The goals for my blog are to educate and entertain. The topics are almost always business related. I have veered into politics a time or two. With the warmth of Father’s Day still upon me I will use today’s blog to unleash my inner self-help guru. Ready?

The third act of life starts when youth begins to surrender to aging, our career may be hitting a plateau, our children are grown and our parents are no longer around to lead our fan club, connect us to our youth, and provide a buffer against life’s harsher lessons. This is also a time of growth and contribution. It is a chance to listen to the melodies of life and not just the drumbeats.

My third act began after more than 25 years in corporate America. The work began to feel routine and the standard corporate decision making process too tedious to tolerate. Change meetings came and went but, from my angle, were ineffective, pointless. The energy to get after the next big it waned. It was time to refresh.

I have always been driven to continuously improving myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. Spiritual improvement is the most important and rewarding. It is also the most difficult. It requires constant work outside of my comfort zone and constant adaptation as major decisions take on life-long and life-fulfilling consequences. As I pondered the next challenge I realized I wanted something enduring.

For most of us enduring means making a difference in another person's life, our children for example. But how do we do that on a broader scale and in a more systematic way? I believe one way is to do what inspires us, what we love. Doing that is a gift to the world and that gift can have unintended and potentially enduring consequences. There are no guarantees because there are never any guarantees. It's a shot.

To release my best on a personal level I focus on my strengths and share my own unique views and talents through my relationships, work and writing, which is my passion. To further extend my reach I decided to think BIGGER. But how? As is often the case, in order to look forward I began by looking backward.

Three characteristics make our generation different from our parent’s and those past. First is the “bonus round” of time, perhaps an extra decade or more, of active life that will be available to millions of people who have treated their body well. Second are the stronger financial resources and the desire for lifelong learning that tends to flow from having earned a college degree. Third is our desire to give back. Some Psychiatrists call this Mattering. What does that mean?
    
I think that means a rethinking of roles. Traditional Japanese and Native American cultures are a good working model. They offer a society where the roles of older people expand: We mentor the young, care for the sick, deliver justice, and tell stories that reveal the meaning of life. In sum, elders in these cultures ensure the spiritual well being of the community, the tribe. That sounds like internal growth and contribution to me so I plan to do more of it. Look out friends and family!

Oprah Winfrey said, “You’ve got to be in touch with your mind, body, and the spirit to live the life you were meant to claim. When all three are completely engaged, you’re able to fulfill your potential on earth. To own the abundant life that’s waiting for you, you’ve got to be willing to do the real work. Not your job. Not your career profile. But heeding your spirit, which is whispering its greatest desires for you. You’ve got to get silent sometimes to hear it. And check in regularly. You must feed your mind with reading material, thoughts and ideas that open you to new possibilities. When you stop learning, you cease to grow, and subconsciously tell the universe you’ve done it all – nothing new for you. So why are you here?”

What does any of this have to do with business? Nothing. Everything.