Seasonal Shifts Are Real
We understand seasons…
At least, most of us understand the definitions of what the four seasons are. Spring. Summer. Fall. Winter. All based on the rotation of Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the planet as it leans in toward the sun, and then away. It’s what has been happening since anyone can understand planetary dynamics. Perhaps all planets do this. I’m not sure.
However, if you live in an area of around the equator then you may not comprehend the season of dormancy…winter. If you live at the top or bottom of the planet then you never really understand how things can stay green year round.
For myself, I thoroughly enjoy the winter and the coming of winter via fall, and I agonize as it departs when spring debuts (tomorrow!!), but I am less enamored with summer if it’s focused on heat and it’s awful cousin, humidity!
It’s all a matter of personal taste, desires, and dreams!
When it comes to life, these seasons are as rigid as the age we feel in our bones. The old adage, “You are as old as you feel.” may be a true indicator of how close you are to a seasonal shift, but we all know those who age physically at different paces than their years suggest.
The same can be said of our careers because we struggle with the growing years as we find our place in the world, and then those latter years before retirement, well, we struggle as we attempt to unwind from all those busy years.
Working on projects for a number of years I understand that life has its own rhythm and pace that could not be denied. Summer vacations. Holidays. Back to school. All of these life events could create dramatic negatives if you do not factor them into your project plan. So, the wise thing to do is to plan for these seasons so you can adjust your deadlines for success.
Just last week, a new pedestrian bridge collapsed on the unsuspecting public below while it was being stressed tested to ensure it would stand up to usage once open. Just imagine if they had been smart enough to plan this test with the roadway closed…no one would have lost their lives.
Think about it… Stress test? Not ready to open up to public use? New construction? Innocents below? Think about stress testing your next season.
This makes me aware, as I age, that seasons of life are not something to take lightly. Seasons bring new challenges, and taking on a new endeavor at a season when one would normally be approaching waning years can put many people into tenuous positions.
What if…? That becomes the big question!
It’s been a while since I read the book by Kenneth French, “Just One More Place”. It chronicles his desire by prayer to be allowed to have the opportunity to start just one more church. He and his family went to Alaska in 1940 and began a life of planting churches everywhere. (Read Reference Here) Nearing the end of a season, he prayed for the opportunity to go to just one more place. He was not willing to back down, even though he was nearing the end of his life.
Kenneth French passed away on 11/1/1980… Just a few days before we arrived in Alaska. I never met him, but I know many had great respect for him.
E.B. White, an American Essayist penned the work most popularly known in the USA, “Stuart Little” and “Charlotte’s Web”. He passed away just 5 years after Kenneth French and is well known for this quote:
“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” ~E. B. White
From these two individuals, born just 6 years apart, and died just 5 years apart, I take something from their personal focus and think about this today…
Does anybody still have a desire to tackle their seasonal shift by rejecting what’s just ahead and yearning for the earlier time?
A cousin of mine in Texas says he wants to never retire and never quit working. I understand this, and when you have health, mental acuity, and resources to continue to pursue, then I think we could all be like Warren Buffett (4 months younger than my dad!) and just keep on going!
It’s somewhat like an 85-year-old Caleb telling Joshua, “I’m as fit today as I was in my 40’s when Moses sent us to spy out the Promised Land! Give me this mountain to conquer!” (Joshua 14:6-13)
The reality exists that too many of us look forward to the day when we get to wish the company “Good day” and get about the business of simply living life at a slower (or different) pace. Sleep, work, travel and play when you want to and not when the company allows you!
My point today, just because life may be slower does not mean we are no longer effective, or willing to tackle a new project. It simply means I redirect my remaining energies and vision to those remaining years.
My focus is still to be the best I can be, and to be all I can be, for as long as I can be! Click To TweetYou see, I’m NOT there yet! But the reality is that I must start planning for what life will look like in those waning years. There’s still something in me that wants to keep doing, going, learning and challenging myself to do something tomorrow that is as important as what I’ve done with my past!
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. (James 4:13-14 NKJV)
Life will slow down, and it will eventually end… But not before I’ve done everything I can to feed the desire to keep busy! Productive! Relevant! As long as possible!
How about you? What’s your plan for your future? Are you still pushing forward even though the season may be shifting? Can you even determine what your season of life is?
It takes someone who is really thinking about “what comes next” to lay out their plan for success. Finances. Health. Life and living. What will it look like? Are you truly ready? Maybe you need a little stress test… Here’s a pre-retirement quiz from AARP that may help you…that is, if retirement is your next season!