With her last birthday, my only daughter surpassed the age of forty. Realizing this milestone was a sobering moment for me. This means, of course, I “must” be quite a bit older. For the last thirty years or so, I have felt no more than forty most of the time. I still entertain the thought of partying all night even though I can’t remember the last time I did. How do you maintain your “youthful outlook” when your adult children start talking about back pain and constipation? This is a new dilemma for me.
Of course, I would never want to turn back the clock, but I can’t help but remember how completely “in charge” of my life I felt at forty. I can still recall when I was interviewing with the president of the board for a “big job” with a nonprofit. He asked me if I could handle a staff of ten, a 7 million dollar budget, and traveling four days a week around the country. My response to him was, “Bring it on.” I felt I could do anything and would try anything. I did get the job, but I’ve since learned to pace myself and be very selective about where I invest myself.
I see this same zest for adventure in my daughter. She is unstoppable. Her grueling work schedule includes a lot of travel, taking care of a house, teenagers, dogs, keeping in touch with friends, and still married to her first husband. Watching my daughter glide through her life with such engagement has the effect of continuously inspiring me at a time in my life when many of my friends are content to stay in their pajamas all day and sit in front of the television and watch reality shows. They think I’m crazy when I tell them I want to keep working as long as I can. Involvement in meaningful work is the lifeblood of retirement for me.
I mean really, what would I do if I retired? I don’t even want to think about it. For me, the answer lies in staying engaged in as many challenging and thought-provoking activities as possible. And when I think it might be time to rest, I know it’s really time to “raise the bar” a little. Try something new, meet new people, start a new project, take a class, or plant a garden.
Probably most important element is to stay engaged in meaningful work, which becomes an anchor for everything else. And when you feel tired … just keep going. The result is a life with purpose and a “bring it on” perspective that will fool you into thinking you are younger than you are.
