The first one is anticipating, because you will never have what you don’t strive for. The second is applying because you will never know what you can do unless you do it. And the third one is the afterglow of a good life you won’t have if you haven’t lived it.
Yes, you think that’s too much to wrap your arms around, is much too simple to be believed, comes too late to make a difference. Logic, however, has no boundaries, and is so flexible and adaptable it can be applied no matter who or where you are, or at what stage of your life. It lends credence to what you’ve already done and prompts you to make good on what you have yet to do.
So, here it is, simply stated and with no fine print, ready for you to plug into your life.
Anticipating:
That’s how it all begins, doesn’t it. You’re a kid, all ears and with eyes wide open. When you grow up you’re going to make a lot of money, see the world, have fun, be one of those who will be able to say that whatever it is, you either already have it or have done it. Your boundless enthusiasm leaves you breathless.
Or maybe you’re the quiet type, somebody who doesn’t care to be controlled by things, happy to just have a nice place along with a touch of nature. You are a good thinker, look at life quietly and can be entertained with little effort or noise. To you, there’s nothing better than being able to sleep well at night.
Whether it be either one of those extremes or something in between, you are looking forward to making it happen. That’s reflected in who your friends are because the more they think the same as you, the more they will encourage you, keep you on the track you want to be on. It governs the tilt of your studies, what you like to read and see on TV and internet.
Then there are all the extra-curricular activities such as sports and travel. Even if only a small part of your life, they whet your appetite and in their own way prepare you for the years ahead.
Applying:
Finally, and after years of anticipating, learning, and preparing, this is when the rubber meets the road—making good on old friendships while seeking new ones, finding a partner, deciding where to live.
Far more important, you move your talent to center stage by not only selling what you know, but also selling yourself as a person. That’s when you discover how challenging it is to be well liked for what you are as well as being respected for what you can do. It’s not a snap to convince others that your views are worthy of being used to help propel the reason for an existing product, service, or cause.
No matter how secure you think you are, others from everywhere are competing with you. People are coming and going, including those you like best and those you would rather not see again. Companies rise, blossom, then flourish or fade. New technology challenges you to either keep up or get out of the way. You are doing and achieving in ways you didn’t plan or prepare for.
In the end, however, it all comes together, either as you anticipated or in far different or unexpected ways. Despite all the ups and downs and uncertainties, it’s been a good life. You left at least one good mark, yours, and most likely several more of which you aren’t even aware. You are amazed how much you have learned over the last forty years, much of it being what you never dreamed you would need to know.
Afterglow:
You end it all by deciding it’s time to not have a schedule filled with deadlines, a set work routine, or an overflowing “must do” list. Of course you miss having status within the profession or organization, but you knew all along that it would be fleeting—and it was.
For the first time, you are also discovering the future is yours to make or break. You attempt to do all the things you thought you wanted to do during this time in your life, only to discover that some of them don’t hold the luster you thought they would. Others, however, have crept up on your blindside to surprise you, have you doing things you never dreamed.
Even more intriguing are the opportunities coming your way. Nobody sent them. Instead, you courted them and they accepted. Now, you are putting into play some of the many things you learned during those many years of making things happen.
You begin to lose old friends and those you worked with. They either lose interest in what you’re doing or they pass on. With each occurrence you are reminded that’s as much a reality as has been life.
All of it, however, has been a good ride. Or as a friend told me, “No matter how hard you squeeze, you can only wring so much water from that sponge.”
“So,” I asked him, “what happens next?”
“Simple,” he said. “The Big Guy up there gives you another sponge.”
