The workshop is being offered in weekly four-hour sessions on Tuesdays beginning at 10 a.m. May 21 and continuing through July 2. The course is tuition-free, but the workbook and photocopy fee is $30. Call 956-6728 to register.

Reach Tanya Bricking at tbricking@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8026.