GNL’ers attending the 20th Anniversary luncheon on February 23 found words of inspiration, advice for the latter stage of life, and suggestions for making one feel younger, regardless of chronological age!
Speaker Marc Freedman, international social entrepreneur and longevity expert, spoke to a crowd of more than 160 at the beautiful Royal Poinciana Golf Club, while GNL members dined on a gourmet luncheon. His topic, “Don’t just Leave a Legacy, Live One,” was peppered with quotes and advice from philosophers, writers, spiritual leaders, politicians, and academics that supported his underlying premise, which is that the “Encore Years”, a term he prefers to Golden Years, can be the best and most productive time of a person’s life. Freedman is given credit for coining the term and has developed an entire philosophy around it. Here are just a few of his words to live by and ways for creating your own “fountain of youth.”
- Service is the “Rent for Living”
- An “individual purpose account” helps one feel more meaningful and fulfilled in the latter stage of life
- Reinventing yourself doesn’t have to be about optimizing financially, but can be a “second act” where passion, purpose and a paycheck intersect
- Continuous learning and training can renewing and energizing
Encore has established a one-year fellowship program, much like an internship for the older and wiser, to motivate individuals in their Encore Years to give back to benefit the greater good. Fellowships bring new sources of talent to organizations solving critical social problems. In paid, time-limited roles, fellows deliver a high impact project, learn about social purpose work and develop contacts and resources for the future.
Encore Fellowships began with a pilot program of ten Fellows in 2009 in California’s Silicon Valley. Today, there are more than 250 Fellows working in 35 metropolitan areas. Freedman encouraged GNL to explore opportunities for our two organizations to work together. For more information on the Fellowship program, visit http://encore.org/fellowships/.