Many of my readers are over 50 years of age so like me,creeping up to 62, they have already made a significant mark on life. We have shed our baby skin, carved our careers and raised our families.
We have had many opportunities and some we have mastered while others have slipped through our fingers. There is much living left to do and while one career may be playing out its final notes the next one could be just around the corner.But no matter what our work is we will be doing it in the new 50+ style.
In emFifty Fabulous/em I described what my interviewees told me about how their roles in the workplace have changed as they have aged. They described a movement from direction to guidance, from management to facilitation from boss to mentor.
The wisdom and experience that accumulated during the journey and over the years is now applied in a very new way. It seems that the firm grip on control which we thought so essential when we were younger, we now perceive as a limitation that does not serve our purpose. As our hips may have softened so have our hands and hearts and I believe that at this age we open them both more vulnerably to gently shape the work of others.
What explains this change? With age confidence increases, experience, both success and failure,is a teacher whose lessons have reshaped our thinking. Our perspective widens as we raise our heads from the single pointed view of our own struggle. We begin to understand that doing is for today but mentoring is for tomorrow as well.
Let’s kick off the next International Women’s Day by extending are hands and sharing the largess of our success to support the career of someone just starting out and let’s begin right now.
…Introducing strongKiva/strong….
Kiva is a virtual community of micro credit lenders and recipients which facilitates our generosity seamlessly.

Just go to a href=http://www.kiva.org title=Kivawww.kiva.org /a
There you wil be efficiently led through the process. You select a recipient from the business profiles which are listed and grant a business loan for as little as $25.US. The woman you support will be required to repay this interest free loan over time and you can then decide whether to lend the money to someone else or take your money back.
Our small gestures can may make the difference between death and survival in third world economies.
For less than we spend on our weekly coffee we can back a village business that could feed a family.
Kiva is the brain child of some young folks who want to make it easy for us to be what we have become, grateful, Fabulous and wise!