Life at "66"

As I am at 35,000 feet in the air traveling to Colorado from Texas, I look out of the window to everything below.  I can see miles and miles and miles of land and mountains.  There is a saying "the sky is the limit".  There is nothing to prevent someone from being successful in salary and career.

So often we are the ones who box ourselves in and put boundaries around ourselves.  We think "small".

At the age of "66", I feel as if I have a lot of opportunities ahead of me.  I could say "I'm too old", "no one wants me", "I have worked for 46 years, I don't need to do anything", etc.  All of those phrases are true, but that is not me.

Retirement has never been in my vocabulary.  For some reason, when people ask me "are you retired", it makes me angry.  I am not really sure why, but I guess I have seen so many people "retire" and it is as if they have given up on life.  I am not retiring, I am re-evaluating my life and the direction that I am going.

Being "66" is so different than turning "26".  At twenty-six, I knew that there were so many more years ahead.  Turning "66", I realize that my years ahead are shorter.  I am thankful that physically, mentally and emotionally, I am still at a good place in life.  Life is about taking care of yourself.

I recently read about Joan Lunden.  She definitely is a woman who has navigated the bends in life.  She will be 70 in September.  She is a cancer survivor, has had two marriages and seven children.  "She has lived her life without regrets because she's been able to recognize the importance of letting go and learning from the past in order to embrace the future."  Even Joan has said "'retirement' is not a word I ever plan to use."

I have always felt that I was a late "bloomer".  When I graduated from high school, I attended the Community College in my hometown and received my Associate Degree.  I started college, but due to various reasons, I needed to go to work.  I took a few classes and then I quit going for a while.  Every time I moved to a new city, I would take a course or two.  Deep down, I knew I would graduate from college one day.  I just didn't know when.  Eighteen years after I graduated from high school, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

In the years after obtaining my degree, I worked at several different jobs.  At the age of 45, I began my career with a cosmetic company as an Account Executive(AE).  As I looked around the corporation there were so many people that had began their career as an AE in their twenties..  But here I was, beginning a career at 45.  For the next twenty years, I had the time of my life.  I grew my accounts by double digits.  I was asked to move to New York City to work with the company's largest account.  With my age and maturity, I felt that I had a lot to offer.

I have never allowed age to define me in who I am and what I can do.

The company that I was working with was purchased and there were many changes.  My husband had a job opportunity to move to Colorado, so we felt that this would be a great time to pack up and move.  Being in your 60's and moving 1,600 miles does put a different spin on your life.  You are suddenly aware that you are re-locating and you are finding new doctors, dentists, a church home, grocery stores, etc.  We have moved a lot during our thirty-four years of marriage, but this time it was different.  As you get older, you do look at things differently.  I decided not to rush in finding my place in a new surrounding.

A few years later at the age of "66", I wanted to find something that would stretch me.  It has taken me a couple years to figure out what I wanted to do.  Sometimes, I don't do things the easy way.  This was one of those times.  At "66", I went back to school to get my real estate license.  The school that offered the classes was 70 miles from my home.  So I decided to do the course on-line.  For those who don't know me, the computer and I are not the best of friends.  I do emails, but that is about it.  So here I was tackling a 168 hour course all through the computer.  There were videos, quizzes and assignments.  The quizzes were what got to me.  The exams were all multiple choice.  Throughout my life, multiple choice have always been a challenge.  My tenth grade geometry teacher told me if I could not do multiple choice, I would never make it through college.  Those words have always stayed with me.  Here I was thirty years later(after graduating from college) and I was tackling another degree.

After obtaining the Real Estate Degree, then you are eligible to take the Colorado National/State Exam.  Trying to pass the real estate exam to get my degree was my thorn.  I kept failing by 1 to 2 points.  Each time, I failed the school's exam, I had to re-listen to several hours of the videos.  I remembered that John F. Kennedy, Jr. at the age of 29, finally passed the New York State bar exam on his third try.  He said he would keep taking it even if he was in his 90s.

Each time that I took the school exam and failed, I kept asking myself "why am I doing this?"  I just knew I had come so far and I couldn't give up.  There are so many people that I have talked with that lack only "3" hours to have graduated with their college degree.

I persevered.  After the third time, I finally passed the school's National exam.  I still needed to pass the school's State exam.  So back to the videos and studying.  Fourth time is a charm.  I was finally eligible to take Colorado National/State Exam.

I am happy to say that on Friday, February 14th, I walked into the Colorado State Exam Room and I passed the National/State on the first try.  The school had prepared me to pass on the first try.

I am beginning a new career at "66".  There will be definitely some days of stretching.  Isn't stretching what you do before you exercise?  I want to keep my mind growing.  Everyone says learn a new "language".  Well, I have learned a new language with real estate.

I want to encourage each person out there.  Allow yourself to do something.  You only live once.  How will you embrace the day?  What is your attitude?  I always remind everyone of the verse Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you."  Another verse that keeps me moving forward is Psalms 139:15, "When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother's womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there--you saw me before I was born."

There verses encourage me to step-out and to do something.  If it isn't in God's plan, then He will put a halt to it.  Everything that I do only helps me.  The situations, tribulations and the determination only helps me to become a better person.  A person who is wise, understanding, sympathetic and loving towards others.

Everyone has their own journey, their own story.  None of us have the same DNA.  Do what you feel led to do?  Just don't give up.  Take a chance.  Don't miss out on something beautiful happening. Put your dreams in action. There is a reason for those dreams.  The choice is yours.

As Nike always says "Just Do It!"