“They” say, life gets less gratifying and more difficult as we move into those wiser but more challenging stages. I cannot dispute the realities that we face the longer we stay rooted on this wonderous planet.
I will however challenge anyone to dispute our lifelong passion for and pursuit of, adventure, enlightenment, social stimulation and bonding, purpose and validation. I’m sure the majority of us embrace at least one of those pursuits if not all (feel free to add to the list).
Oh sure, one might argue that creaky bones, multiple doctor’s visits and the accompanying treatments, thicker glasses, a slight limp, slower recall for names and places, a jump shot minus the jump, all those extra breaths required to blow out those ever-expanding candles, a few wrong turns along the way to gramma’s house, perhaps fewer close friends or family to share with, less tiger and more kitten in the tank might be enough to move many of us to say uncle, I give.
I get it, life is hard, damn hard sometimes and it takes work, lots of it. But it’s the only life we get (unless you choose to believe otherwise) and why in the heck should we not embrace it as if it were a precious child to love or at least a nice lean salami hoagie. Every Dang Day! But it’s not just embracing it, it’s living it, to the best of our ability, in a way that is rewarding, exciting, stimulating, pleasing and nourishing. It will assuredly be harder to do than when you were thirteen, twenty-five, forty-nine or fifty-six. But life is meant to be lived not observed, feared, dread or avoided.
So, what do you need to do? Well remembering who and what you love, what you have always enjoyed and not giving up is a really good start. Inevitably you will need to adapt your wishes, desires and activities to some of the realities you face. You will likely have to walk up the mountain rather than running to the top as you once did. It may take you longer to drive to your most favorite destination, but you’ll get there as long as you start your engine. It is possible that there could be fewer friends to play Scrabble with. Thus, you will need to make new ones to invite to your next game. Your arthritis could keep you out of the bronco busting and calf roping rodeo, not a problem, you can volunteer to sell popcorn or take tickets or entertain the kiddies as one of those rodeo clowns. You may struggle to get the energy to bake those homemade cookies, but the smells in the kitchen and the smiles on family and friends faces as well as your own will make it all worthwhile. What’s most important is getting in the game of life and staying there as often and as best you possibly can.
I have no illusions about how difficult it may be to hold onto the passion and motivation needed to plan or take action on any given day. You may need a burst of inspiration, support or simply an understanding ear to say I get it before you get in gear. A day of rest may even be required to reboot.
Make sure you acquire whatever you need to keep your life active, comforting, meaningful and invigorating. There will always be resources to garner support, reinforcement, new ideas, validation and if needed a boot in the ol keister.
If you believe it’s time for an enthusiasm or energy infusion, I would encourage you to reach out to me so we can review and strategize a path towards your most rewarding life.
A mighty Oak tree can live for a long, long time but it will never be able to leave the forest, smile, laugh out loud, dance the polka, ride in a gondola in Venice or sing happy birthday. But you can!