Rudro
Mid-Life Crisis. Unfortunately, it is natural and it is going to hit you as hard as your first heartbreak in high school. There is nothing you can do to avoid that feeling of, emptiness, some regrets and fantasizing what could have been done if you actually tried to become a Rockstar rather than a Salesman or Engineer. Even the divorce rate is also highest right after 40s. By far you can do is, to get yourself prepared. That way the sleepless lonely feeling nights will not get to you. Or the doubts don’t eat you up from inside. So, here I present you 3 tips to prepare yourself for the aftermath of your young free ‘Live hard’ life. The suggestions were piled up by experts at PsychologyToday from surveys of over 1500 elderly. Most of them lived through all that and currently are happy & fulfilled, in their 90s. As Karl Pillemer said in his ‘Lessons for Loving’, “The View from the Finish Line” –
1. Find the Work You Love
The most emphasized advice from the elders. They also pointed out, even choose the job with a smaller paycheck as long as long as you enjoy doing it. Healthy and vigorous Willie Bradfield (83), former high school coach told Pillemer, “I think striving just to make money shouldn’t be Number One. I did my job because I loved it. I think the most important thing is to be involved in a profession that you absolutely love, and that makes you look forward to going to work every day.”
2. Dream Big, Take Risks
Elders firmly says, never to be afraid of taking up challenges. Think about widest possible terms at your job by abandoning your small comfort zone. Learn to say ‘YES’ every time opportunity knocks, or the regret will haunt you every day.
Joe Schlueter 79, a successful engineer and entrepreneur whose father couldn’t even finish high-school and worked in the carpet-mills. His family struggled through the 30’s Depression Era in US. He says, “The lesson I learned is that it pays to say yes unless you’ve got a really solid reason to say no. And in my work life, I didn’t say no. I agreed to do things.” He mentions, nay sayers are missing a lot of what life has to offer. Because staying the course is more comfortable and less risky.
You can also check the interview with Mrs. Eleanor (89) on this topic, on YouTube.
3. EQ Over IQ
All the elders agreed on saying about their professional life, “No matter how talented someone is, no matter how brilliant—you must have interpersonal skills to succeed.”
So, hone your social skills now. Not only for professional advantages, but also to have some friends at the times when everyone you have known seemed to have gone to the wind.
Larry Tice (93), shares his experience of his service as a Navy soldier in WWII that, he was practically cramped up with a big folk of unknown people. Though he came from a reputed family, he was nobody there living abroad a ship. So, he learned how to get along with people. He says, “That was the biggest lesson that has helped me all through life. I learned to accept people until they prove me wrong. That’s what you need to do when at work: Be sociable and get along with the people you work with.”
Extra tip, be sure to respect your elders, treat them nice and bug them with more questions of such.