Book Excerpt

The founding CEO of Age Wave, Ken Dychtwald, asserts “it isn’t aging that frightens people. It’s the fear of becoming uninspired and unwilling to try new things.” We agree wholeheartedly. Most of us want to continue to grow and learn throughout our lives, rejecting the stereotype of aging leading inevitably to stagnation or complacency.

Imagine how you could engage your mind if you no longer had to keep up with the business journals, industry magazines, and company communiqués that used to pile up on your bed stand? Hey, you could probably make good on your life-long vow to read War and Peace with the time reclaimed just from not reading all those emails.

Passionate about the topic of life-long learning, we strongly advocate this low-cost/low-risk technique for shaking yourself out of midlife inertia. 

Many change artists we met on the road shared two things in common—the desire to challenge their minds and the confidence that they could learn at any age. There’s a rich store of learning opportunities out there, from formal degree programs to vocational training. All the subjects that you missed taking in college or didn’t interest you until you were mature enough to appreciate them. And thanks to the Internet, the process of learning has become location neutral. 

Several successful lane changers expanded their intellectual horizons—not just as a part-time activity, but as an enabler to a life change.