Decenter Everything: The Unconventional Approach to Eldering in an Age of Immaturity

Humankind has not been here before. We are now living decades longer than our ancestors. We have never been healthier, wealthier and soul-stunted. This leaves us with an abundance of older people, but very few authentic elders.

Decenter Everything to questions conventional scripts of later life that drift from parenting, to retirement, and onto death. For the sake of the world, we must mature towards authentic eldering through intentional displacement; this means decentering anything that demands center-stage - including ourselves.

Through poetry, prose, research, and reflection Decenter Everything proposes five domains requiring urgent examination in our middle-age and ageing population: God, being heard, knowledge, death, and consumption.

For anyone sensing the hollowness of our elderless culture, here lies a provocative path to reimagining a soulful and sustainable future.


ENDORSEMENTS

“This book not only masterfully explores a vital topic, but is important to me personally. I was affirmed, but more important, deeply challenged. It called me to ‘look, listen, and learn,’ and offered an invitation to be a grander, more loving presence in the world, especially as I approach the winter of my life.
Paul Young, author The Shack.

“The disorientation around aging in the face of a shortening future to be expected, and I’m recognizing how the decline in health, energy, work, and potential losses (e.g., of a spouse) lurk in one’s mind. I’ve become convinced that my capacities twenty years from now will depend on how I reorient myself today. But I needed David to suggest ‘decentering’ as the surprising solution for meaning-making. Decenter Everything! Who knew? I’m all in.”
Bradley Jersak. Principal, St. Stephen’s University

“David Tensen is a poet, soul-whisperer, and spiritual provocateur whose words carry the weight of experience and the wonder of transformation. Decenter Everything isn’t a book you read—it’s a mirror, a mentor, and a map. It invites us to a path that many of us instinctively long for but rarely name: the way of becoming more by centering less.”
Jason Clark. Author of God Is (Not) In Control, and host of Rethinking God with Tacos Podcast.

“This is a book I will return to again and again—not only for its wisdom and insight, but for the grace and hope it offers. It reminds us that the role of a decentric elder is not just honourable—it is a sacred gift to be shared. Read it. Reflect on it. You may never see your own journey the same way again.”
Dr. Glenn Williams. CEO. LCP GLobal

“David is a thoughtful and perceptive soul—well-read, deeply reflective, and endlessly compassionate. Many know him as a gifted poet and writer, but fewer realise the depth of his experience as a counsellor and guide, having spent countless hours walking alongside others, especially leaders, through their own seasons of transformation.”
Gary Grant – Senior Leader. Friends First Community, Australia

“Blending personal and spiritual insight, multidisciplinary research, and deep compassion, Decenter Everything is a timely and much-needed guide for the journey toward true maturity. If you’ve ever longed for a generous elder soul to bless your path, David’s words offer deep comfort and practical guidance. I anticipate returning to it again and again.”
Jonathan Puddle, author of You Are Enough

“David’s invitation into “decentric wisdom” is desperately needed in an age of acquisition where the promise of greatness has come at the cost of the earth, the expense of the poor, and an alienation from our own soul. I commend David to you as a companion in the work of finding our lives by losing them in the generative service of others.”
Jarrod McKenna. Award Winning Social Change Educator, Activist and Pastor

Foreword by psychologist and author Tara Boothby

Australian author David Tensen brings decades of experience in pastoral care, spiritual development, and research to his writing. His poems, in four collections (2020-2022), have achieved global reach and connection with audiences of all ages - with 'The Wrestle', remains a favourite among many. But David's ability to weave words and stir hearts goes beyond poetry. In 2018, he was commissioned to write on fathering for families in China. In 2024, David released his first kid's book, 'The Kid Without A Costume'. And in 2025, his provocative manifesto, 'Decenter Everything, ' became a bestseller in three categories, including conduct of life, health and spirituality, adulthood and aging. In 2026, David and his wife will publish a book on The Blessing.