Age is a state of mind. I never thought myself old until I retired from my job and enrolled in a program to become a certified life coach. That’s when I discovered that I was the oldest person in the class.
That bothered me a lot. I felt different from my classmates who were on average in their late 40s. I thought they learned the subject matter more quickly and processed it more efficiently. I felt that I could not compete with their energy in practicing and their ability to coach people successfully.
I was about 5 months into the program when I started to realize that being older had many benefits. I view life from a perspective created by years of experience. I have more practice in solving problems and conflicts. My longer journey through life has given me more familiarity with its ups and downs. And I bring this wealth of knowledge, skills, attitudes and experiences to my coaching.
Retirement is all about creating that next chapter of life. If you allow yourself to be held back by fears of getting or being old, you may miss opportunities to create your life dreams. Retirement is taking risks and having the confidence to experience life more fully. Remember, age is just a state of mind and you can always change your mind.