My grandpa was an amazing man, and he taught me many things when I was a boy. One day when I was about 9 or 10
I was feeling restless, looking for something to do. So my grandpa says, “ Do you want to go out to the shop and build something?” I said “like what?”

So he says, “Let’s build a radio.” And you know, that’s exactly what we did. It’s funny the things you remember. In fact, when I was in my late twenties, he taught me a deeply insightful lesson about human nature that I will never forget. Before I tell you what that was, let me give you some background.

He worked in movies

No, he wasn’t a movie star. He was a cameraman at Paramount Studios way back when. He knew all these famous actors and actresses. On occasion, I got to go with him and watch him work on the movie sets. How cool was that?

After he retired, my grandparents moved to Oregon and that’s where my fascination with the forests of the Pacific Northwest began. We would spend our vacations visiting them and exploring the beautiful countryside.

Time flies and so did I

Well, I grew up and moved to Oregon. I settled in a place about four hours from where my grandparents lived. It was nice to be able to drive up and visit them several times a year. It was during one of those visits that he opened my eyes to something I had never realized.

I was about 30 years old at the time, and I had begun to notice something for the very first time. One day we were just sitting there talking, and I explained to him what I had been experiencing.

Here’s the deal

I explained that, even though I had learned and experienced a lot since I was 18, on one level I really didn’t feel any different. I thought of myself in basically the same way, and yet 18 year olds were starting to call me mister, or even sir on occasion (boy have things changed).

He listened intently as I expressed my amazement over the difference between the way I related to myself, and the way others were beginning to see me. I remember telling him that I still felt like an 18 year old, but with more experience.

Then he laid it on me!

He looked me right in the eyes and said, “How do you think it feels to be trapped inside of this?” Wow, what an ah-ha moment that was. He was in his late 70?s with a body that was falling apart, and yet, inside he still felt like an 18 year old with lots of experience. He was a young man trapped inside an old man’s body.

I don’t know what I thought it was like to be old, but I definitely didn’t expect that. This conversation caused me to look at life from a whole new perspective. I began to imagine what it must be like to personally relate to yourself as a young person while trying to reconcile the reflection in the mirror.

More time flies and I’m beginning to understand

That conversation took place almost three decades ago. As you may have guessed, I still relate to myself as a very experienced 18 year old. The difference is that my mind is starting to write checks that my body can’t cash. I’m still in great shape, but trust me; it’s not the same.

So, what can we do with this insight? How can we benefit from knowing that we may someday echo my grandfather’s words when he said: “How do you think it feels to be trapped inside of this”?

The value of being forewarned

We can clearly see that our strengths at 18 are different than our strengths later in life. At 18 we have (hopefully anyway) boundless physical energy, but very limited experience. Also, our age is more of a chronological issue than one of physical conditioning. Both of these situations will reverse later in life.

Eventually, physical energy will take a back seat to experience, knowledge, and wisdom. As we grow older, our physical age will be determined more by our level of health and fitness, than the number of years we have been alive. We may relate to ourselves as the same person, but these changes are inevitable.

Take action now and enjoy the ride

When your physical energy begins to wane, you want to have enough mental energy to take its place. The experience, knowledge and wisdom you acquire over the course of your life will lay the foundation for this transition. It’s vital that you continue to learn about the deeper and more meaningful things of life. Never stop learning!

It’s also vital that you never ignore your health. Eventually, your quality of life will depend on it. I know healthy people in their 70?s and 80?s who still feel very much alive. I also know unhealthy people in their 40?s and 50?s who feel terrible. Good health is the key to being able to fully enjoy everything else, especially in later years.

See them for who they really are!

This insight should also have an influence on how we view those who are older than we are. They are just like us but with more experience and knowledge. They can’t relate to the aged reflection in the mirror any better than we could. Those lines on their faces are just a road map of their travels and exploits.

Youth fades, but youthfulness can last a lifetime if you make it a habit to drink in all the goodness that life has to offer. The best way to plan for the future is to live each day with full appreciation, build up your knowledge and wisdom at every opportunity, and always take care of your health. We’re in this thing for the long haul, we should act like it.

Have some aging insights you’d like to share?
Have you benefited from the wisdom of someone older?
The lines are open!

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The largest generation in the history of the world was born between 1946 and 1964. How large is this group? In the United States alone, we are talking about 78 million people.

We affectionately call them Baby Boomers, and they have had a major impact on society during their passage through every stage of life so far. Currently, this group is passing through the stage known as midlife. Let’s take a closer look at “midlife” and consider some of the challenges and opportunities associated with it.

What is midlife?

“Midlife is the old age of youth and the youth of old age.” -Proverb

Any attempt to define midlife solely by chronological parameters would be extremely shortsighted. For one thing, increased longevity pushes midlife into an older age bracket. But midlife involves much more than physical age.

There is a vast array of physical and emotional changes that occur during this stage of life. There are also many circumstantial and perceptual changes that tend to happen during this same period of time. Like every other stage of life, the midlife years are about adjusting to change.

It can go either way!

Like so many other challenges, it’s often the negative aspects of some people’s midlife experience that gets all the attention. We have all heard the term “midlife crisis” used to describe the experiences of those who have gone nuts during this stage of life, often with disastrous results. While this can and does happen, things certainly don’t need to go in that direction.

When we are faced with changing circumstances it always represents a challenge on some level. There are those who choose to embrace the change and view it as an adventure, and there are those who are overwhelmed by it. We have the ability and opportunity to choose which category we want to be in.

A walk on the brighter side

Midlife has the potential to be one of the richest and most meaningful stages of life. It’s a time when knowledge, experience, and ability can reach their fullest expression. This is exactly the kind of adventure you should aim for.

Yes, there will be challenges, and lots of them. But by the time you arrive at midlife, you have already had decades of experience in facing and overcoming challenges. This is the time when all that experience pays off. This is the time when you reap the rewards of everything that came before.

What does it take to thrive in midlife?

Your focus will determine the quality of your journey through this time of life. Some people will focus on the past with a sense of loss. This kind of mindset will pave the way for disappointment. It’s like driving down the road with your eyes glued to the rear view mirror. Nothing good can come from it.

To enjoy the journey, you need to live in the moment while maintaining a sense of eager anticipation for whatever comes next. Focus on what you have, and on continuing to grow and improve as a person. If anything, personal development accelerates during midlife.

Put your knowledge to good use

Handled correctly, this can be the time of life when everything comes together. We should know our own minds fairly well by then. We will also have a pretty good understanding of who we are, and what really matters to us. That’s a huge advantage!

Midlife is also an excellent time to work on the inner person. If we haven’t learned who we truly are on a core level, this is the right time for that endeavor. Have we been too busy in the past to master the advanced life skills that make life a richly rewarding experience? It’s not too late for that either.

The best is still ahead!

With the right focus, we can approach midlife with the conviction that the best years of life are right now, and in the immediate future. Think of how much you have learned along the way. Think of all the wonderful experiences that are just ahead.

If you greet each day with a sense of deep gratitude and great expectation, then each day will be better than the one that came before. Personally, I plan on being a midlifer at least until age 70, and hopefully well beyond. As far as I am concerned, these truly are the good old days.

What’s your take on midlife?
How much depends on attitude?
The lines are open

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My book TRUE SELF is the fastest inexpensive way (coaching is the fastest) to make positive life changes very quickly. From discovering and dismantling your limiting beliefs, to aligning with and realizing your most cherished goals – and everything in between. TRUE SELF will guide you through the process.