431 The Art of Aging - Featuring Diane Place
In today’s episode Sarah Elkins and Diane Place discuss the art and beauty in aging and how it allows us to collect amazing stories, learn new things about ourselves, and how we can use these experiences to help others.
Highlights
Aha moments and how trusting yourself will most often take you to better places in life.
Bringing in other story tellers to enlighten yourself with intergenerational, interracial, and interhuman connections.
Reframing aging and how we perceive aging, in that it is never too late to do anything and you don’t need to step back just because of a number.
The stories we tell ourselves and the stories told around us shape our perceptions, and we need to take active steps to make sure that it is positive and healthy instead of cutting ourselves and others down.
Quotes
“I’ve had “Aha” moments in my life that led me to make crazy decisions. Some of them didn’t go so well most of them did because I trusted my heart.”
“Find connections with who we are, not just what we’ve done.”
“We need to seek the new stories if we have some of those old stories. We need to ditch them. We need to erase them, and reinvent them.”
Dear Listeners it is now your turn,
What part of this conversation made you realize something about your own aging and maybe your internal messages that are affecting who you are and that you’re modeling and sharing with younger people. If you’re one of the younger listeners, under 50, what part of this conversation made you eager to hear the stories of people around you that you’ve only ever known skin deep? I would love to hear what resonated with you in this conversation.
And, as always, thank you for listening.
About Diane (From her LinkedIn)
After years of dancing on the edges of my passions through a roller coaster life and career, it was the coincidence of four lightning strike experiences: a cancer diagnosis, loss of a business, my 60th birthday, and a soon-to-be empty nest, that compelled me to dig deep to focus on what I truly wanted to do with my "one wild & precious life."
This became my "third act quest.”
Our “third act" CAN be the most exciting chapter in our life's story.
My mission became clear - to inspire women and reframe the perception & experience of what life can be after 50.
I've unearthed what had been calling me all along. Now, I couldn't imagine doing anything else!
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Creating Third Act Quest to inspire and connect women 50+ is the most exciting and rewarding venture in my career journey (so far!)
I launched Third Act Quest in 2018, with the dream to reframe the perception and experience of aging through initiatives that connect and inspire women as they create the most exciting chapter in their life's story — their "third act."
Third Act Quest initiatives: the 333 Collective, "AHA" Third Act Stories, Quest Year, and QUEST, a biennial gathering & celebration.
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My 35+ year career:
- Leaps of faith to embrace my passions and talents to have an impact
- My values and dreams are my GPS
- Synchronicity
- Resilience
My professional career includes: a decade in Boston with an international ad agency; ten years with America Online (AOL/Time Warner) in a leadership role during the early days of the internet culminating in a role as Senior Vice President; and four unique entrepreneurial ventures.
In the early 90's, I founded a cause-marketing firm. Later, post-AOL, I launched a photography business and The Global Design Post. Though each of these experiences expanded my life and my mind, it's what happened around my corporate career, the breadcrumbs that I followed, that has driven me, and has been “calling” me all these years. I’ve finally put my personal passion front and center.
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All of your life's experiences; the highs & the lows, the turning points & transitions, shape how you see yourself and the world.
Within just a few generations, 30 years have been added to our life expectancy. Our 50's & 60's can be a turning point; not time to step back, but time to expand, engage & thrive. It can be our time to unearth dreams that have been buried and create a vision for how we truly want to live,love, work and contribute.
"What is it you plan to do with your one wild & precious life?" (Mary Oliver)
Be sure to check out Diane’s LinkedIn, and especially Third Act Quest!
About Sarah
Sarah is a Montana based workplace communication trainer, TEDx speaker, DisruptHR speaker, public speaking coach, professional storyteller, musician, and podcast host. Her workshops and coaching packages with teams and their leaders are known to address and reduce miscommunication – the most common cause of tension and stress in the workplace. Using the team’s results from the StrengthsFinder assessment, she guides teams in learning to speak each other’s “language”, learning to value each other’s strengths and connecting with each other through enhanced self-reflection and effective listening.
Sarah’s nearly 20 years working in government agencies inspired her to complete her MBA and to achieve her StrengthsFinder certification to improve work environments for others, guiding teams toward increased satisfaction, productivity, and happiness.
Visit her website to purchase her book, Your Stories Don't Define You in paperback or audiobook.