Not that Forbes would ever have such a list, but I’d love to see a 60 over 60 list of people giving back to their communities. Now THAT would be an inspiration and something to celebrate!
Never made any lists and at 71 years of age doubt that I ever will. However, I'm content with my place in the universe. So, I wasn't an early bloomer and I'm not particularly a bloomer now, but I suspect (or least hope) that when I'm planted for eternity that something will bloom on the ground above me.
This column hits home because I believe that I am a good example of the point that you are making. I got my first job on the radio just out of college at age 22. I was on top of the world and thought that I would spend the rest of my career in radio, becoming wildly popular and making a good living. 5 years later that dream died for a number of reasons. I transitioned into working in a television newsroom and discovered that while I didn’t manage people very well, I was a great manager of information. Finally, in 2000, at age 37, I found my true calling in government communications and have been there ever since. People tell me I’m pretty good at what I do and having just turned 60, I’m quite content with how things have worked and am looking forward to my retirement years.
When I was very young (a kid, then a teen, and even in college), I yearned to be famous--a "somebody" (don't most people, at some point yearn for that?). Ironically, I was also a very insecure introvert. I think back on my high-school self as a quiet nerd. Fortunately, I fell in love with a cute teen who appreciated the "slow and steady" type, rather than the football quarterback. What I now observe, in my 60's, is that the "flashes" in life are often either overblown, or short lived (or both). I realize, now, that over the succeeding 40'ish years, I've slowly but steadily grown in my confidence, my ability to act like an extrovert, and my "fame" within my family, which has come to mean more to me. I wish I could tell my younger self to just take it slow and steady, and life will be extremely rewarding. I have friends that like me, coworkers who recommend me, and a family that is close and likes to be with me (not to mention 3 grandsons whom I absolutely adore, and who adore me). Makes me think of a show from the 70's in which an entrepenuer is trying to launch a rocket. Someone asks why his rocket seems weak. He explains (I'm greatly paraphrasing): "Ah, Nasa explodes off the surface of the earth. If I gently increase the throttle--slowly, but steadily--throughout lift off, I'll get off the earth, too. Slower, less flashy, but I'll use less fuel getting into orbit". Slow and steady is often better in the long run.
I’m 64 and read the book by Brooks. I also found it enlightening. It gives me hope I can still be productive , just in different ways than when much younger.
Credit to Ryan Holiday's Daily Stoic from today - "Life is a classroom. Experience is a teacher. Are we willing to be taught?" The full text eloquently discusses life-long learning... I love it when two separate sources of knowledge reinforce one another!!
Thank you for mentioning Gregor Mendel! Last year was the bicentennial of his birth. BTW, Mendel owned a copy of Darwin's Origin of the Species. His abbot (Abbot Napp) viewed work on improving a breed of animals or plants as the abbey's contribution to the community. Napp did pioneering work on sheep breeding, as their Czech town of Bruno was a rival to the UK's Manchester in wool production. Like Einstein, Mendel lacked an aptitude for an ordinary job. His sole paid job involved a brief stint as a substitute teacher. Fortunately Abbot Napp saw Mendel's research potential, and the rest is history.
My last company made a Forbes list of top x places to work, and I was like- wait things were so bad there, employees unionized. I e-mailed a friend who worked there and worked at my company and she laughed and said they probably paid for it.
Not that Forbes would ever have such a list, but I’d love to see a 60 over 60 list of people giving back to their communities. Now THAT would be an inspiration and something to celebrate!
I'd like to see a 60 over 60 list.
Just wrote the same thing!
Never made any lists and at 71 years of age doubt that I ever will. However, I'm content with my place in the universe. So, I wasn't an early bloomer and I'm not particularly a bloomer now, but I suspect (or least hope) that when I'm planted for eternity that something will bloom on the ground above me.
This column hits home because I believe that I am a good example of the point that you are making. I got my first job on the radio just out of college at age 22. I was on top of the world and thought that I would spend the rest of my career in radio, becoming wildly popular and making a good living. 5 years later that dream died for a number of reasons. I transitioned into working in a television newsroom and discovered that while I didn’t manage people very well, I was a great manager of information. Finally, in 2000, at age 37, I found my true calling in government communications and have been there ever since. People tell me I’m pretty good at what I do and having just turned 60, I’m quite content with how things have worked and am looking forward to my retirement years.
And boy, does government need good communicators. Take a bow.
Contentment is destroyed by comparison.
When I was very young (a kid, then a teen, and even in college), I yearned to be famous--a "somebody" (don't most people, at some point yearn for that?). Ironically, I was also a very insecure introvert. I think back on my high-school self as a quiet nerd. Fortunately, I fell in love with a cute teen who appreciated the "slow and steady" type, rather than the football quarterback. What I now observe, in my 60's, is that the "flashes" in life are often either overblown, or short lived (or both). I realize, now, that over the succeeding 40'ish years, I've slowly but steadily grown in my confidence, my ability to act like an extrovert, and my "fame" within my family, which has come to mean more to me. I wish I could tell my younger self to just take it slow and steady, and life will be extremely rewarding. I have friends that like me, coworkers who recommend me, and a family that is close and likes to be with me (not to mention 3 grandsons whom I absolutely adore, and who adore me). Makes me think of a show from the 70's in which an entrepenuer is trying to launch a rocket. Someone asks why his rocket seems weak. He explains (I'm greatly paraphrasing): "Ah, Nasa explodes off the surface of the earth. If I gently increase the throttle--slowly, but steadily--throughout lift off, I'll get off the earth, too. Slower, less flashy, but I'll use less fuel getting into orbit". Slow and steady is often better in the long run.
Amen!!!!
I’m 64 and read the book by Brooks. I also found it enlightening. It gives me hope I can still be productive , just in different ways than when much younger.
Hey, I checked. We both made the 331,900,000 under 116 list. Congrats!
Lou
Credit to Ryan Holiday's Daily Stoic from today - "Life is a classroom. Experience is a teacher. Are we willing to be taught?" The full text eloquently discusses life-long learning... I love it when two separate sources of knowledge reinforce one another!!
Thanks Chris!!
Thank you for mentioning Gregor Mendel! Last year was the bicentennial of his birth. BTW, Mendel owned a copy of Darwin's Origin of the Species. His abbot (Abbot Napp) viewed work on improving a breed of animals or plants as the abbey's contribution to the community. Napp did pioneering work on sheep breeding, as their Czech town of Bruno was a rival to the UK's Manchester in wool production. Like Einstein, Mendel lacked an aptitude for an ordinary job. His sole paid job involved a brief stint as a substitute teacher. Fortunately Abbot Napp saw Mendel's research potential, and the rest is history.
My last company made a Forbes list of top x places to work, and I was like- wait things were so bad there, employees unionized. I e-mailed a friend who worked there and worked at my company and she laughed and said they probably paid for it.
So yea, take those lists with a grain of salt.