What will the second half of your life look like?

I recently started reading a book called Young Forever by Dr. Mark Hyman. It's an admittedly click-baity title but it's mostly about the building blocks of longevity: eating whole (unprocessed) foods, exercise that includes resistance training and cardio, proper sleep, a sense of purpose and belonging AND actively de-stressing your body and mind through practices like yoga, breathwork and meditation. 

The part that really moved and inspired me was when he asks the reader, why might we even want to extend our health span to 100 years and beyond? And I loved the answer he gives for himself:

For me the answer to why is simple: love and service. To meet myself, my friends, my family and my work with love and to make the world just a little bit better before I die. To savor what I neglected in the busy time of building a family and career. To enjoy the gift of this life, the magic of being alive, the wonders of creation, the beauty and tenderness of other human beings. To serve and contribute to healing and more love in the world. To dance under the stars, to ride my bike around the world, to hike remote mountains, to learn new languages, to laugh and play and cry with those I love. To learn and grow and evolve my soul. That is my why. What is yours? 

Mark Hyman is 65 years old and has had a long career as an MD. I absolutely love his sense of purpose and consciously creating the ways in which he wants to enjoy the journey. As someone in my 30's with young kids, I sometimes have a more goal oriented mind set to time. To me the message here is: life is short but life is also long. It comes with many phases and we can work to create and shape them. In reading this book, I am grateful for the perspective offered by someone who has lived more life than I have.