Redefining Youth
We at FutureDecisions were quite amused by an article recently appearing on CNN Online regarding the definition of youth in Kenya. The government minister has proposed changing the definition of youth in Kenya to anyone from age 15 to 50! The current ceiling is 30. Apparently this change is politically motivated, but is being suggested in a way that makes it sound like it is for the betterment of a larger portion of the population who can take advantage of drawing money from a “Youth Fund”.If this happened in the United States would it mean that all the Baby Boomers below 50 would no longer be Baby Boomers by government edict?The reason that we mention this article at all is simple: Baby Boomers in the United States are redefining youth without any assistance from the government. More and more, we find Boomers that are in jobs that their parents would not have thought about having after they had reached age 50. When it comes to pursuing their passions, Boomers are being less constrained by their age than any previous generation. Part of this is the fact we are generally healthier than previous generations and, another important element, is that we have gone through a paradigm shift that has served to eliminate many of the restraints felt by others in the past.When determining how you want to spend the second half of your life the options and opportunities you have available to you are wide ranging. Do not limit yourself and your possibilities because you think you cannot do something or have not done it in the past. While it is important to be realistic, it is just as important to not limit yourself based on your past history or the past history of others.
