One of the most revolutionary books I ever read was Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers". I am a big fan of all of his books, but this one is most significant to me.
I was reminded it of again recently when I listened to a very interesting TED talk (I am telling you, I love my TED talk app on my cell phone!). Because I just turned thirty the title caught my eye quickly: "Why 30 is not the new 20"
To summarize the talk in my own words, life is cumulative. As Bernstein said, to accomplish anything great we must have great ideas and not quite enough time. There is no time to waste.
Thirty isn't when life begins, it is when it can take off.
Malcolm Gladwell says the same thing: that early advantages are advantages for life. The more experiences, the more skills, the more "identity capital" (Meg Jay's term) you can gain early on, the more it will propel you forward.
This is really important to me with my kids. It has led me to do all sorts of reading and pondering on parenting style (yes, I even read "Battle Hymn of a Tiger Mom"). I want a solid lifelong relationship with my children, but I also want to prepare them for the best life they can have. No amount of money can do for them what their experiences will. My goal is to show my children a lot of grace, but also propel them always forward.
It is also important to me with myself. I gained a lot of "identify capital" in my twenties:
Finishing my university degree at age 18
Getting married at 19 (ten years and going strong!)
Having my first child at 20
Buying a house and starting a business at 21
and the list goes on.
I am so grateful for my in-laws and the travel experiences I have had with them, which otherwise I probably would not have gotten to do until I was older.
Some experiences take perseverance, like building a successful school with hundreds of students. It has taken seven years. My twenties made me feel pretty richly prepared for my thirties. That doesn't mean I have peaked yet, though. All of that was just the foundation for what is coming next.
In addition to my career move, I am returning to finish an MBA. I am excited to build on my practical experience building my business and learn even more, gaining more "capital". Working with the Pixar company is a chance to accomplish another something great. I am moving forward believing there is not quite enough time to accomplish it all. So let's go!
