Lately a few of my friends have talked to me about my blog. They say “Wow – it sure takes a lot of balls to write about your life so openly.” And yes – at times I stop to think about what people might think – but I write it anyways. Why? Because writing helps me organize and reflect on my thoughts. It helps me put things into perspective. (And yes, I’ve always been this way – and no I don’t really care about my grammar at times).
Watching a Ted Talk with my dinner tonight – something clicked. Watching Jane Fonda talk about how we, as humans, have 30 more years of life expectancy than we used to – are not sure what to do with it. She called it your “Third Act” and it’s a time where you begin to really focus and reflect on your life, reflect on what’s happened – and “close off” any events or relationships that need to be concluded.
Very interesting. A few things she said really connected with me:
1: “Your quality of life is determined by how you react to situations”. True – it’s all about how you see things and how you feel about a situation that makes it bad or good. Another man’s garbage is another man’s treasure? Could be true for emotions too.
2. “Reflecting on experiences we’ve had is what makes us wise, not the experience itself”. Ever meet people who have travelled the world – but seem closed off and not open to new things? Why travel if you don’t absorb the experience and look back to see how it may have affected you? Isn’t that what personal growth is all about? (This goes for any experience, not just travel). I really feel that reflecting can help you grow as a person – and help you be more confident in yourself (but not to the point where you dwell on it…)
The video is worth a watch. Also makes me less nervous to age (thank you advertising for scaring me about getting wrinkles) – knowing that personal growth will continue well into my 50s and 60s and that by always reflecting and doing new things and having new experiences – I’ll continue to learn more and grow more.
