• Prolific author and poet Maya
Angelou drew recognition from
more than fifty honorary degrees
to a Presidential Medal of Freedom
before she passed at age eighty-
six. She remained on a speaking
circuit well into her eighties. Once
she explained her philosophy
of life: “My mission in life is not
merely to survive, but to thrive; and
to do so with some passion, some
compassion, some humor, and
some style.” A chorus of voices from thoughtful
people repeat this important thought:
old-age decay will overtake you unless
you pursue ways to renew your life.
Many outstanding thinkers underscore
the same profound truths. A popular
quote, sometimes attributed to
Abraham Lincoln, put it this way: “In
the end, it’s not the years in your life
that count. It’s the life in your years.” • Spanish musician Pablo Casals:
“The man who works and is never
bored is never old.”
Yes! Let at least one of these comments
sink deeply into your mind and make
a home there. You have choices of
immense consequence. Will you live
fully through all the years that remain
for you?
44 • Solutions
• Maya Angelou cautioned of the
danger this way: “Most people don’t
grow up. Most people age.”
• Irish playwright George Bernard
Shaw: “We don’t stop playing
because we grow old; we grow old
because we stop playing.”
• Henr y David Thoreau was a
philosopher and writer from the
1800s: “None are so old as those
who have outlived enthusiasm.”
Pithy quotes are easy to remember.
Will at least one of these stay with you
and motivate you to expect more from
your third season of life? The quality