I was scanning my inbox of TED talks and saw this post on friendship – featuring two long-time actor/friends Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.
The intro had me hooked. And so I watched the whole thing, intrigued by the message of feminism permeating every part of the discussion.
And then the next TED talk came up, where Jane Fonda talks about the last third of our lives in terms of age, or the Third Act, where we have the most opportunity to live beyond our own happiness. And it gave me hope.
I am at that stage now in my forties where aging has hit me on the head like a mallet. I might look close to the same and in many ways feel the same, but I also feel like my body is shifting and changing in ways I do not recognize. And it’s tough to resolve these moments without leading to some level of discontentment. Why does my back ache? What the hell is that new wobbly bit doing on my thigh? Where is all that gray coming from? Quick, get me the box of hair color honey. Um, did I just have the longest cycle EVER? And I’m not talking about being on my bike.
And yet, I am reminded as I listened to her talk, that I do feel very much alive. And well. And full of fight. My human spirit is not deteriorating, even though my body cannot defy the second law of thermodynamics, entropy. I am in some ways collectively smarter from years, experience, constant curiosity and reading, and I am more balanced in my approach. I trust in my intuition more now than ever when working with, and ultimately helping people.
Maybe I haven’t started my third act yet, but at least I now have something to look forward to.
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