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Life Can Really Begin At 70

by John Clark 
11/13/16
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I recently met a friend of mine with whom I became engaged in a conversation about reitrement years. He made the startlingt statement, "You know, life starts going downhill at 70." I thought, how sad. He wasn't speaking for me and other seniors I know who are really living beyond retirement. With this said, after "retirement" a person could still have another 20 or 30 years left. That is a long time! Just because a person is done with the work force does not mean that he or she shoud stop really living. Unfortunately, though, I have talked to seniors who have. They are drifting with no goals or purpose. Every senior can ask the question, "How can I put my life to the best use during the reamining years I have left?" You want to finish strong.

     In the Old Testament is an account of a man named Joshua, whose life happens to be a model for seniors. After the death of Moses, he was given a mission. He was told to arise and cross the Jordan River. He had no excuses, with specific directions to move forward. How old was Joshua at the time? He was 85 years of age! What is your mission? Get started on it now. Don't put it off. Take that first step. You don't have to stay where you are. Too many people, including seniors, are complacent with where they are with no thought that maybe there is something better for them. Although there may be exceptions, your age is irrelevant. You have a life time of experiences, and a wealth of wisdom and giftedness. There is much to be done in your senior years.

     Do you have a life dream? Is there something you have always wanted to do? Perhaps it is a problem to be solved that can result in helping a lot of people. On every tombstone is a dash between birth and death. What is really more important than when a person dies is what transpires in the dash. As a senior, what has filled your dash up to this point in your life?  Obituaries normally focus on occupations, activities, hobbies, etc. You will not often read an obit that says the deceased had a renewed dream and vision at the age of 66, and went on to accomplish great things at 80. You still have time to put something in that dash that defines who you really are. Write it down on a 3 by 5 card. Make it specific with a clearly defined and focused objective. Now arise and get moving into your new and exciting future as a senior.

     Make some fun goals. Plan things to look forward to. What kind of things could keep you motivated and mentally alive for another 20 years? Don't limit yourself to finishing strong based on what you can do, but on what can happen as a result of what you do. Where will you plan to be at the end of your life? If you say it is unrealistic to plan that far ahead, that may be true. Break it down into smaller segments, say, five years at a time. The point is to not drift. Dream. See the big picture in your senior years and then take small steps to get there. Set new goals. Dream big. See the big picture of where you want to be. Your best years can still be ahead of you. Begin your exciting journey of recharging into your future as a senior citizen. Then people will remember you for things other than how old you were. They will remember you for all that you did, and became, in the last third of your life.

     This is an excerpt from the first three chapters of my new book, written to seniors, entitled, "Seniors: Are You Retiring or Recharging?" It will be released in January of 2017. Look for it on amazon. You can also contact me at [email protected], for more information or to order copies.