Life Advice from Old People

The New York Times has a great piece on life advice from 80-something-year-olds. Maybe it was the arrogance/ignorance of youth, but as I'm getting older I find that there is soooo much more to learn than I imagined. So advice from people who've been around much longer is valuable. A few things that I'm taking to heart:

On work: Besides the usual do-what-makes-you-happy blah blah, there's this: "keep in mind that a promotion may be flattering and lucrative but not worth it if it takes you away from what you most enjoy doing." Life-work balance is hard to achieve, but I'm working on it.

On getting older: "Embrace it. Don’t fight it. Growing older is both an attitude and a process." and “Don’t waste your time worrying about getting old." I'm loving 26 so far.

On travel: "Travel more when you’re young rather than wait until the children are grown or you are retired." and  "'Travel is so rewarding that it should take precedence over other things younger people spend money on.' Create a bucket list now and start whittling it down." I think this blog covers the bucket list part, but this is a good reminder for me to skip the new purse/shoes/skirt and plan more adventures, invest in experiences.

On attitude: "You are not responsible for all the things that happen to you, but you are completely in control of your attitude and your reactions to them...Adopt a policy of being joyful." I'm a firm believer in mind over matter. Your attitude affects your actions, so choose a positive one. I will wake up tomorrow and think "I am awesome." OK, maybe not, but I will say "I have coffee, let's do this."

I Am the Master of My Fate

Image via Etsy

Out of the night that covers me, 

Black as the pit from pole to pole, 

I thank whatever gods may be 

For my unconquerable soul. 

In the fell clutch of circumstance 

I have not winced nor cried aloud. 

Under the bludgeonings of chance 

My head is bloody, but unbowed. 

Beyond this place of wrath and tears 

Looms but the Horror of the shade, 

And yet the menace of the years 

Finds and shall find me unafraid. 

It matters not how strait the gate, 

How charged with punishments the scroll, 

I am the master of my fate, 

I am the captain of my soul. 

-- "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley

Such a great poem. It never fails to inspire.

Giving Up on #1... Or Not?

Getting something published in print was the first thing that came to mind when putting together this list because it was part of my original career goals. When I went to school for journalism, the plan was to be an on-staff writer at a magazine. But in media, technology shapes the business, and I found myself going down a road to be a web editor/writer -- which isn't a bad thing. It's the future. Or the present, really.

So putting this on the list was a way to get back to that original goal (without losing my full-time job, heh). But I'm going to be honest with myself and say I don't have the time or heart to do it anymore. Pitching and writing freelance work is another full-time job on its own -- it's not as easy as Carrie Bradshaw and other TV frauds make it seem. And I'd like to be able to have a life outside of work. Spending time in front of a screen is just not how one should spend life. There.

Or...for a non-quitter's version, after some shuffling at work I've found myself contributing to the print pages a little more. Because I want to keep this blog separate from my job (it's that whole I-want-to-keep-my-job reason again), I won't mention names, but if you know me, like know me, you know where I work, so pick up a copy and scan the front pages for my bylines. No 2,000 in-depth articles (yet?), but it's my name in print.

I like to think of this as a mature decision because I don't like giving up on anything. Seriously. (I'm still working on being a Sudoku master.) But you have to realize when you have too much on your plate and decide what's more important in your life.

Peace.