#107

Excuses can rob us of our dreams and put us on a fast path to irrelevancy.

Anytime I receive an invitation to speak I go through a mental checklist about the engagement.  Before I accept I want to make sure I am a good fit for the organization bringing me in.  One of my checklist items is “credibility.” That is, will I have “believability” to the audience in front of me?  Do I have experiences that will allow the audience to trust me?

Later this week I will be speaking to an association of retirees.  My first thought upon receiving the invitation to speak went directly to the issue of credibility.  While I might be creeping ever closer to the nebulous “retirement age,” I am NOT there yet.  So what could I speak about that would strike a chord with people who ARE retired?  In other words, what could I say that would be believable and have a message worthy of their time? I have settled on the premise that we (retirees and non-retirees) all have something to contribute to our communities. In short, we have to remain vital.

Even though retirees may not report to an office, they still have a wealth of wisdom and experiences to offer those in their lives.  A few months ago I was reading an article about young and fiery CEOs and COOs.  One of these managers relayed how her older workers (not retirees yet) were having difficulty with the change in the organization. She told one in particular that he was “no longer the target market.”

Wow!  On one level I do understand what the CEO was saying.  But that quote stayed with me.  I want retirees to understand that they are vital if they choose to be.  A friend of mine who is retiring this year told me that he will miss the collegial conversations that he has had for 40 years. I heard a bit of wistfulness in his voice.  My thought is what will be the replacement?  How will my friend remain vital?

Video recommendation for the week:

In the 1970s, John Prine wrote and recorded a powerful song about growing old—and not staying vital.  “Hello in There” is haunting.

One of my songs, “Welcome to Boomerville,” has the following line in the chorus: “We may look old but we’re not over the hill.”  And while some might no longer consider us the “target” audience, we can move that target. Whether we are retired or just starting out on our career, we have the power to set our target. 

One of my programs, “How Big is Your BUT?” addresses the issue of excuses and how they can rob us of our dreams and put us on a fast path to irrelevancy. We end up, in a way, setting ourselves up for failure. If not failure, then we simple “settle” for something less than we can be.  Keep making excuses, and there will be a target on our “two-T” BUTT—and we will be ignored.

So, that will be the thrust of my talk. No matter your age or experiences, focus on your dreams and then take action.  Set your target—don’t become someone else’s target.  Don’t let your BUTs (your excuses) put a target on your BUTT.

Enjoy your week—and H.T.R.B. as needed!

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© 2012. Steve Piscitelli and Steve Piscitelli’s Blog.

[Note: Image of target above by gameana/feedigitalphots.net]