Our skills, our strengths, our abilities, even our desires change with age.. If you told me 20 years ago I would enjoy writing a blog, working in a flower garden, growing vegetables, mentoring a middle schooler, or serving on a HOA Board, I would have said... not in my life time.
I have found that when I tried to do, or even do things like I did in my 40's or 50's, I usually ended up disappointed, frustrated, and with a lot of sore muscles. I still love sports, it's called pickleball. I still enjoy encouraging and helping people. But now instead of doing it from a stage in front of hundreds I now write for a few on this blog site, in a small group with 3 or 4 couples, or one on one.
As the great theologian Bruce Springsteen said; "I hope when I get old I don't sit around thinking about it... trying to recapture a little of the glory. Well time slips away and leaves you with nothing, mister but boring stories of glory days." It's fun to get with old friends and talk about (I guess they were ) glory days 😁.
However in our 60's+ we have unique gifts to share as a mentor. If you still enjoy doing the things you did back in the earning season of your life all you need to do is change your focus from building your nest egg to sharing your experience with the intention of guiding people who need it most. Whether it's with your family, friends, church, or out in the community, mentoring in this stage of life is not so much in how to get things done, but rather how to help deal with negative emotions and cope with setbacks, It's about leading others to develop perseverance, gain perspective and be courageous.
Sometimes just listening is enough. It’s a rare treat for others in this hurried world.
Start small, then expand. Take baby steps as a mentor, then deepen your commitment. Serving in schools is a great place to start. School guidance counselors are overloaded at best. Many schools systems now have mentor training. If you used to be in the education system you might be the one to start a mentoring program. So many kids out there are living in a home where there is no dad or no mom. They just need to hear, " You can do this". Vocational Schools are always looking for experienced professionals.
Maybe your passions lean toward Women's shelters, teen pregnancies, or senior centers. There’s no need to start with a grand plan; you can work towards becoming a full-fledged mentor over the years.
Life can still be full, rewarding, and fun with just a few changes so as to play to your skills, strengths, abilities, and even your desires.
Good points! The tricky part, I'm finding, is that just about the time when I've accumulated enough knowledge to be able to give advice, I've also simultaneously learned to keep my mouth shut! It's time to balance the two, I guess.😁