An odd headline I know but yes disruption has come to the camping industry if we can call it an industry. We have discovered air B&B for camping and have found a private camping paradise in the beautiful Hunter Valley. We have been there a couple times and met the farmers that own the property. The first time we were there we had a lovely fireside chat about a life lived as farmers. We talked about the land, cattle, horses and chickens. At the time I do remember Lindsay mentioning to me that he learned to read and write at 55 years old. That was rather amazing I thought. A few weeks ago we camped there again and our farmer friends were arriving back from a conference in Melbourne as we were packing up camp. As it turns out they were in Melbourne to run a leadership conference. As it turns out they run conferences all over the world! I have to admit this was not the conversation I expected to have. We had a long chat and a bit of a laugh that were in the same business. Lindsay said what inspired him to learn to read and write so late in life was the messages he heard when he attended Robert Kiyosaki seminar over 15 years ago. Within 7 years of attending that seminar he had not only learned to read and write but was on-stage interviewing Mr. Kiyosaki at a large leadership conference. Since then Lindsay and his wife Pam have run leadership programs around the world and have spoken to audiences as large as 80,000 people in the US last year. I was very inspired by Lindsay’s story and struck by just how much ‘inspiration’ and a strong sense of purpose is a key driver to success in your career. And how it is never too late. Last weekend I went to a 65th birthday party with a crowd that consisted mainly of the 60-70 age group. Most of the people I spoke to were still passionately involved in careers as journalist, lawyers, and business owners. They were a pretty vibrant lively bunch. Very similar to Lindsay who is now 70, clear-eyed, purposeful and vibrant. The lesson for me was clear. Being engaged in a career that inspires you and provides a mental challenge is as important to good health and vitality as exercise and a good diet. And it is never too late to start. Plenty of research backs this up. One new study from Oregon State University indicates that working past age 65 could lead to longer life, while retiring early may be a risk factor for dying earlier, The researchers found that healthy adults who retired one year past age 65 had an 11 % lower risk of death from all causes, even when taking into account demographic, lifestyle and health issues. Adults who described themselves as unhealthy were also likely to live longer if they kept working, the findings showed, which indicates that factors beyond health may affect post-retirement mortality. So where are you? Is your career one that inspires you and gives you purpose? Does it have longevity? Do you have a career plan for your life span? P.S. At the party one 69-year-old woman who runs a private tour business asked me how I promoted my business? I said I used Linkedin as a primary tool. She looked concerned. She said, “people are leaving Linkedin in droves”. Damn it is hard to keep up with social media trends these days!
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August 2019
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