The Key to a Great Life, At Every Age

When my wife Kimberly and I were riding on the Eurostar from London to Paris, (I highly recommend you ride that if you get the chance!) I overheard an American guy behind me telling a Frenchman how sad it’s going to be in a few years when, in his opinion, Social Security will be bankrupt and people won’t be able to retire or they may (God forbid) have to work till they’re 68 or 70 before they can retire. I heard that and thought, “Really? It would probably be a good thing!”

I started back in on this topic last week, I know, but it’s so important to realize that you get very little out of just sitting around, relaxing and doing nothing … at least not in the long term. A little downtime here and there and when on vacation is great but overall, work is what will keep you going and make you feel alive!

I was very impressed recently when my wife and I bumped into Robert Redford. He is so engaged and active and he still looks great to boot. He has just a few more wrinkles but at 77 years young he’s still working hard. He has a new movie coming out this year, “ALL IS LOST”, which struck me as a great phrase to add to this conversation. What I’m trying to say is, if you stay active and keep working then ‘All is NOT Lost’ but without work and goals and a really great reason to get up every morning, it might feel that way.

Having a purpose is critically important for every human being. A big driving purpose will keep us alive, active, and excited and can boost our self-esteem, keeping it up there where it should be. So don’t look at your Golden Years as the time to step back and do nothing. Think of it as a time to set new, huge goals, to renew your zest for life. That’s really what my book, How to Ignite Your Passion for Living, is all about—keeping that passion going by working on big goals with new challenges whether you’re 30 years or 50 years or 80 years young! An active life is a great life, at every age.

Just a little fun side comment about Robert Redford … as we were chatting I said to him “Oh, I see that my wife was kinda hitting on you,” and Redford quickly replied “Yes, and she missed.” A good and quick quip from a pro. I’m sure he’s had lots of practice!