THE BIG PICTURE, OR CREATING A PERSONAL CONTEXT

Let’s take the time to create or define your own personal context. Creating a context is a rewarding experience. We all have our own unique talents and skills, but when we create or discover our purpose, we really come alive and are able to follow our path to our own personal success.

The first step to creating or rediscovering our context is to look at our lives in perspective. We live in an age in which, due to our knowledge of and access to health care, it is possible to live longer than ever before. If we take good care of ourselves, we are capable of living healthy lives in our senior years and, as a result, the majority of us can achieve a lot more than our grandparents did. Personally, I believe we need to debunk the myth of working until retirement. When people retire and do nothing, they usually die earlier than those who continue to work. A study by Shell indicated that people who retire at 55 are 89% more likely to die in the 10 years after retirement than those who retire at 65. I have met quite a few people who are successfully working in their 70s and beyond. There are many examples of older folks achieving a great deal in their senior years. For example, Buckminster Fuller worked right up until he died at 87, and Hugh Hefner is still enjoying his life in his eighties. Nelson Mandela, in his 90s, is still an inspiring role model and contributor to society. American actress Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live at age 88 and, at nearly 89, has a starring role in a new TV sitcom. The global elders, consisting of some of the most inspiring statesmen in the world, are, to me, an indication of what we can become and what we can do well into our old age.

So with a view of our lifetime in mind, let’s create.