The Show must go on

I am continuing to read a book called simply “Aging.”  It is funny how some things seem significant.  This one does to me as it explains some of what I am going through, and it is something, all things being equal, all will go through.  It is a part of the human condition.  Something everyone will face.  Even those who are younger now have getting old ahead.
The point is made in the book how we are not prepared for such a thing.  The message we receive is, for most, the opposite to the way things are.  What is often portrayed as something to look forward to only, has elements most would not wish on anyone.
The author talks about the last third of life being a time of loss.  Carl Jung said “we cannot live in the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning.”  There are few sadder sights in my mind, than seeing someone who will not let go - who’s time is up but they refuse to acknowledge it.  I have admired leaders who have walked away at the top of their game.  No matter how popular someone is, their life can be portrayed as a wave that rises then declines.
The point that the book appears to be making though is that while slower brain function does not mean mental incapacity, old dogs can learn new tricks because that time of life represents major change which necessitates change.
What is said is “suffering loss can reposition us to receive something else.”  It is the way I see the world.  I feel finishing a job and perhaps no longer being the one calling the shots is not just an end but a beginning.
I know I have had to adapt.  I joked that I could finish my job, but I did not know where they would find 13 people to replace me.  The fact is life goes on without me.  It is up to me to decide what happens in my life next.  One stage is over.  Another has begun.
To me that other can be just as significant as what has gone before.  There is no doubt in my mind it is different (that is my experience) but it is rewarding and meaningful.  It may be done more than ever done in a corner, but it can have a wider impact than my previous life ever had.
Outside circumstances may influence me, but motivation will always come from within.