Life After 50

A Reflection

What Did I Just Read

Thinking back on crossroads of my life

I've had a lot going on

I got divorced, lost both parents, my career and became homeless
I've had massive disappointment and gained weight
I over prepared for things that never came
Developed skills that I never used

2020 was atrocious and hellaceous - it was the year we found out
That all of the government agencies had been captured
Except we didn't actually find out about that
Until well into the year of 2024 and beyond

I can remember many clean breaks - new starts - paradigm shifts - curious life trials
Life is funny - walking through each day - life can look and feel the same
Think back to life 5 years ago - everything is radically different

Should I be ashamed and embarrassed for not being
In a more consolidated, powerful position?
I say no - I say - seize the day today

Perhaps our past doesn't matter if we build a better future
If we had a great past, that doesn’t mean it will hold up
Good or bad - life is entropy - constantly falling apart

Great or terrible pasts are not guaranteed to hold
Though it can be hard to climb out of a deep hole

My Mom was a loving mom and swim coach
For the YMCA when I was a baby *heart*

That is not what makes me a great swimmer
It means I wasn’t afraid of the water as a kid
So yes she gave me a start - I did the rest

She did for me very well - what I did for my son
She helped me feel like water was fun and safe

What a great gift
All that happened after that
Meaning all of the rest of my life
Inspired me to put this book together
Those early times gave me my predisposition

That positive predisposition
Is what I ultimately used
For my own benefit
Not a good past
Past was a start

Anything is a start

I have effective ways of improving my life
First I try to see it happen in slow motion
Then I improve things one by one
Not everyone is so patient
Patience is a super power

This statue looks like a buffed out Godlike Kurt Russell and that beard - wow

Life is fast
Maybe too fast
Fix one problem at a time

If you can't or don't visualize
Each part of what you're doing
You probably won't do it or do it well

There's the advice
That's the secret sauce
Don't spend it all in one place

Like all the profound advice I've ever received
This advice is easy to hear but difficult to follow

To slow down, we feel we might be missing things
In truth we are all missing tons of things all the time

Slowing down means what
Spending more quality time
Doing more significant things

Slowing down life and doing more quality things - this paradigm leaves less time for drivel

Technical Swim is like this
Remove one problem at a time
We do our best to make them all stay away

Lesson Summary

Life After 50 A Reflection is a contemplation on various life experiences, including struggles and disappointments. The text touches on themes such as personal growth, overcoming challenges, and embracing change. Here are the key takeaways:

• The author reflects on significant life events, such as divorce, loss of loved ones, career setbacks, and homelessness.
• Adapting to unexpected situations, the author discusses feelings of disappointment and weight gain, as well as learning skills that were never utilized.
• A critical view of the year 2020 is presented, highlighting a revelation about government agencies being compromised, but this realization didn’t occur until 2024 and beyond.
• Reflections on clean breaks, fresh starts, and the evolving nature of life are shared, emphasizing the importance of embracing change and seizing opportunities.
• The text explores the idea that past experiences, whether positive or negative, do not determine future outcomes, promoting the concept of building a better future regardless of one's history.
• Lessons learned from early life experiences, such as a positive predisposition towards swimming instilled by the author's mother, are highlighted as influential factors in personal development.
• The author stresses the significance of patience in self-improvement, advocating for a methodical approach to problem-solving and life enhancement.
• Advice on slowing down, focusing on quality over quantity, and addressing issues methodically is given, with an analogy to technical swim training, where problems are tackled one at a time for optimal results.