I am in this boomer group in which, like 8,000 of us a day in the US are turning 65 for the next 17 years…wow…elderhood, here we come! A whole lot of us! I am just finishing my main work for my masters in psychology degree, looking at a future with some time to design with new ways of being, and I wonder what parts of me will be making the decisions. A teacher you may have heard me mention, James Hollis, says this phrase as a part of his very wise, very Jung-informed, presentations: “What I do not know within myself will make decisions for me.”
At 65 almost, and one medicare education meeting behind me, I wonder what my next life chapter will be about. What innovative and adventurous things, what contentment and love and life balance can I feel in my next 10 years? I do know that I don’t want the part of me in charge who always thinks up good and worthy goals, but goals that get me on lots of airplanes and into yet another super-chore, like a book to write or a degree to finish—I don’t want that part fully in charge this time around. I want some other part of me, pretty much unknown most likely, to step up and make some of the calls. Maybe I’ll start a donut shop reversing the cupcake trend. I know I will have to say no yet again to GQ magazine for another cover—my work has become too scholarly for that. I leave the cover to the younger guys. (Yes phantasies increase with age),
So what part of you is in charge of your current set of daily decisions? It would be good to check that out. Go write in your journal about that question or take a walk with your partner and see what he says. He may see it better than you.
Onward, decision makers. Keep the good and growing parts of you in charge.
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