jeff noel – Page 1078 – Disney Leadership Keynote Speaker

Not Really, She Said

“Have you ever had a midlife crisis?”, I asked the US Airlines flight attendant yesterday as we were waiting to disembark in Orlando. We sat across from one another, face to face – me in the exit row aisle seat, her in the “jump seat”.

The middle seat next to me was empty, and in the window seat was Mark, another US Air employee. Mark and I spoke at length, and he spoke with the flight attendant across from us, but I did not. Not until that question.

With an unanticipated wisdom, she replied, “Not really. I think it’s a guy thing.”

Clarifying, I added, “I’m not talking about the stereotypical convertible sports car, younger woman thing, I mean when you journey through life and arrive at the place you worked your whole life for, and suddenly realize it’s not where you want to be?”

What she said next really surprised me, “That’s because we don’t know who we are.”

Bingo!

It’s A Weird Morning

Everyone has these moments. Only the frequency varies. You know the kind – were your day begins like every other, except you just feel off-center, or weird – and you can’t put your finger on “why?”. That said, it rarely happens in my “world”. But it’s happening now.

Sitting here in this North Carolina Hampton Inn, at 5:30 AM, with several hours of work to do before catching a shuttle to the Charlotte airport.

It’s a weird morning.

Five days ago, I was in our son’s classroom at 9:00AM for “Teach Your Parent” day. Our son taught us several lessons from the Montessori curriculum. Then off to the Orlando airport.

Two flights and many hours later, I was on the 16th floor of the Toronto Intercontinental Hotel, connected to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, and one block from the world’s tallest free-standing concrete structure.

A few days and a few speeches later, I’m in this North Carolina Hampton Inn. The days and the speeches go by. Each one, a tremendous opportunity to do great work. The days are long, and rewarding.

In the middle of this, our son has an overnight school camping trip at a Florida State Park.

You would think that writing five different, daily blogs would exhaust blog topics. Quite the opposite. I find myself with so much to say.

It’s a weird morning.

Here Are The Photos

There were two choices:

Don’t do it
Do it

Carpe Diem Midlife!

Ever get to the end of your work day and feel like you gave so much you hardly have energy to be engaged later in the evening?

Was feeling like that yesterday after giving two great keynote speeches here at the Metro Toronto Convention Center.

But there were several tempting choices:

Run along the harbor waterfront
Visit the CN Tower (world’s tallest?)
Attend the Blue Jays vs Red Sox Baseball game

So, knowing that these opportunities will most likely never come again, I’ll share photos of what happened, after I get to Charlotte, North Carolina. Carpe diem!

When Perez Hilton Meets Midlife

Mid Life Celebration is the opposite of midlife crisis. Not only in the words used to describe it, but in the attitude needed to be completely fair, good and decent – to be wise.

Yesterday’s post about Perez Hilton and Miss America was a controversial topic and I attempted to remain neutral.

And this is what a midlife celebration encompasses – a maturity that allows you to not judge anyone, for any reason.

Once you show intolerance to another, you can no longer ask others to be tolerant of you.