Today is International Women’s Day and I #ChooseToChallenge believing, repeating and perpetuating that once we are over 40 or 50 or 60 or 70, we are nearing the end of our career.
I recently attended a networking group I’ve belonged to for many years. It’s all women in one industry who are connecting each other to job leads, supporting one another and so on. Many in the group had been laid off over the past few years and were fully blaming it on age. They seemed like they were ready to throw in the towel and just shrink into non-existence (that might not be what they intended but that is how they came across to me).
These 3 photos of me were taken in my 20s, my 40s and on my 50th birthday. My interior has not changed. I am still the same person with the same hunger to play and have fun and to learn new skills and achieve new goals. And I will not take “no” for an answer. If we choose to believe, repeat and perpetuate that people of a certain age are no longer valuable then we block ourselves from continuing ahead with growth. Learn something new, forge your own path.
I have forged my own path many times and will continue to do so until my body is donated to science (or just put out with the trash with my hat on as Lou Grant from The Mary Tyler Moore Show once requested).
Most of my clients right now are people ages 45-77 (you heard that right) who are on their 2nd, 3rd or 4th career. And they are killing it! They didn’t wait for permission. They do not believe they are done. And guess, what? Not only do they know how to open a PDF and use google drive but they are perfectly capable of signing into a zoom and are familiar with Clubhouse and how to use Instagram. Believe me, they are alive and well.
So today, on International Women’s Day I #ChooseToChallenge believing, then repeating and then perpetuating the ridiculous idea that you can no longer be what you want, who you want, however you want. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to use a 14 point font and change my screen view to 150% to see what I just wrote.