You Don't Need a Rocking Chair

Do you find yourself approaching 50 or even past 50 and wondering what's left in life? You are not alone. Millions of men and women find themselves rattling around a big house left empty when all of the children left home, sitting in front of the television, crocheting, knitting, or napping. You sit at the breakfast table in the mornings with your cup of coffee preparing to go to work or perhaps wondering what you can create to occupy your time today now that you are retired and the thought crosses your mind that if this is what there is left in life, what's the point.

It's time to get up out of that easy chair and find out what your life purpose really is. For the past 30 something years you thought your life purpose was to raise your children, put them through college, cook, clean, go to work, come home and do it all again tomorrow. Wrong! Now is your time. Your time to shine.

Do you remember all of those dreams you had when you were younger? What did you want to do with your life when you were 18, 20 or 25? More importantly, "who" did you want to be? As time went by, you met someone, fell in love, got married, started a family and probably took a job that you really weren't excited about but it was a steady income so you convinced yourself this is what you wanted to do.

"Comfort zones are plush lined coffins. when you stay in your plush lined coffins, you die." --Stan Dale

Are you sitting in your "plush lined coffin"? Why? Are you afraid to try new things? Do you think your too old to go out and do some of those things you once desired to do many years ago? Growth and developement at any age requires some discomfort. Give yourself permission to be awkward. Anything you want to learn, you are going to be awkward at it at first. New territory is where we experience our greatest sense of aliveness if we don't numb ourselves out to it.

Remember when you were a small child and someone asked you what you wanted to be when you grew up? You probably responded by saying " fireman", "nurse", "policeman" or "actor". Did anyone ever ask you "WHO" you wanted to be when you grew up? What would you have said? What would your answer be now?

Now the question is not "who do you want to be" but it is now "who do you 'choose' to be"? The next question is how can you give back to your community, help someone else or many others by being who you choose to be?

We are all put on this earth with the gift of more talents and abilities that we could ever use in a lifetime. It is up to us to develop as much of those talents as we can and use those talents can not only to benefit ourselves but others as well.

An individual's highest happiness is found in the bestowal of benefits on those he loves. You can render God and humanity no greater service than to make the most of yourself, at any age, and bless those around you with the gifts you have to share.

Who you are and who you want to be are inside of you. Look inside of yourself and determine which of those things make you feel good about yourself, which of those things would you like to develope and then how to share yourself, your knowledge, your love and your joy will come to you like a soft summer breeze.