Twinsight 18 of 50: Take the World By Storm

When I turned 50, my brother-in-law, Josias, pointed out that it's not too late to make a mark on this world. (Thank you!) As a matter of fact, he shared that most CEOs are in their 50s. And it's true. If you look at the stats, you'll see that the average CEO is 50 something. While I don't necessarily aspire to be CEO of anything at the moment, I started to wonder why the decade of your 50s is such a choice time when it comes to leadership - whether it's leading in the marketplace, our homes, or in the community. I believe that it has to do with the fact that in our 50s, we have the opportunity to be at the vortex of our energy, interdependence, wisdom and humility.

First of all, our personal energy can be quite high if we're intentional about maximizing it. I've been particularly inspired by friends with chronic health conditions who've worked hard to take care of themselves and have a remarkable energy level as they strive to live full lives. We've also learned to live more gracefully in a place of interdependence - learning to collaborate and problem solve with others much more effectively. We also have enough combined book smarts and street smarts to be able to bring a measure of wisdom to the world on topics we've had experience with. Plus, by 50, we've had our share of hard knocks, and hopefully aren't as cocky as we once were, reflecting a healthy humility. The combination makes even high school and college reunions down right delightful.

How can we capitalize on this sweet spot? First of all, we can't take forever to figure it out! In her essay, Look for what's hopeful and go with it1, Wendy Wasserstein writes, "When you're 50, you know there isn't an endless amount of time. You just know it. But you still have to believe that you can change things."

So I suppose it's about time that I figure out what I'm going to do when I grow up. I'm blessed to enjoy the marketplace work I do in the area of engaging people in their health along with my ever evolving joint role with Steve to coach and guide our daughters as they move from being teenagers to young adults. But I struggle at times with questions like, "Am I making a difference in the world? Am I focused on the right things? Am I backing off where it's not my place?"

The mini ah-ha I've had recently is that God works in amazing ways as I come alive to His purposes and join Him in how He's working in the day-to-day world around me - regardless if I'm leading or following, at work or home, in the U.S. or any other part of the world. Howard Thurman advises, "Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what make you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

When I turned 50, my friend, Carol, gave me this advice: "Enjoy the transition to the new decade. Take it by storm. You have much left to do in God's kingdom purposes. In fact, you're now just getting to the place where God is going to find you really useful. You've been refined by time and experience. God has tested your character in many ways. And you're mature enough to know that the world revolves around Him - and not you. Ah, you are the perfect age."

What does it look like for you to take your world by storm, whatever your age? As I've been writing this post during the last several early mornings, thunderstorms have been brewing. They've reminded me that storms are not safe, but they do shake things up, can be beautiful in their own way, and result in a new sense of calm. During the next four weeks, I'll share insights about energy, interdependence, wisdom, and humility. What have you learned in your journey? I'll share our collective ideas.

1 Wendy Wasserstain, "Look for what's hopeful and go with it," in Ronnie Sellers (ed.), Fifty Things To Do When You Turn 50, Ronnie Sellers Productions, Inc., Portland, ME, 2005, pp. 22-25.

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