LASTIES - If you're one of us "LASTIES" (over age 50), chances are you are in the LAST THIRD of your existence. Hit the gas. Today may be the ONLY day you get to accomplish that elusive "thing".
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If I was Queen of the World (and you can thank me later for losing the election), every person born on this planet would receive exactly 100 healthy years to live. Wouldn’t that make planning your life oh so convenient?
I’m a Virgo, and true to our astrological traits, somewhat efficient and logical so this 100 year birth right suits my nature perfectly. Imagine, no need to hustle for achievement, procreation or 401K savings plans. On your desk is a 1,200 page calendar to plan out your life (12 months x 100 years). News flash: Virgos are not math wizards.
You’ll get a Big Party with balloons and everything!
At the end of your 100 years a celebration is thrown in your honor, you hop aboard a train and off you go into the sunset to discover parts unknown. A lively band plays in the background, your friends and family happily wave sayonara and everybody gets a balloon. Isn’t that nice?
So now let’s take a big step back to reality. The only sure bets in life are:
#1 Birth
#2 Death
And frankly, the timing of both life events is a bit of a crap shoot.
But what happens in between these incredible events is somewhat up to us. If you are 50ish, nearly two-thirds of your life expectancy has passed. Let’s call that “water under the bridge” and move on. It’s the last third we must concentrate on. And we have a lot of say in how that pans out. Forget what was and focus on what is and what is to be.
No time to whine, unless it’s a good Cabernet
It’s hard to enjoy this last third of life if we’re dragging sacks of crap. Frankly, 50ish knees just don’t handle the load well. Drop it all.
Quit whining about all the injustices done to you by:
♥ Your parents and well-meaning relatives and friends (Sending them light and love)
♥ The fourth grade teacher who chose Barbara to lead the Pledge of Allegiance because you stuttered (Got better with age)
♥ The ponytailed Sociology professor with B.O. who stamped a bull’s head on your essay and held it up in class (Freak!)
♥ Ditto for exes, bad bosses, crazy employees, Uncle Sam, wrongful arrests by humorless campus police…
Scratch that last one. Turns out stealing a flashing street sign during a scavenger hunt is a punishable offense. Didn’t make it any less funny. I digress.
You know what I mean. The blame game. At this point in your life your skin should be thick enough to not give a rat’s tail what anybody thinks. Be done with it.
Get off the beaten path
I know, you’ve been down this road before and failed. And tried again. And failed. Detours, ditches, wrong turns. Things get in the way and block our success.
And then there’s all that self-doubt swirling in your head.
“I’m not sure if I can do it”. Try.
“What if I fail again?” Try again.
“Will they laugh at me?” Who cares about “they”?
“Who am I to do that?” Who else is gonna do it?
“It’s too late to start.” Gonna be later tomorrow.
The list of internal badgering goes on and on. I’ve used them all too. They paralyze your progress. Stop it now or you’ll be stuck at a red light, going nowhere. Turn on your directional and head down a new road.
Small steps to big dreams
What dream or goal or wish or desire have you pushed aside for most of your life? Sail around the world? Learn a language? Write poetry? Drive a stick shift? Run with the bulls? (Hey, it’s your goal). Get the damn soufflé to not sink? (Don’t laugh, it’s hard).
Before you hit the pillow tonight, jot down three things you absolutely need to accomplish this week to move your vision forward. Make a phone call. Write an email. Look up some information. Whatever. At the very least if that’s all you accomplish for the week, you are three steps ahead of where you were last week. Small steps grasshopper.
You do not need a perfect plan (sadly, perfectionism is a negative trait of Virgos). Just get the first steps done and crossed off the list. This will build your momentum and your confidence.
Since you did not vote for me as your Queen, you are not guaranteed 100 years to live, or even tomorrow. Will you take one step forward for yourself today? The light is green. Go.
What is your goal, dream or desire? I’d love to hear from you, and also appreciate any soufflé tips.
If you enjoyed this article see Scratch That Itch – Make A Change
I’m just trying to answer the question: So, what do I want to be when I grow up? A writer for me. I also heard from a woman who is traveling in an RV to paint the landscapes of America. Don’t just dream it. Go and do it.