What is your life's third act?

[Guest EXPAT]

I thought this discussion was really interesting. Jane Fonda appeared at a recent TED conference (I loved going to those for a number of years) and she talks about your life's third act. What are your plans etc.

I kind of view my entering my third act of five in my life. My first act was my childhood through college. My second act was 20 years in the corporate world and now my third act is in the philanthropy world of non-profits. How do I maximize this act? How long do I stay in this act before I move on to act 4?

It's very interesting to find ways to keep life interesting and stimulating. Enjoy listening to Jane's view of life's third act:

[Guest CharliePS]

Because I'm an opera fan, I'm aware that there can be anywhere from one to five acts, and sometimes a prelude and/or an epilogue. Directors can also screw around with the original, combining or separating material in different places, or even eliminating acts. So far, I see myself as a four-act drama, or possibly a three-acter with two scenes in the second act. The first act was childhood through college, the latter probably a separate scene. The second act was age 21 to 61, with several scenes, and a strong break at age 40, when I moved from primary focus on my social/sex life to primary focus on my professional career (two acts, or one? I did spend most of those forty years with the same employer and same domestic partner). At 61, I retired from full-time work and relocated to a completely different and unfamiliar part of the country, where my focus changed to enjoying physical (non-sexual) activity, and the natural world around me. This current third or fourth act has been the most satisfying in some ways, and it would be nice if it continued just as it is until the the final curtain comes down. However, I suspect that there could be a fifth act, which in all likelihood will be a disappointment.

[Guest EXPAT]

I loved Charlie's description of his life acts. Brilliant.

[Guest EXPAT]

When you think of what you will do in your third, fourth or fifth act, how do you want your life to be measured. I found this blog also very insightful albeit a bit long, but worth the read.

I'd like to think of my life as satisfying subplots. For each subplot, did I achieve my goal? did I add something to the world during the subplot? etc.

http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/1?cm_sp=most_widget-_-hbr_articles-_-How%20Will%20You%20Measure%20Your%20Life%3F

[Guest CharliePS]

When you think of what you will do in your third, fourth or fifth act, how do you want your life to be measured. I found this blog also very insightful albeit a bit long, but worth the read.

I'd like to think of my life as satisfying subplots. For each subplot, did I achieve my goal? did I add something to the world during the subplot? etc.

http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/1?cm_sp=most_widget-_-hbr_articles-_-How%20Will%20You%20Measure%20Your%20Life%3F

I think the main reason why I have found my fourth act so satisfying is because I did set reasonable goals for the "sub-plots" in the earlier acts, and I was fairly successful in achieving them. For example, I wanted to see the world for myself, and I did. I wanted to experience living in another country, and I did, more than once. I wanted to become fluent in another language, and I did. I wanted to take part in an important social movement, and I did. I wanted to have a fulfilling career, and I did. I wanted to have good friends, and I did. I wanted to have a stable love life, and I did. I wanted to have a lot of sex, and--oh, boy! did I ever! Not everything worked out as I had hoped--I never became a good pianist, I never finished writing that great novel, I'm not the tennis player I might have been if I had started much earlier--but on the whole I have few regrets.

[Lucky]

This topic could take me weeks to figure out how I could reply. My life is in many acts, many plots and subplots, many characters and even an occasional voice over. Sometimes I just make a cameo, so I need to put all of this together into one coherent reply. Bear with me...

[Lucky]

BTW, I did read the sizzling memoirs of a friend who had quite a sex life. I don't think I can top that, not that my sex life has been bad. I'll try to improve it real soon.