Self-development, the key to an engaged life

While flipping pages of the current issue of Fortune magazine I stumbled upon a list of 8 over 80 who are still active at work. My mind flooded with the usual age old questions around the meaning of work and happiness. I’ve met so many people in my work life who spend more time counting the minutes, hours, and seconds until that magic retirement date. These individuals are not engaged in life because spending time counting the minutes until retirement is not productive in my book.  The quote below describes how we feel when we have found exactly what we are supposed to do in life.

I find that when I’m realizing my own nature and developing my God given talents, time is no longer a consideration. I completely lose track of it. How can this be work when you are involved in something that engages and interests you?  My hope is that when I’m 80, I’ll be healthy and still in self-development mode. It seems to me that those who are productive and passionate about something have sharper minds and an ageless quality.  This is the case of  Boone Pickens who is number 3 on Fortune’s 8 over 80 list and the Chairman of BP Capital. At age 81 he is tirelessly working on a plan to reduce US oil dependence.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed the Guggenheim, photo above, when he was in his 90s. Beethoven was still composing music one week before he died. Ben Franklin was productive his whole life and one of his principles states: “Lose no time, be always employed in something useful”. Most leaders whom I’ve written about in this blog had a strong sense of purpose, a love for learning and led productive lives. These leaders took on challenges that kept their skills sharp and their minds engaged.

Mark Twain said “The work that is really a man’s own work is play and not work at all”