ANECDOTE

Years ago, I had the privilege of working with Grand Slam champion Rod Laver on Hilton Head Island, SC. I used to be a 4.5 player and loved playing singles and working up a fun sweat.

One of the women in our league had a habit of saying, “Not bad for a 60-something,” whenever she hit a winner.

In those moments, I vowed to never let age serve as an excuse for NOT doing something or as an accolade FOR doing something.

More recently, I spoke in DC on Advocacy and afterwards spent time reflecting on the topic of age and advocacy with my friend Judy Gray.

Advocacy means, “any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause – actions that support, defend, or plead on behalf of others.”

We can also advocate for ourselves. We can get clear about what’s important and then advocate for it and act in favor of it, so it becomes part of our everyday life.

I am clear that the key to ADVOCACY is AGENCY.

I define agency as the “belief we have the opportunity and responsibility to take action to improve whatever is happening to us, by us, or around us.”

Starting as of today, I am choosing AGEncy over age.

If I find myself tempted to use age as a reason NOT to do something, I will remind myself, “I HAVE AGENCY” and will behave in a way that is more in favor of – or in alignment with – who and how I want to be.