Living With Purpose

“You are always every age you have ever been,” stated Dr. Bob Seaberg, on the topic of caring for aging parents. The idea that as a person ages they have a diminished purpose in life or worse yet have outlived their purpose must be debunked. There is not a word of truth in it. This bias toward our aging population subtly creeps into many of our conversations. But when this bias toward diminished purpose lingers in our own mind, taking up permanent residency, trouble often begins. What part of your life are you retiring? In his classic The Power of Decision, Dr. Raymond Charles Barker wrote, “No great discovery in history has been based on plausible reasons.” The same holds true for your life story. Discovering a new purpose cannot start with counting the birthday candles. Instead, begin your celebration with a greater ideal for your situation.
 

Your Heart’s Desire

What heart’s desire or ideal–a great idea made real–could you be entertaining right now? Forget all the plausible reasons why something can’t happen. That’s a road to nowhere. Here’s a simple remedy. Stop telling yourself and other people your age. Age may be a chronological fact about your life, but it is not the truth of who you are. Age should not limit your potential, no matter how young or old you are. Our society is seriously flawed in this area. We have a conscious bias towards people as they age. Tell a person how old you are and they immediately assess whether you are competent or not. Tell a person who just hired you you are 80 years of age, and they immediately begin to question if you can do the job fully. Tell family and friends you are going back to work at age 77, and you can expect push-back. It’s hard to get motivated while listening to others who tell you all the probable reasons why something can’t happen to you.
 

A Call to Action

Living with a purpose is your call to action! Repurpose those talents and life experiences. Get into a new mode of self-discovery. Seek out new friends who share your enthusiasm. And soon you, too, will discover a renewal of your inquisitiveness, your creative thinking and your energy to enjoy those new circumstances. You will always be every age you have ever been. Ponder this fully, but also start moving with your feet and start your action steps today. Now is the very best time to start cultivating a new purpose. STOP singing “Happy Birthday” when they light the candles and start singing a rousing chorus of “HAPPY YOUTH DAY” for all your guests instead.