Always Blooming
image by Nick Onken
For whatever stage or age you are in your career, here is a question I received recently that I feel will have meaning for you. I have highlighted a few points…
“James, I’m 68 years old and I am a community college adjunct. Everywhere I look, the pathway of opportunity gets narrower, narrower, which I suppose makes sense. But I am not ready to give up, and I want to do something to make the most of the years that I have. I am considering taking your course. Think you can help me?”
Let’s break this question down:
“68 years old”
What does this mean?
For the body:
True, we live in a society that focuses on youth. If you listen to the news, everything is bad and then the commercials tell you that you’re sick and frail, so the answer is to be afraid, eat fast food and take their pills.
Take care of that fleshbag that carries you around. I have heard from folks in their 30’s complaining of how their body feels in the morning. Exercise daily, move, stretch or just walk. Do something. If your body hurts it’s because it’s out of practice. You haven’t been treating it right.
If you don’t have any energy it’s because you’re not allowing your body to make it (yes, that’s where your energy comes from–you make it).
For the work:
There are a few careers where age matters, like professional football. The creative sector? Doesn’t matter at all, unless you count that we’re supposed to get better as we age.
They say Design is a young man’s game. This is patently not true. Pulling all nighters and selling your soul to the boss is a young man’s game; being stupid is a young man’s game. Age brings wisdom—or it’s supposed to if you’re doing it right. This is your time to become a leader. Use the knowledge and experience you’ve gained to teach, instruct and share from your heart. Use the skills you’ve acquired over the years to build your third act.
At 40 and 50 and 60 and 70, you’re just getting good! Sweet spot after sweet spot. Use that weird kid inside of you, follow her dreams. What’s calling out to you? Become that person you wanted to be. Do it now.
“community college adjunct”
Whatever career point you are—‘adjunct’ or not—we all have aspirations. Many of us are not where we thought we would end up. We reached for the stars and ended up settling for a cubicle. I want more from my work and career; we all do. And we can have it, if we start to rely more on our gifts and skills and allow ourselves more freedom.
“Everywhere I look”
You are looking in the wrong places. Don’t look everywhere. Look inward. Don’t listen to anyone but yourself. Even friends who comfort you and say, “That’s alrighty, let’s have a drink!” are misery looking for company. The way society works is a built-in default, a format that most follow blindly. Don’t accept the meager fare that is offered to you. Set your sights on what you want and be willing to do the work to get there. Keep asking for more—and never give in to what society or your friend or even the voice in your head tells you you should be okay settling for.
“pathway of opportunity gets narrower”
The pathway narrower? What path? There is no path. We are creative, we make shit up for a living, including the path.
To me, there is no ‘way’ there is only MY way. And for you there is YOUR way. No one has to agree with you and everyone will get on board once you declare your way and stick with it. Consistency is the key.
“which I suppose makes sense”
No, it doesn’t. It makes no sense at all. You suppose wrong. We look around and instead of seeing possibilities, we imagine the word ‘NO’ writ large everywhere. Your perspective—HOW you see the world—is everything. It only makes sense when you sell your dreams to pay rent.
“not ready to give up”
This is the first good thing I’ve heard! That’s the SPIRIT! THAT’s the person we all fall in love with!
“to do something”
Yes, “to do” is the answer. Action!
Action, action, action! Create, create, create!
Now, here are the important questions:
What are you going to do about it?
How much does it mean to you? By which I mean, you need to figure out what price are you willing to pay. Because everything has a price.
“the years that I have”
Gadzooks! Death?! Yes, you are dying. Actually by 30 years old everybody’s body starts dying and things begin to go south. But, as Dylan Thomas most beautifully put, “Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
This is what a purpose sounds like, a fire under your ass—something to get up in the morning for, hungry and horny and ready to work. I think it’s time to be audacious!
If you are in your 20’s or 30’s, now would be a good time to take this note to heart and start really living—the way you thought it should be, the way that weird kid in you felt life should be. Go, get what you want. Ask for more. Now. Now. And again, now.
And if you’re in your 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, I’ll repeat the same damn thing.
Never underestimate the tenacity of the human spirit.
“taking your course”
Yes. Of course. Our course is for everyone who wants more. More of their voice and more from their career. It’s for those who have a song to sing, want more from life and know the way is to play, make a mess and create.
(And our Valentine’s week sale is still live, so you can get the course—or anything in our Shop—for 50% off with code WELOVEYOU)
“help me?”
This is my job, it’s what I like to do.
It’s what my pal Rumi means when he wrote,
“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.”
And of course I can help you. Whether you’re just starting out and need to gain the right attitude to go into the work world, or you’re looking for your third act, I’m your guy.