How often do you stop and value what you know – knowledge gained from the life you have lived thus far?
Perhaps a question you more easily relate to is:
How often do you doubt what you know?
This awful pandemic and all that has come with it has caused us to doubt any number of things. Our health, that we might previously have taken from granted. Perhaps our financial stability or job security. We might be doubting if we will ever be able to plan and look forward to anything again?
All a bit depressing really.
When doubts and fears assail us, it can be all to easy to become stuck in what we can’t and aren’t. Paralysed into inertia, we stick our heads in the sand and stay put, firmly and resolutely, because surely the unpleasantness of what is known beats the potential horrors of what is unknown.
Doubts limit potential and decrease our confidence.
This week’s musings stem from a wonderful quote I heard recently on a podcast. Did I mention that I love a podcast? In these days of never-ending-same-ness and repetitive cyclical weeks, a podcast is bringing me more joy and distraction and entertainment than ever before.
Recently listening to Gabby Logan’s podcast The Mid Point, I was struck by an observation by John Bishop:
When you get to this age you need to value what you know instead of doubt what you don’t”.
The podcast is about living in middle age, and Gabby Logan’s mission is open up conversation and remove some of the taboos and stereotypes around being middle aged.
Mid life and middle age do not generally have a good reputation.
Often, such stages in our lives are the fodder of wry jokes about aging, physical decline and awareness of our mortality. An awareness that we have lived more life than we possibly have left might prompt regret or self-recrimination, or a questioning of our life purpose.
And of course, as soon as you say the phrase ‘mid-life’, the chances are you have already automatically in your head added the word ‘crisis’.
So how refreshing instead to stop and reframe mid-life as a time to value what you know rather than doubt what you don’t.
I was leading a workshop recently with a fabulous group of women (of all ages!) and we discussed our life experiences. A coach friend of mine uses the phrase ‘suitcase of experiences’ to describe how we carry with us all that we have learned from the life we have lived. Skills and knowledge gained, strengths and abilities used and developed, lessons on which we reflect and grow in character, relationships fostered and deepened.
When we put all these together into our suitcase of experiences, we are able to carry with us through life much to offer others. This is the joy that I was celebrating with my workshop participants – that each of them carries a unique combination of experiences and learnings that bring richness to their own lives and blessing, encouragement and help to the lives of those they interact with.
What do you value about the life you have lived so far?
What is in your suitcase of experiences?
Perhaps over these past Covid dominated months, you have questioned much about your life and what direction it is going in.
Maybe this week, take some time to open up your suitcase of experiences and see all that you have to offer others.
You are of great worth, and your life is of great value.
I think about people in older generations from whom I have learned much. I value hugely their willingness to share their wisdom, and perspective, and have gained from them great hope and fresh commitment to my own growth and development.
Think of those you know in mid-life or beyond, who have shared their life learnings with you. What is it you value about them?
And what would it mean for you to value all that you know, and who could you invest in with those learnings?