Former La Jollan offers ‘reflections on aging’ in latest book

After writing books about trauma, family conflicts and addiction, former longtime La Jolla resident, clinician and interventionist Louise Stanger is shifting gears for her sixth publication, “Reflections on Aging from the Sunset Marquis.”
The book explores resilience, reinvention and approaching later life with creativity and purpose.
“I hope this book is embraced by people and I hope it gives someone an impetus to be the best version of themselves at any age,” said Stanger, 78, who also is known as “Dr. Louise” and is based in Solana Beach. “A lot of people are interested in being their best selves. My motto is ‘Keep falling up’ because life knocking us down is inevitable, but it’s about how we rise.
“We will face loss in our lifetime, but how do you approach that, reconcile it and live your best life? It’s possible to unleash your potential at any age.”
The book is available through online booksellers, and to celebrate its release, Stanger will hold a signing event at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, at Boulevard consignment shop at 7458 Girard Ave. in La Jolla. A portion of proceeds from the sale of the book at the event will go to the San Diego and Los Angeles fire departments.
Inspired by the Sunset Marquis hotel in Los Angeles, the book uses music as a metaphor for aging and offers “different and a little quirky” insights that challenge conventional wisdom about what is possible as we age.
“This book came about serendipitously,” Stanger said. “I really wanted to update my website, so I met with a photographer at the Sunset Marquis and took photos. I would walk by there and do family interventions there when I lived in West Hollywood, so it felt like the right place. We had a really fun time … and at the end of the session, I took a piece of paper and started writing down the ideas that came to me when I thought about the times I spent there.”
Those ideas gave her the framework for “Reflections on Aging from the Sunset Marquis,” and she got to work. Before long, she had drafted a series of chapters with Sunset Marquis themes such as “Let the music in” and “Be active.”
“You have to stay active,” Stanger said. She does so through pickleball, swimming and walking.
Other sections in the book delve into the power of self-reflection, practicing gratitude and talking about the “tough stuff” in life.
“I had six sudden deaths [of people she knew] in my lifetime, and you have to be able to … embrace difficult topics,” Stanger said. “I had to talk about how the [Los Angeles County] fires affected me. My daughter’s house burned down and I know so many people that experienced loss. So there is power in talking about decisions that were made, things that happened to you, that helps you embrace vulnerability and your own resilience.”
The book also includes a chapter about inviting — and making — change in one’s life by redefining success as life progresses.
“If you are inviting yourself to be the best version of yourself, that is going to change as we age,” Stanger said. “It might be being fit enough to run a 5K at one point in your life and something completely different at another. There is power in your story. … At every stage of life, aging is a journey of becoming.
“Being in my late 70s, there are lessons I have learned that I hope will inspire others.”
Stanger said the book also includes blank pages at the end of each chapter so readers can jot down their thoughts and reflections.
To find out more or buy the book, visit /books. ♦