OMG – 3 hours on Zoom! How inspiring! How much fun!
It was a get together after 20 years. Back then, the lady I had the pleasure to chat with last week was one of my students. Now she has a grown up son and is a happy, striving solopreneur doing the work she really loves.
So much to talk about when you look back at what has developed over such a long period of time. A lot of accomplishments, a lot of life. And a lot of new ideas and suggestions what to get going in the future.
What I found remarkable was that we agreed we both – although best agers (what a funny expression!) – were not up for retirement.
Once in a while, I hear people say they get more anxious and want more safety and convenience the older they become.
We looked at life in a different way. We still wanted to experience what life had to offer and wanted to work as long as possible.
She said: „What would I do as retiree? Sitting on the sofa, reading novels? How boring!“
What's your ratio?
Well, I think it’s good to be a “why-not-er” and not a “yes-but-er”.
That’s a paraphrase one of my teachers used to describe people who look for opportunities and take a risk, compared to those who tell themselves all the time what could go wrong, if … The latter give up before they start.
When I was young, I had a lot of reservations, although I had again and again proved to myself I could manage challenges and find solutions. I had a tendency to play it safe.
Only when I turned my life around and follwed my heart, I found out that the first spiritual teacher I had listened to in my Twenties was right with his assumptions:
Even statistics prove that 97 percent of all your fears never happen.
That’s a very favorable ratio, right?!
And I think, older age should not stop you from living what your heart tells you to.
Lifestyle counts
There is this report on a famous village in Japan, where people become really old and stay very healthy at the same time. International scientists keep on studying how they do it and why they make such a difference to other places in the world.
So, what do they do? They eat light, freshly cooked meals (no processed food), they have a good social life, they take it easy. And they keep working and contributing, even when they are close to 90 years of age. They do what they can do, and if it takes more time or they need more breaks – so what!
New research says, staying healthy during old age has more to do with your lifestyle than your genetics.
This puts you on the driver seat – which is good news in itself.
So – I do my best to take care of my body and listen to its needs, so I can enjoy many more years of activity.
Getting back to my huge bowl of fresh mixed salad now …
2 thoughts on “Are you a Why-not-er or rather a Yes-but-er?”
I enjoy reading your blog…….you seem so inspired to keep doing things as you age……..my life has been an adventure every step of the way. I was hitch hiking in my 20’s all across the country, lived as a hippie in a commune, as a starving artist, as a single mother of my son. Life has been a very active and grand adventure! Now that I am in my 70’s, I am happy to stay home, read books, and relax through the winter……..being lazy! Soon I will be starting seeds in the greenhouse and the spring plant adventure begins again. I love the seasons, the ebb and flow of my energy, the flow of life….Love in Full Expression, LIFE! I heard that this weekend in a workshop with Suzanne Giesemann. Very inspiring! Happy Adventuring to you both…………
Hi Joyce, it’s great to read your comments! You are such a positive and lively person. It’s wonderful that you can enjoy your life so much. What a gift! We are the same generation, I would call it the “Woodstock Vibe”, I’m going to be 71 soon. A lot of what you write, rings a bell with me. In my 20’s I was eager to travel the world. Not hitchhiking so much, but using buses and trains and planes, even donkeys, when they came along. I used to sleep in tents, on roofs, under trees or on floors, just to be out and about as I pleased and my budget would allow. Back then, I was a (not very serious) university student, kind of footloose and fancy-free, and lived life to the fullest. That was before I got caught in a career. And I chose the career only because I thought, I had to make money and play it safe in the long run. What a misconception! But when I was young I didn’t know better. Luckily, at 40, I was so fed up with that kind of life that I quit my career altogether and just took the risk. That was the gamechanger, I kind of stumbled into my dream business and was able to create the life I really loved. Today, I just continue. Life can be challenging at times, but it’s always okay in the end. Eventually, it is never boring or dissatisfactory unless you make it so. My partner and I will keep on going, being active or lazy (yes, we can be very la-a-a-azy at times). We really appreciate so much that you keep on reading, dear Joyce – great company in spirit!