Twilight of the 30s

Well, the 40th birthday weekend celebrations have begun. My mother was at my house yesterday when I returned from work, a big surprise considering that she still lives in Florida. It is great to be able to spend some time with her, and her presence means the rare opportunity for some free babysitting as well. I have a hunch that my beloved Uncle Fred and his family are driving up tomorrow from Birmingham, but do not know this for a fact. I’ve only been told that we are going somewhere at 2 p.m. on the Big Day.

I’m learning at midlife that I really haven’t changed that much since young life. Actually, I figured this out a while back, but it continues to sink it with new insights. I grew up craving sunshine, and still need the light. I had an anti-groupthink bent early on, and it is still there with a vengeance. I loved to express myself in words as a child, and here I am.

At midlife, you own that long-term hardwiring and default disposition toward life more than ever and are less and less willing to compromise it away. The key is taking action steps that support such internal conviction.

My goal is to become as free as possible from groupthink constraints, and to impact people in a helpful way through words, both upfront and through what they read. I must continue to grow in self-awareness, competencies, skills and relationships in order to hold onto that goal. This much I know today, the final day of what has been a wild rollercoaster ride of a decade called my 30s: seminary, pastoring, parenting, writing, launching my career in a new direction and, now, moving to the Nashville area.