As the story goes, on April 2, 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon and his crew become the first recorded Europeans to set eyes on Florida. Supposedly they were actually looking for the Fountain of Youth. The waters of this fountain were supposed to be able to reverse the aging process and cure sickness.
In modern society we often make a reference to someone finding the Fountain of Youth when they show renewed enthusiasm, or an appetite for life – especially if that someone is “of a certain age.” This can be the result of a new love, recovery from a life threatening situation – sickness or accident, or the discovery of a new passion.
Surprisingly, I found my Fountain of Youth in the summer of 2012, although I didn’t know it at the time. I was watching a bike race in our village – the last time this particular race was to be held locally. I was talking with a friend and he mentioned a biking group that I might find fun to join. He passed my contact information on to the group organizer, I was invited to join a group ride the next Saturday, and the rest, as they say is history. I joined the ride, got in over my head, and struggled to keep up with the group. But, I was hooked! I came back every Saturday for the rest of the summer, and started riding in the group rides on Thursday night as well. Fast forward to 2017 … I am now the “leader” of this group, we have five rides per week, we have over 300 members, and I’ve averaged over 7,500 miles on my bike for the past three years. I’m in the best shape I’ve been in in over 30 years.
I tell you this story not looking for your praise or admiration, but rather to illustrate a point. The Fountain of Youth is real – it’s just not external. It’s part of us, we just need to figure out how to unleash it. For me it was finding both the joy and challenge of riding my bike farther and faster than I ever thought possible. What’s really cool is not that I’m in better physical shape than I have been for a long time; it’s what it’s done in other parts of my life.
A while back I was feeling stuck in my career. I spoke to several trusted friends and business associates. They all said I should start my own consulting company. My response: “No way, I could never do that. What the hell would I do? How would I make it work?” Well, through a series of unplanned events, I found myself with the opportunity to start my own company. While I’m not ready to challenge Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Mark Zuckerberg on the Forbes list of the Richest People in the World, I love what I do and I’m having a blast doing it. Not only that, but I’m helping small businesses become more successful. I’ve met some remarkable people, forged friendships that never would have happened if I had stayed in my old lifestyle, and will become a published author on Nov 8, 2017. That never would have happened if I hadn’t started my own company.
Has it been tough? Yes. Challenging? Yes, Frustrating? Yes. Do I wish I would have done it years ago? You’re damn right!
My message to you today is: Don’t sell yourself short. Not only are you capable of much more than you think, but it doesn’t matter how old you are. This past August 26th I rode my bike across Wisconsin – 175 miles, over 9,000’ of climbing, and just over 10.5 hours of riding. At age 62! The Fountain of Youth is real – you just have to give it a chance to manifest itself in your life.
