Age-Proof Life Lessons
Deborah Johnson, M.A.
Founder at DJWorks Media |Speaker for companies & individuals asking “What’s Next?”
We can learn numerous life lessons from those who came before us. By evaluating our own lives and challenges, we discover age-proof principles that enhance our quality of life, reduce stress, and boost overall well-being. These lessons become increasingly relevant and effective as we age.
?We also gain inspiration from those individuals and businesses that demonstrate the importance and benefits of applying these principles. In this article and podcast, we cover five of those fundamental principles: adaptability and resilience, relationships, continuous learning, self-reflection and gratitude. These lifelong principles remain timeless and invaluable.
One: Adaptability and Resilience
Octavia E. Butler, the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship is celebrated for her contributions, but her path to success was fraught with obstacles.
Butler faced a difficult start in life, growing up in a low-income, single-parent household. She struggled with dyslexia, which made reading and writing challenging. Despite these difficulties, she was passionate about storytelling and was determined to become a writer. She faced countless rejections from publishers and had to work various odd jobs to support herself while continuing to write.
This is very common for many artists and entrepreneurs. The road is usually never easy, even though some make it seem glamourous who seem to be living the dream. Through perseverance and adaptability, Butler refined her craft of writing and continued to submit her work. Her breakthrough came with the publication of "Kindred" in 1979, a novel that has since become a classic. Over time, Butler won numerous prestigious awards, including the Hugo and Nebula awards.
Butler's story underscores the importance of resilience and adaptability in achieving success. Despite facing significant personal and professional challenges, her determination and ability to adjust to her circumstances allowed her to overcome obstacles and leave a lasting impact on the literary world. Hers is not the only example. Looking at the journeys of other authors like J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Maya Angelou, Hemingway and many more give us real-life examples of how important resilience and adaptability is to succeed.
Project: Name one area you will persevere, even after experiencing failure.
Two: Relationships
Building and maintaining meaningful relationships with family, friends, and colleagues enriches our life. Relationships become even more important as we age with the need for communication, empathy, friendship and mutual support. Quality relationships are not only important individually, but in our businesses.
REI, the company selling recreational equipment and gear, builds strong connections with its customers as they emphasize educating as well as providing quality product for a lifetime of outdoor adventure and stewardship. Their Co-op Membership program, which provides members with annual dividends, special discounts, and access to exclusive events, fosters a sense of community and loyalty among outdoor enthusiasts.
"Yay Days," which are paid days off to enjoy outdoor activities, reinforces their mission of developing relationships.?
Bill Gates and Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft had a partnership and friendship that started in their teenage years and continued as they built one of the most influential technology companies in the world. Though their friendship was often rocky, they mended their relationship as they got older and continued to support each other until Paul Allen’s death with Gates saying that without Allen, “Personal computing would not have existed.”*?
Mutual support and relationship building, whether it is with a colleague, family member or a company, increases the sense of belonging and can lower stress and increase the quality of life. It is easy to let some relationships just die with no communication or contact. However, many studies confirm the value of developing, maintaining and pursuing quality relationships, especially through the changes that life brings.?
Project: Call someone you haven’t talked with recently just to say “hi,” or catch up on life.
Three: Continuous Learning and Growth
Embracing a lifelong learning mindset keeps your mind active and open to new possibilities. Whether through formal education, personal hobbies, or professional development, growth and improvement are ongoing processes.
One of my favorite examples of a successful businessperson with a lifelong learning mindset is Warren Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett is renowned not only for his investment acumen but also for his relentless pursuit of knowledge and continuous learning, even at 93 years old.
Warren Buffett is famous for his voracious reading habit. He spends about 80% of his day reading and estimates that he reads between 500 and 1,000 pages daily. This habit allows him to stay informed about various industries, economic trends, and potential investment opportunities. He believes that knowledge accumulates like compound interest, and the more you learn, the more you can understand and apply successful principles in different areas of life and business.
Buffett is known for his humility and willingness to learn from his mistakes. He openly discusses his investment errors and the lessons he has learned from them. This attitude not only helps him improve but also builds trust and credibility with his stakeholders. He has shown an insatiable curiosity and an ability to adapt to changing market conditions, successfully navigating various economic cycles and industry changes by continually updating his knowledge and strategies.?
One more thing I love about Buffett is that he values mentorship and often shares his wisdom with others. He spends time mentoring his successor at Berkshire Hathaway and is known for his annual letters to shareholders, where he imparts valuable insights and lessons. What a great inspiration. We may never read as much or make the money Buffet has accumulated, but his example is inspiring and worth adapting.
Project: Create a short list of books or short courses to read and complete this next quarter. Give yourself a solid timeline for completion.
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Four: Self-Reflection and Self-Awareness
Regular self-reflection helps us understand our values, strengths, and areas for improvement. Self-awareness allows us to make intentional choices, align actions with our goals, and lead a more authentic life.
Self-awareness is different than narcissism, though they can sometimes be confused due to their focus on the self. Self-awareness is the conscious knowledge of one's own character, feelings, motives, and desires. It involves a realistic assessment of one's strengths and weaknesses and a willingness to reflect and improve with empathy and the capability to form healthy relationships.?
Narcissism, on the other hand, is characterized by an excessive interest in or admiration of oneself. Narcissistic individuals often have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, and a lack of empathy for others. This can lead to manipulative behavior and difficulty maintaining healthy relationships.?
To understand the impact of self-awareness and narcissism in our lives, dedicating time to self-reflection, introspection and examining our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors provide deeper insights and understanding. This life lesson is valuable at any age. It’s especially important as the focus of so many social media influencers paint a picture of perfection and idealized happiness.
Project: Without comparison to others, take time to evaluate and review core values and any changes that should be made to align with those values. (Get Core Values free download)
Five: Gratitude and Mindfulness
I began journaling when I was a sophomore in high school. My journal started as a devotional journal, where I would write a sentence or two based on a biblical scripture I had read with my response to it. This practice was required by a youth leader at my church as I was a future leader. This simple practice helped me develop a lifelong habit of journaling.
Over time, I recognized the increased value of journaling as it became a practice to not only to write my responses to what I was learning or reading, but also to express my feelings I had as a mom and wife. Journaling has supported me emotionally through raising three sons, facilitated many conversations with my husband by allowing me to clarify my thoughts on paper, and helped me navigate business decisions.?
I realized the importance of gratitude and thankfulness, as it shifted my focus from myself to others. The change in my mindset allowed me to appreciate what was right in my world more than what was wrong. This feeling of gratitude has grown over the years, as my prayers have extended to now include my grown kids, grandkids, friends, our country, and my own business. I have adopted the phrase through the years, “Major on the Majors,” which helps me focus on what’s most important and letting go of the rest. It is a phrase that can serve as a guiding principle for anyone at any stage of life.?
Project: Write at least one sentence a day focusing on gratitude in your journal or note-taking device.
Application
We can add to this list of five principles with health and wellness, mindsets and so many other solid life lessons, but the basics covered here can profoundly enhance the quality of life at any age.
Embracing adaptability and resilience helps us navigate life's inevitable changes and challenges with strength and optimism. Building and nurturing relationships fosters a support network that enhances our emotional well-being and personal growth. Committing to lifelong learning keeps our minds active and engaged, ensuring we remain intellectually stimulated and curious. Regular self-reflection and self-awareness allow us to understand our strengths and areas for improvement, leading to continual personal development. Finally, practicing gratitude and mindfulness shifts our focus to the positive aspects of our lives, reducing stress and increasing overall happiness. Together, these principles form a robust foundation for a fulfilling and resilient life.
By evaluating our own lives and challenges, we discover age-proof principles that enhance our quality of life, reduce stress, and boost overall well-being. Deborah Johnson
Additional Resources
The Host
DEBORAH JOHNSON, M.A. has 25+ years working as an entertainer, composer, producer, author and speaker. Her keynote, "The Hero Inside" stirs audiences to not settle for merely playing as an accompanist to their dreams. Rather, it is to call upon everything they have inside to be soloist & center stage in pursuing & accomplishing their dreams and potential. This can include pursuing a new avenue or expanding on a current area of business, especially at mid-career or the halftime of life. Get more free downloads & links at: DJWorks. Websites: DeborahJohnsonSpeaker.com; GoalsForYourLife.com; DJWorksMusic.com