Age Fluid
Are you age fluid? There is so much talk these days about ‘the generations.’
Boomers – Gex X – Millennials – Gen Z
Each tends to wear their label like a badge of honor and throw shade at the others, particularly the younger ones. But let’s remember…
It was the boomers that created the counterculture and gave us hippies.
It is my birth generation, Gen X, that gets the credit for our ‘whatever’ don’t give a fuck attitude.
Millennials
Millennials get a bad rap for having a sense of entitlement. But I’d also credit them with helping the world shift to an acceptable acceptance of desiring and seeking meaning and purpose in their work.
With Gen Z, we all love to complain about their work ethic or lack thereof. Many of them desire to work to have ‘just enough’ rather than embracing the ‘greed is good’ yuppie culture I grew up with in the 1980s.
Age Fluidity
ChampagneCruz does a brilliant job of depicting all these generations.
I recently became acquainted with the term ‘age fluidity.’ Through Chip Conley, who has greatly inspired my work, I discovered that this term has some sinister meanings, so I’d suggest not googling it. Instead, let’s go with Chip’s definition.
‘Denoting or relating to a person who does not identify as having a fixed age or being part of a specific generation.’
Wow! For more, read here.
So, how do we do this?
We embrace a growth mindset and let go of the stereotypes that we hold based on one’s age.
We remember that every ‘old’ person was once a young person.
Simple, but not accessible in a society where we quickly jump to statements of…
He/She/They is/are too young.
He/She/ They is/are too old.
Here in the Boston area where I live, we celebrated what we just witnessed in an incredible Celtics team winning the NBA Championship. The head coach, Joe Mazzulla, had taken over the team under troubling circumstances and faced many critics and naysayers because he is ‘only 35.’
And as I write this, we’ve collectively witnessed a presidential debate. Before I go on, let me just say…
My intention is not to get into politics. Who you vote for is your business, and who I vote for is mine. But what is undeniable is the reaction to that event and the undertones of ageism present. I won’t underscore the importance of mental fitness to hold one of the world’s most powerful positions. And I’ll leave it to the medical experts to explain cognitive decline. But my hope for the world is that we can change our narrative from immediately jumping to making a statement that someone is ‘too old’ to…fill in the blank.
Aside…
If you are edgy about my going there, watch the analysis from the Daily Show. While this is a serious matter, it is crucial to be able to look through the lens of humor once in a while.
None of us have the right to define who is too old. On the flip side, as we age, we may believe that older = wiser. That is true to a degree. Wisdom does come from life experience, but life experience can come at any age. I’ve met people whose circumstances forced them to learn to support themselves as teenagers. I’d argue that these individuals carry way more wisdom than one who grew older through a sheltered and overly comfortable existence.
According to this article, unhappiness peaks at age 49. So, to my brothers and sisters navigating these years, know that I am with you and see you. It can feel like we’ve lost the ease of youth, but haven’t yet reached the point of giving no fucks.
- Changes in our bodies
- Loss of friends to sickness and disease
- Overly effortful social relationships because of excessive busyness
- Financial burdens
- Career dissatisfaction
- Aging parents
- Juggling everything having to do with our kids
- General exhaustion
It’s a lot!
But we can navigate these years with ease. We can do this by being open to asking for and receiving help and learning from those who bring diverse life experiences.
A few examples from my own life…
My friend/teacher collaborator, Tori Cummings, who is in her late 20s, has supported me greatly in navigating through perimenopause. I’ll admit that based on her age, I initially had my doubts. But her Lady’s Mantle tincture has been a game changer. Because, as a herbalist, she’s done the work and knows her shit. I’m proud to say that we will be collaborating on an event this Fall and she’s got a marketing and promotional plan that has blown me away. She’s a wildly successful entrepreneur, and I am excited to learn more from her.
My friend and mentor, Cynde Denson, has had a profound impact on my life and business. In her late 60s, she is not slowing down any time soon. She coaches, teaches yoga and meditation, leads retreats, and travels around in her camper. She’s my first call when I start catastrophizing, saying things to me like, ‘What if it all goes right?’
And, of course, my Auntie. At 95, she’s still the life of the party. She embraces technology and is a whiz with Facetime, which allows us to stay connected and have joyful conversations.
It may also be helpful to look at the generalizations made about the different generations and name the ones you personally identify with. For example…
Like the boomers, I enjoy leisurely reading the newspaper on a Sunday morning.
I forget that my iPhone is actually a phone, like the millennials.
Like Gen Z, I am embracing a work-to-live, rather than a live-to-work state of mind.
And I’m proud that I know how to use technology as a Gen Xer, but I can also live without it. I can read an actual map (albeit not well). And I have an uncanny ability to suck it up and get shit done.
Of course, these are all generalizations, and generalizations can be dangerous. With that in mind, I remind you…
- You are in charge.
- You make the rules.
- You are not too young to go for that job.
- You are not too young to start a business.
- You are not too old to wear that.
- You are not too old to get that tattoo.
- You are not too old to color your hair that color or not color it at all.
Society may tell us that we’re to act, think, or feel a certain way based on the year we were born.
Think deeply about this…
Are your choices based on what you desire?
Or are they based on societal rules or expectations that no longer serve you?
Wanna talk about it? Start here.
Watch this short video to dive deeper into exploring if you are age fluid.
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