Day 23,746: Creating My Own Invitation 

The beauty of Ted Talks is you stumble upon great minds and speakers you might not have otherwise known. That happened this past weeked, when I started watching a a talk  by Connie Schultz entitled A Woman Over 50: A Life Unleashed. Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist from the Cleveland Plain Dealer, talks about silencing the voice in your head that says it’s too late to achieve something new regardless of your age.

She tells stories of women in her life who had various dreams and despite their various ages, went out to grab sought after golden rings.  One became an artist, one an educator, one a pastor, and one an MD.  From knowing them, watching them, and encouraging them she advises her earlier self, as well as all women with the following advice:

  1. You’ve got time to do what you want. We all think time is limited and perhaps it’s already too late, but it’s never too late, especially when today’s woman can easily have 8-9 decades in her life cycle.
  2. Find a tribe of champions.  It’s easy to be surrounded by nay sayers. It’s more important to find of tribe of encouraging cheerleaders.  Those are the people, Schultz notes, who “introduce you to your higher angels.”
  3. Life is Layered, or in Schultz’s words: ” You can do what you want, just not always at the same time.”  We’re frequently lead to believe it’s all or nothing, but the truth of a life well lived is more that it was this achievement at this point in time, and that other achievement at a different point of time. And, perhaps, it’s better that way so we can focus, enjoy, and savor one goal before setting sights on another.
  4. Invite Yourself.  She states” “Do not wait to be invited to make a difference in the world.”  Do not ask for permission. Invite yourself to hone your own talents, voice your own opinions, and take the bull by the horn.

I’m sad I didn’t know about Schultz beforehand. She’s a published author and syndicated columnist, but somehow I missed being introduced to her before this weekend. I can beat myself for being blind to her and other Crone voices to date, or I can just dig in and savor that I’ve found evergreen inspiration.

According to Buddha, “The teacher will come when the student is ready.” Perhaps I was not ready up until now, but I am overwhelmed by the teachers I am newly discovering. The good news, if I follow Schultz’s advice to herself, is that I’ve got time, am always adding to my tribe of champions, and I’ve invited myself to their party.  I’m also getting an old copy of Schultz’s original book, Life Happens. It’s over 10 years old, but I suspect it will still contain some perspective and wisdom I need to hear.

Photo Note: Listen to Connie Schultz’s Ted Talk to find out why a killer whale is the right photo for this post.

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Daily Focus on Gun Sanity: According to the BradyCampaign.org, one in five guns in the U.S. are still sold without any background checks and 9 out of 10 Americans, including 3 of 4 NRA members, believe in universal background checks.  Since the concept is so widely supported, the question becomes why it doesn’t become a reality. It’s a good question to ask your political representatives when calling or writing to their offices.