Turning 60 Part 3.
Remembering the future.
This past year I turned 60 years old.
Woohoo!
I know,
I'm lucky.
After all,
Not everyone gets here.
My older brother and sister did not.
They both passed away long ago.
So at the top of my list of remembering is to acknowledge the fact that I have been given a gift.
Even those mornings when everything creaks and groans and getting out of bed takes longer than it used to,
I remember to be grateful.
Because I remember there are many who had hoped and planned for this time of life only to have it all end before they got here.
When I say remember the future,
At first that might seem odd.
How can you remember what you haven't lived yet?
But I mean that word in this context.
If you spend too much time focused on the past,
You will miss out on what's ahead.
There's a fun quote that I like to use.
In the automobile of life,
Remember that the windshield is a lot bigger than the rearview mirror.
So keep your gaze forward and stop looking in the mirror.
That's not where you're headed.
One of the biggest challenges or gifts,
Depending on how you see it,
Is the acute awareness that you have at this age that life here is limited.
You become much more aware of the days that have gone because there are far fewer days still ahead.
And as with anything else,
You can choose to embrace that concept or fear it.
Previously I spoke about the creepy crawlies inside each of us.
The shadow self,
The inner critic,
And the traumatized child.
In order to move forward with wide open arms on your path,
You must accept these parts of yourself.
Embrace them.
Love them.
Because these are all aspects of who you are.
And without them,
You wouldn't be the wonderful soul that you have become.
At 60,
There is a risk of pidging hole in yourself.
Of feeling like you can't start anything new.
But that's crazy.
It's not too late to learn to dance or play guitar or fall in love or scuba dive for the first time.
Take a class online or in person.
Join a group of like-minded people with similar interests.
These resources are all out there waiting for you.
Seek out new experiences near or far if you are able.
The greatest risk is actually living in fear of taking chances,
Not taking the chance.
Think of your life as a movie.
The ending of the movie is great because something amazing and wonderful happens.
Not because the plot ends with them all standing around doing nothing,
Writing it out to the credits roll.
Travel if you're able.
Don't worry if you're single.
There are plenty of organizations designed for single people to travel safely.
Don't get stuck in the notion that you're running out of time.
The fact is,
We all are.
So get rid of that because there is a danger of letting that stop you from new experiences.
You have as long as you have and that has been true for all of us since the day we were born.
Make a promise to yourself to spend some part of each day in gratitude and you will notice your vibration rising.
Give back.
Become a mentor.
Volunteer your time.
Consult with startups that you believe in doing work that you believe in.
Create.
Paint.
Garden.
Write.
Call up long lost friends.
Do the things you always said you would do one day.
Maybe you're 60 or will soon turn that age.
Maybe you're only halfway there seeking pearls of wisdom from an older soul.
But whatever brought you to this audio,
This is what I would say to you.
Understand your time here is finite.
In fact,
Each day that passes is one less that you have.
So no matter where you are in your journey,
Remember it is not the destination on any given day that matters.
It's the path you choose to get there and the footfalls you made along the way.
Ultimately,
At the end of your days,
To have lived each and every one with gratitude and a desire to spark joy will have made the trip more than worthwhile.
