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Left Seat, by MarkWeber, Editor in Chief |
Like it or not, another year has come and gone in our lives. And ready or not, the new year is already under foot, waiting all too impatiently to conquer, or be conquered. We can increase the odds of the latter happening by asking ourselves: Am I happier now than I was twelve months ago? If the answer is yes, then we're on the right course. If the answer is no, then some important adjustments need to be made.
We should all cross the beginning of each year with all cylinders firing, suspension optimized for peak performance, and the odo set so that any pop-up distractions will have minimal impact on our desired course.
Such thinking and planning does not preclude making diversions along the way. Indeed, unexpected course changes often add wonderful texture to our lives. If diversions are made, then we have the option of either returning to our preprogrammed course at first opportunity, or changing the course to arrive at a new and more fulfilling destination.
A person must always remain flexible and be ready to change course due to unexpected conditions.
As part of that post-World War II population known as the baby boomers and now being three years past the half-century mark, I figure I have as much right as anybody else to predict where my generation is going.
As a group, we baby boomers are an economic force to be reckoned with. The older among us are nipping at retirement, the youngest are in their mid-forties and the rest of us approaching the pinnacle of our careers, both in earning power and productivity. We spend a lot (kids in college, the constant search for fun toys, building that dream house, buying a new rally car) but we save a lot too. How many times have we heard: "Don't count on Social Security."
We are healthier than the generation before us. We are quitting smoking, eating less fat, and exercising more. Our physical fitness, and our life expectancy are better than ever before. We can expect to be able bodied and active for another three decades.
Our parents lived through some pretty heroic times, and perhaps because of that, we feel propelled to show that we can go "above and beyond" as well. We are computer literate. By being the first generation to grow up with television, we are used to being fed information via an electronic screen. With today's powerful computers and related software, plus the ability to go online and access the internet, we have an incredible amount of information at our fingertips. Our knowledge is becoming quite sophisticated.
So I go forth into this new year, I do so with some anxiety about the season of my life, some excitement about my goals for the year but always with the motto; "It is better to die on one's feet, than to live on one's knees."
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