“What If I Fall?” Oh, But What If You Fly?

By the time we have reached our 60s, all of us have had a share of fails and successes; hopefully, far more of the latter. It is the very nature of living that life is full of ups and downs. As we each write our own unique life story, it is these that help us grow, learn from our mistakes, celebrate our wins, and turn us in to the person we are today.

Looking at the many chapters of our life, we can see how we evolved from a dewy-eyed baby, through to childhood, teenage and eventually to adulthood. We have probably all made mistakes now and again, and maybe even had a few regrets, but I hope this doesn’t deter us from making our final chapters into interesting and wonderful reading. Take a risk. This is our legacy, our own unique story. 

Opportunities

There are still so many opportunities out there, just waiting for us to grab hold of and make our own. Perhaps starting a micro business, volunteering, travelling the world (or our own back door!), learning new things, exploring all that this beautiful world has to offer. Imagine yourself on a boat going down the Nile, starting a business, writing your first novel, or becoming a much needed volunteer at your local hospice. All of them are life enhancing and let the world know that you are still living your best life.

‘I can’t’, you say. There are things that need to be done, or money that needs to be spent somewhere else; perhaps you fear failure or have a hundred other reasons not to do something. 

But let me ask you this. If in 10, 20, 30 years you are no longer here, wouldn’t you want to have at least tried to do something special, something you are proud of. Something that sets you apart from others. What’s the worst that can happen?

Just for You

You have already done so much for so many, how about doing something just for you? Something that makes your heart sing and, maybe, skip a little faster. Something you are truly passionate about. Perhaps it will take some courage, but you owe it to yourself to be living the life you want. No more excuses, no more reasons not to; just make a plan and see what happens.

Whatever your situation, there will be something right for you. Perhaps you can’t just hop off somewhere, but there are still a hundred things for you to do… Get involved in local affairs/events, read at a local school, join a local organisation, raise money for local causes, walk the dogs in the dog rehoming centre. Anything you truly care about.

If you are able to travel, perhaps you can volunteer overseas. Join WOOFA (live and work on organic farms around the world), teach English abroad, work on a cruise ship (yes, they do employ older people). Or you could take the Golden Triangle Tour of India, visiting Delhi, Jaipur and Agra, or perhaps a cruise up the river Amazon. There is so much to see and do, so make the latest chapters of your book amazing!

One Day I Will…

What inspired or motivated you when you were younger? Those wonderful dreams that made you think, ‘one day I will…’. Well, now is that ‘one day’. The day you decide to make your dreams come true. So, whether you want to rescue orphan elephants, swim with turtles, sing, become a film/tv extra, start up a community business or even do a parachute jump, make today ‘Your Day’.

Whatever you decide to do, it will be an experience, and even if it doesn’t all go according to plan, you tried. You will make new friends, gain new skills, solve many problems, and learn a great deal about yourself too. I think that is not a bad return, especially because, you are likely to succeed. Just think about all the incredible things that could bring…

What if I fall, I hear you ask. Oh, but what if you fly?

Let’s Start a Conversation:

What would you love to do? What is holding you back? What would you like to write in your chapters?