Self Reliance at Seventy!

David Brooks wrote a column in The New York Times yesterday entitled, “The Life Report.”  Mr. Brooks is asking those over 70 years old to “write a brief report on your life so far, an evaluation of what you did well, of what you did not so well and what you learned along the way.”   As an ardent supporter of journaling to increase self-awareness, and leave a legacy, I think this is a noble request.

On the same day I read Brooks’ column, I received an email from my friend, Ralph Pollock.  Ralph is in his 70’s, and moved to Kunming, China three months ago.  Ralph is working as an entrepreneur on a bird deterrent technology (www.ecobirdtech.com) that will be place in the new Kunming airport in January.  Ralph went on to tell me that he has made a commitment to only do ecological sustainable businesses, and is also working on solar cooking umbrellas.  If that’s not enough, Ralph also created a non-profit, www.villageprogress.com.

At a time when people usually look back more than forward, vibrant people like Ralph are still writing fantastic new chapters as they strive to make a difference in the lives of others by helping them become self-reliant.  Good for you, Ralph.  I hope you’ll send Mr. Brooks your particularly unique perspective for his “Life Report!”