meaningful life 080: Existing or Living: What's the Difference? There's an old cartoon I have somewhere in my files that shows a wise-looking, bearded guru sitting on a mountain top. In front of him is a hiker who's apparently traveled a great distance to ask him the timeless question: "what is the meaning of
aging journey 079: My Turn (One Year Later): Half-Marathon Reflections and Finishing Strong in the Aging Journey A lot can change in a year. Last year (April 2024) I watched my youngest daughter cross the finish line of her first half-marathon (13.1 miles) at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon. As a spectator, I wrote about that experience sharing my practical observations and applying them to the
living on purpose 073: Make Sure You Cover Your Axis How often do you think about what your life revolves around? Or to put it another way: what's the axis of your life - especially as you age? Life evolves but it also revolves. You might often hear a birthday referred to as "another trip around the
legacy 072: There's More to a Rewarding Life than Recognition and Awards It's amazing how a simple request can trigger wondering or doubt about your personal accomplishments. That happened to me recently when I was asked to share any awards or recognitions I had received relative to my career as a writer. I went blank and then I was like,
healing hurt 071: Your Hurt Doesn't Have to Keep Hurting I was in a setting recently where I heard it said that, "Hurt people; hurt people." That could be true about a portion of the hurt you carry in your life. It's like the pay-it-forward concept only this time someone weaponized their personal pain or conflict
purpose 069: Living on Purpose or Merely Living? "Ikigai" or "Plan De Vida?" You might already be ahead of me and know their meaning. Or I realize you might not be acquainted with either the Japanese or Spanish translations so I'll clue you in. "Ikigai" is a Japanese word that
find your why 055: Find Your “Why” and Keep Going Why?? The word implies a question but its way more than that. Sure, on the question side of the equation it has an existential tone. And from another vantage point (depending on your current mood) it’s synonomous with "what the...!!" (You have permission to complete that sentence
staying calm 054: How's Your Calm These Days (Or Dare I Ask)? Stress just hits different on occasion. A circumstance out of your control, the current culture climate (I'm looking at you election year), or any number of physical and emotional ambushes that seemingly lurk around the corner each day. Kinda harshes-your-mellow...am I right!? You've heard the
setbacks 053: Why Setbacks Aren't Necessarily Setups as You Age It’s amazing how something in your life could be going downhill. In reality it could be nothing more than a momentary setback. Setbacks can often feel like setups as you age. Here's what I mean by that... I’m training for a 2025 half marathon as we
goals 052: Have You Aged Out of Setting Goals? Do you still think about goals or goal-setting? As far as personal growth is concerned, goals might still be on your radar. And if you're longevity-minded, you might need to reboot of some goals you've set aside or recently discovered. Perhaps you don't really
legacy 051: Bring Forward What You’ve Put Behind You - the Next Generation Could Use Your Wisdom Pay it forward or bring it forward. The key is forward. The topic of experience and wisdom is mentioned a lot around here. Frankly, if you're in the sweet-spot of our PGL (Personal Growth and Longevity) tribe's age range (late 40's and beyond) you&
personal growth 050: The Big 5-0!! 50 Big Ideas to Keep Going (Whatever Your Age) The "Big 5-0." You've either hit that age milestone, you will in the near or not too distant future, or it's in your rearview mirror as you're now miles down the road. As far as aging is measured, "50" is
well-being 049: Focus on Your Well-Being When You Feel Out-of-Balance as You Age Self-care gets a bad rap sometimes. Likely because some take it to extremes with too much emphasis on “self.” There’s a better way to go about it. In fact, the concept I’ll share is - for all practical purposes - a key to aging. I’m talking about
aging 046: Baggage Weighs You Down as You Age - Travel Lighter! Carry-on or checked? Trunk or trunk plus car-top carrier? Your preference or choice (out of necessity) says a lot about how you handle "baggage." Me...I'm a carry-on and make-it-fit-the-trunk kinda guy. I like to travel light as often as possible. Hasn't always been
personal growth 045: A 45 Day Refresher for the Growth and Longevity Minded There's no magic with the number 45. But there is a reason I choose to highlight it in this (our 45th) issue. 90-day plans...a 90-day this or that gets all the press. At this point in your life you might be weary of that span of time
life drama 043: Are You Setting the Stage for Drama as You Age? It's amazing how drama can follow you throughout your life. I mean, who wakes up and says, "I'm planning to attract drama into my life today"? But it happens. By drama I'm referring to the emotional, physical, or otherwise triggering baggage that
class reunions 041: Two Questions That Class Reunions Compel You to Ask (and What They Reveal About Aging Well) Did you ever wonder about why you're either excited about attending your school reunion or why the thought of attending dredges up feelings you would rather not experience? Honestly, the former (excitement) is and always has been my reaction to the next reunion (I'll explain why
friendship 040: A F.E.W. Essentials to Add Longevity to Your Friendships It's amazing how when you were younger your entire world revolved around friendships. Hopefully you had a "tribe" you did life with then and hopefully the same is true now as you're older (and wiser, of course). But honestly, things may have changed with
personal growth 039: A Type of Still-ness You'll Want to Deal With as You Age It's a simple word that might not sound like a big deal. But it could be among the most dangerous words in your growth and longevity vocabulary. The word is: "still." There are alternative and certainly beneficial uses of the word. But in this context, consider
life journey 036: Let Your Accumulated Experiences Give You An Aging Advantage Did you ever wonder about who you would be today if you had missed the opportunities, challenges, and experiences you've had up to now? I do, especially now that I've reached this era of my life. That's why the idea that life is actually
personal growth 035: Why I'm Nothing Less Than Passionate About Personal Growth, Longevity, and Aging Well I'm certainly unapologetic about my passion for personal growth and longevity and all things related to aging well! Hey, I'm in the thick of my second half era of life and I'd prefer to embrace it, enjoy it, and engage with others who are
personal growth 033: Chase That Feeling...You Might Be Amazed at How It Helps You Age Well My wife and I recently celebrated 40 years of marriage. That's a milestone we do not take for granted. There are a number of factors that have contributed to our marital milestone. But mostly we've "chased the feeling" of doing what works (for us)
generational curses 032: It's Time to Own Those Generational Curses and Renew Your Legacy "You can choose your friends but you're stuck with your family." Whoever said that understood that "stuck" can mean a variety of things. You could be "stuck" wondering what to do about a wayward family member. "Stuck" in a vortex
weakness 031: Ignore at Your Own Risk (Your Weaknesses, That Is) "You can ignore your weaknesses, but you can't expect them to not impact you. The weakness of the coach shapes the players. The weakness of the teacher influences the students. The weakness of the parent molds the child." - James Clear How often do you think
personal growth 030: Observations About Personal Growth and Longevity as a Half-Marathon Spectator My observations began the day our youngest daughter informed us about her plan. That is, her plan to run a half-marathon - as in 13.1 miles. I could relate to her excitement having been a runner in previous years. But I must admit my longest running event was a
