Guest Post

“The Great Resignation:” The media love creating sensational labels in order to get more eyeballs on their stories. In any event, the statistics are compelling. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, in the USA, an average of 3.9 million people quit their jobs every month during 2021.

I’m ageist. There you go, I’ve said it. And though you may deny it, so too are you.

The path of purposeful living is, ultimately, a spiritual journey. From birth onward, we are all getting older. But we are, hopefully, also growing whole – maturing spiritually.

For 36 years I have had the great role of 'explorer of the human condition.’ And the only person I report to directly is my curiosity.

I was incredibly fortunate to attend the fourth official cohort at the Modern Elder Academy back in December of 2018. It was a magical time and the letter I wrote home to myself has propelled me in so many scary, exciting, challenging, and rewarding ways.

I wasn’t looking for a best friend. I’m 56, I’ve been with my beautiful wife Elizabeth for 24 years now, and have a large network of friends and former colleagues. Still, a part of me felt closed off due to the losses I’ve had in my life.

Since returning from my MEA workshop in early December, I’ve focused on my daily journaling practice which begins with writing down The 8 Practices of Modern Elderhood: Noticing, Editing, Mastering, Purposing, Catalyzing, Connecting, Serving, and Presencing. I don’t journal about each practice each day, but I journal on one or more of them as they emerge in some important form during my day.

It was raining. My 9-year-old granddaughter said, “Hey PopPop, let’s dance in the rain.” I responded with, “No, Parker. We’ll get soaking wet.” She responded, “Please, PopPop.” In my 79-year-old wisdom, I said, “No, Parker. You’ll catch your death of cold.”

Of course, all life is real, but this turn of phrase is so apt, because of the numerous restrictions of movement, and consequently our limited human engagement, to which most of us have been subjected the past two years.

From May 23-28, 2022, I’m excited to be offering a weeklong Mastery Week at the Modern Elder Academy, called “The One Life We’re Given: Saying Yes to Life.” I’d like to share more deeply what this topic opens up for me, in hopes, if moved, you’ll join me in this empowering exploration.