To Be A Venerable Man...

I’ve always loved this quote; it goes to the heart of my belief in how life’s journey should play out. Seeking greatness means different things to different people. For some, its wealth and fame and accomplishment. For others it’s family & service. For many, it includes elements of all of those things. And long experience will color your view of greatness. As we age, and loved ones pass on, the edges of our ambition soften, and what becomes most important is the legacy that we live and leave behind. It’s the thing that lends meaning to all that has happened in our lives, both good and bad.

A Venerable Man is a belief, a principle, a quality to aspire to. It’s a destination, long in the making. It encapsulates a legacy of integrity, wisdom & strength, built around a lifetime of endurance and perseverance. 

 And now, the 7 Pillars of A Venerable Man…

1.      Know who you are.

2.      Accept your past.

3.      Look to the future.

4.      Rise to the occasion.

5.      Be of service.

6.      A Lifetime of Learning.

7.      Persevere

The idea of A Venerable Man first came to me during the pandemic, a time of upheaval both personally and professionally. It was a time of great loss and deep reflection. Loved ones passed on, business plans went awry, and my health failed. I began thinking about my legacy and how I would be remembered once I left this earthly plane. It was another two years before it took form in a website and a blog whose purpose was to give voice to men in my age group who might be experiencing the same thoughts and worries. I wanted to give them a place to go to share their feelings, something men often find challenging, especially those in our “Baby Boomer” generation. Being vulnerable is not natural, nor is it a safe place to be, yet here we are, wondering about our legacy and if we have more of a story to write. I believe that we do.

So fast forward to today, that original idea has spawned a new and improved website “home” for connecting, learning and sharing. It’s been expanded to include resources that will help my fellow Boomers continue to build upon the foundation of experience and wisdom they have already laid. And we’ll honor those men who exemplify the qualities of integrity, wisdom & strength so that we may see that every one of us can become, in the end, A Venerable Man.