Finishing Well / Part 3: For Mature Audiences Only

“For Mature Audiences Only” used to be the way movies were labeled to keep curious children and teens away (though the clever usually found a way to view the film, didn’t they?). But sometimes being “mature” can work against you.

Remember the inimitable George Burns? He remained someone who would never have qualified for the “mature” label, even at 100! He was full of life, laughter and lightheartedness, not just because he was a comedian: this was his personality, and perhaps at least part of the reason why a cigar smoking flouter of convention lived to a ripe old age.

How can you remain “ineligible” for the Mature Audiences Only label? It doesn’t mean being irresponsible, but rather, irrepressible: full of fun, with a gleam in your eye, even as you go about your professional life. Run your reverse mortgage business with the accountability and thorough information that makes you a trusted resource for the seniors who turn to you for guidance. And, let your joie de vivre shine through — it will only encourage them, and in this case, that’s a positive!

You may have heard of the Red Hat Society, whose mission is to “connect, support and encourage women in their pursuit of fun, friendship, freedom, fulfillment, and fitness.” It’s open to women 55+, and spread like wildfire after a woman gave her friend an antique red “bowler” hat for her 55^th birthday sixteen years ago. A few short years later, there were more than 40,000 chapters in the U.S. and in 30 foreign countries. Clearly, older adults want to be seen — and to be seen in all their glory.

Now, about that senior discount card…