We can look to women like Lena Horn or Betty White and admire them for their talents and gifts. We can also be encouraged by their spirit and, I would guess, their” fight” to be seen and respected for not just their talents, but who they were as women.
Who were they? They were women of talent but, more than just their God given talents of music and comedy. They were merely like many of us, struggling to find a place for ourselves in this life. Some of us give up the challenges and accept a more simple life – sometimes with great contentment and other times wishing we took risks and nurtured our talents. We all have unique gifts – some of us just never had the chance or opportunity to bring them to fruition.
I have had the great honor to speak with many seniors in their later lives. Those who age positively are the ones who have overcome challenges and those who have taken risks to accomplish something that was dear to their hearts and true to their beliefs and values. These women and men who are content in later life have accepted challenges and losses as part of the journey and don’t blame anyone or themselves for any back sliding, failures or disappointments.
Are you taking risks knowing that some of your goals might not be accomplished while trying to find roles that increase your integrity as well as give meaning to your life? When you are 88, what will you say about your life, looking back and looking forward?
As long as we are in this life, we have opportunities to grow and expand our integrity – with sometimes the smallest of gestures.
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