Let Yourself Go and Others Won’t Want to Let You Go

One of the best things about reaching your 60s is that you can stop worrying what other people think and really start to be yourself.

Of course, if you are still at the top of your career, you might need to moderate your behavior at the office, but, for the most part, life after 60 is a time of exploration and reinvention.

In talking to the women in our our Sixty and Me community, it is clear to me that people who are willing to try new things, to reinvent themselves and “let themselves go” are the ones that find happiness and friendship easily.

Why would this be the case? Why would letting yourself go and exploring your passions make it easier to make friends? Because confidence and happiness are deeply attractive forces. We want to spend time with fascinating people, who pursue their passions and live life to the full.

As Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “The more you let yourself go, the less others let you go.”

If you are feeling lonely, the ideas of “just getting out there and making friends” may be a tad intimidating. For most of us, the idea of walking up to a stranger and starting a conversation is uncomfortable at best and terrifying at worst.

On the other hand, every single one of us has complete control over how we spend our time. We can choose to sit at home, watching the TV, or, we can get out into the world and explore our passions. When we do, we will almost certainly meet people who love our quirky personality and unusual perspective.

What passion would you explore or skill would you learn if you knew that you could not fail? Why? Please join the discussion.