When did we ever come up with the idea that life should be considered a “hill” and that once you pass ‘mid-life” you’re Over The Hill?
I remember just a few years ago as a kid, okay maybe a little more than a few years ago, but I remember looking through the over the hill black and gray party decor for my parents as they neared 40. Now, I could find myself in that aisle shopping for myself. Except I’m not throwing myself a party and I have more of a love for blue than black and gray.
My friend and mentor John Maxwell says “anything worthwhile is uphill.” So if I weigh that against the “over the hill” theory then does that mean at 40 I’ve already achieved everything worthwhile in my journey? I’ve decided I don’t want to be over the hill because anything worthwhile is uphill and there is much more to explore and do. Maybe we’ve just made it easy to assume a hill is a good correlation to aging, hitting a birthday or getting to or through another year or decade.
I like the idea of hills. It seems to depict a journey and that’s what we’re all on. Each day is a journey and each day we have a choice on which path to take. It’s almost like each day is or can be a hill within itself. What I like in that school of thought is that we have choices to make daily about what we’ll pursue and ultimately how we’ll live. My health coach often says you can make a new choice every three hours. There is so much freedom in that statement.
John Maxwell says; “Experience is not the best teacher; evaluated experience is.” So, just arriving at the “top of a hill” in and of itself is not a teacher - it’s when we pause and evaluate the journey. Whether that journey is 40 years or 40 minutes - take the time to evaluate using these questions:
Who am I adding value to?
How do I add the most value?
What decisions yielded the best results?
What decisions ended up being wrong?
What good did I do today?
We don’t have to wait until we’re 40, 50 or 60 to make an adjustment. If we don’t like where we’re at, make a new choice, now. Quit something that needs to be moved off your plate, now. As you’re reading this make a list of the things you may need to evaluate and then get to it. If a little reminder or encouragement is needed, go get yourself an “Over The Hill” sign and hang it somewhere you’ll see it daily…use that as your reminder to evaluate your experience and keep journeying up that hill you’re on. Trust me, it’s worth it!
Make it a Great Day,
Chris