| Listen to the audio file of Chapter Three |
Actually there are plenty of chances for new beginnings in one’s daily existence as well, regardless of your stage in life. Boundless opportunities to live joyfully and to be fully connected with people and your environment, whether in a more local community or within the world community. As Heraclitus (pre-Socractic Greek philosopher) said, “change is the only constant,” so embracing change is the only way to grow and evolve.
Looking at it scientifically, Charles Darwin’s great insight was that “while species do change, they do not progress toward a predetermined goal. Organisms adapt to local conditions, using the tools available at the time.”
That includes organisms like humans, as we well know. Which, long story short, means: Going on through time, such as growing older, regardless of whether it’s 8 days older or 80 years older, people who keep adapting to changing conditions and using the available choices of their era WILL change. They’ll change even if ever so slightly, in who they are and how they are able to deal with their life. In other words: Don’t become rigid, not physically or mentally, but keep on going with the times. For example, among my high-school classmates, what’s important is keeping physically active in whatever way you can, and keeping your brain engaged. This includes learning to use a computer and the internet; I know many who haven’t done that and are staying away from any such newfangled ideas.
Just BECAUSE one is going along and living in the present and in preparation for another tomorrow, one can let go of some of the old things and thoughts as well. You are free of course to continue enjoying them through memories, reminiscing, or drawing new conclusions from old histories you’ve lived through. That’s very healthy and makes one a better-equipped person for what you are dealing with now; more so than the ones who were born later, maybe much later, and don’t have that reservoir of experience.
Nevertheless, it’s better not to live in that past, but to stand on your own two feet in the present. Here is a piece of advice given by Suzanne Lucas, a human resources professional in Basel, Switzerland:
“Take your job from 30 years ago off your résumé. It has no relevance to what you can do today. And it makes you look old. Age discrimination is real.”
Yeah! Not only is age discrimination real, but if you didn’t step from your past into the present, YOU are contributing to making yourself old and demonstrating it as well. Being older than these young inexperienced whippersnappers can really mean being better, leading a richer life for yourself, and being much more useful to society.