I love talking to my dad. He is a vital 82-year-old wise man who’s kind of seen it all. He’s a retired judge. He’s also been a basketball and football coach for disadvantaged kids. He’s also been a motivational speaker. He continues to coach and speak his wisdom inside the AA movement, which is his true spiritual community now.
As I grow elder, I finally understand the true value of elders’ wisdom born from experience. I remember when I was in my 20s, and I had very little tolerance or patience for the advice of more experienced folks. I really felt it the whole world was brand new, and any information they had was outdated, probably irrelevant. Yes, the arrogance of youth. 😉
Now I stand at the transom of my own elderhood, and see myself reflected back in the eyes of the younger folk. It’s true. In someways I am so behind the curve. Digital media was not part of my childhood programming. I don’t automatically understand how to use all the digital tools we are now flooded with. I still listen to 40 and even 70 year old music. I struggle to remember someone’s alternative pronouns. In some ways, I am woefully outdated.
On the other hand, so many things about the human journey do not change. We all move through the life passages that people have been moving through for eons and epochs. And when it comes to relationship, power dynamics, leadership styles, romance and broken expectations, these things are essentially the same from generation to generation.
Of course when it comes to learning wisdom, one thing has really changed. Very simply put, when you need information, perspective, or wisdom, you probably Google it. The things that we used to go to grandmother or grandfather to ask, we now ask of an algorithm that parses and shares strategically created content.
Yes. It’s wonderful to have access to so much research that used to take a lot of time and energy to gather. But unfortunately, it has created a culture of people who think we don’t need each other. It has strengthened the judgment that elders’ wisdom Is unnecessary or irrelevant.
True wisdom born of experience is not sound up in a soundbite. It is not accessible in a millisecond. It is not carefully worded to match your already established views. It is delivered with love, with a living vibe from an embodied real person.
Google and its kin, on the other hand, have no heart, no eyes, no living vibe. And because of the algorithms that create echo chambers, tech has created a radically split culture that lacks civility, listening, and open mindedness.
That’s why I specialize in working with women who are on the verge of stepping into elderhood. Women in our late 40s, 50s, even 60s… we are called to offer our Wisdom. I help these women leverage their corporate experience, their new calling, and their burgeoning wisdom into a sustainable and lucrative business based on what matters. I do this because I believe in the power of our wise woman years, and I feel that is the wisdom that can solve the problems we have in the world today.
So I guess my challenge to all of us is this…
Who is the elder in your life? What are you listening to?
Mellissa was a Stanford-educated business lawyer until her intuitive abilities awakened in the year 2000 with the birth of her daughter. Now she bridges the worlds of business strategy and intuitive intelligence. Creative designers, Fortune 500 executives, and thought leaders hire her to teach them how to Channel their Genius – to create on demand, to stay in their flow state, and to create lucrative businesses that follow their souls’ calling.
One Response
Brilliant, elder priestess. I love all of this. 💗🌟