The 100 Years Club Installment #67: Do I Change?
Reading Time: 2 minutesYesterday, I listened to a great New Yorker article titled “Are You the Same Person You Used to Be?“
Over time, I learned to listen to magazines and books rather than flipping pages.
That’s just a tiny example of how my behaviors have changed (as a result of technology and my ultimate success in finding comfortable earbuds).
But the point of this blurb is not my reading/listening habits but more the question of whether we can fundamentally change as we age.
My dating, social, and business lives have exposed me to people who hate change.
They spend more time analyzing how they’ve always done things rather than opening their minds to new ideas and habits.
I’ve also noticed that some people expect others to change as they age; how they dress, the activities they enjoy, and the people they want in their lives. I’m bombarded with articles about dressing and wearing my hair >50. I ignore them.
When I Googled “How to make a change in your life,” 10,810,000,000 results popped up.
I guess this article will now be 10,810,000,001 (if it indexes well for SEO—something I never would have thought about when I launched this series—a tiny example of a change in my own life).
As I age, I’m faced with changes:
- I MUST make due to circumstances beyond my control.
- I WANT to make because the old ways of doing things are no longer working for me, or I need new forms of stimulation and intelligence.
- I should CONSIDER making because perhaps they’ll make my life or work better. As I’m typing this, Grammarly keeps suggesting a different way to phrase things, but I ultimately choose which of its corrections I’ll accept.
I dedicated my podcast this week to the concept of change (so obviously, it’s been on my mind during April — the spring cleaning month).
Believing that I am still capable of change is the first step, which seems to match up with what the professionals say.
- What do YOU want or need to change?
- What is getting in the way?
- How do you remove those obstacles?
Those are three questions we should all ask ourselves on a regular basis — at any age!
You make some great points, Nancy! I love the concept of “spring cleaning” – not just my house, but my life!
Thanks so much, Kelli! Would be great if our lives came with a Swifter and Roomba!
Maybe there should be a “why” question as well. Not that I’m questioning the premise, I think these are all good questions. But it might give some good orientation to think about why. Which I am going to do myself, right now. Thank you, Nancy.
Great point, Steve! If people are 100% happy with all aspects of their lives, they have no reason to change a thing. But I’ve never met that ecstatic human. 🙂
Hi Nancy. I am pretty content…this is not my most favorite house that we are now living in, because we bought it using photos. It was during Covid. But I look for gratitude, do my best to accept its limitations. Change is part of life. As long as my family is healthy and I have my husband by my side, NO COMPLAINTS.
Such an intriguing question. In many ways, I’m the same person I’ve always been, with a few reboots over the years.
It’s good to bring up the topic during the year instead of just for New Year’s Resolutions. Ah, change. That is a vital and complex topic. All my best as you explore it in your podcast.