| Article Index |
|---|
| Newsletter - Spring 2008 |
| PURPOSE AND PERFORMANCE |
| THE BOOMERS; SEARCH FOR MEANING AND PURPOSE |
| MEETING FINANCIAL GOALS |
| NOTABLE QUOTES ON PURPOSE AND PERFORMANCE |
| All Pages |
Page 3 of 5
THE BOOMERS’ SEARCH FOR MEANING & PURPOSE
“Once we become adults, we often lose track of life’s simple pleasures and of our own personal goals. We take a wrong turn or two, then spend a good part of our lives doing things we’d rather not—while not doing many of those things we’d enjoy. While we may obsess about how unhappy we are, we don’t focus clearly on what we can do to change the situation: on how we can invest our time, energy, and yes, our money to consciously create the life we want.”
Marc Eisenson, Gerri Detweiler, & Nancy Castleman
Invest in Yourself: Six Secrets to a Rich Life
In terms of adult development theory, middle age is typically a pivotal stage where individuals rethink the direction their lives are taking, confront their own mortality, and dare to ask themselves, “am I really happy?”
However, what distinguishes Baby Boomers from previous generations is that they wear their mid-life angst on their sleeves. Rather than indulging in a time of private reflection and silent suffering, this cohort of revolutionaries is forcing us to think about what life after 50 could and should look like.
The Baby Boom Generation is frequently characterized as a pig in a python, a huge population bulge that refuses to pass through history unnoticed! Just as they have redefined every stage of their lives, so too will they redefine aging and retirement. One of the biggest changes is how they view the life span.
Parents of Baby Boomers viewed the years from birth to death as divided into 3 stages: youth, adulthood, and old age. However, longevity has increased dramatically and a new paradigm is needed that fits evolving realities and expectations.
Instead of lengthening “old age,” Boomers have pushed back that stage of life by many years and have inserted a fourth stage of life called the “Second Middle-Age.” Many Boomers recognize this span of years as a gift—a time to do what they always wanted to do and the opportunity to pursue work (paid or unpaid) they find fulfilling.
They see life in the Second Middle-Age as a second chance to grab the brass ring on the merry-go-round of life. For them, retirement looms on the horizon—not as a respite from work (most want to keep working)—but as an opportunity to explore in new arenas, stretch their comfort zones, and find ways to fully engage in whatever activities and causes they find most meaningful.
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