Each and every day, 10,000 people in North America turn 50. Within a few years, the entire Baby Boomer generation (400 million of us in North American and Western Europe) will be in our 50s and 60s. And though the headlines scream endlessly about the "pension bomb" and "agequake," I've been asking myself what else might happen when all these people move into a new phase of life at once. What benefit might there be?
I've been writing about what I call "ripening" -- finding new passion and purpose after 50. Ripening is good news for individuals; over and over those who've blazed the path have told me, "This is the most satisfying work I've ever done." But is it just the icing on the cake of our careers? Or is there more to the story?
When the Ripe pioneers I interviewed for my book said that they truly believe their "greatest contribution" is yet to come, they weren't talking exclusively about their own ambitions. Yes, they are pursuing their agendas, but each also sees their work as contributing in some way to the greater good.
Sitting at my desk, reflecting on these conversations, I wondered: might our inner adventurer lead us into uncharted territory -- not just as individuals but as a society? What if we were to work together to create a world in which there was no time limit on individual achievement, a world where people -- without exception -- were encouraged to develop and share their unique gifts with others?
One possibility came to me in an unusual way.
After a Christmas lunch with a dear friend who is planning to retire, I walked home slowly, head down, deep in thought. I was troubled that he hadn't given much consideration to what he was going to do with the years ahead -- his "third third," as it's sometimes called.
Suddenly, I stopped. There on the sidewalk before me lay a stick, blown down in the previous night's storm. Someone had stepped on it, breaking it into two pieces. One of the pieces was two-thirds of the full length, and the other, one third. I laughed.
I wasn't just amused by the literal representation of what had been on my mind. The space between the two pieces of wood -- the gap -- caught my eye and ignited my imagination. "We need a gap year for grown ups!" I cried out, and rushed to get back to writing RIPE.
As you know, a gap year is an established tradition for students -- time between school and university spent traveling, working, "chilling." Why not introduce a similar break for everyone in their 50th year? A time to completely step away from our usual routines. We could spend our year in service, such as the Peace Corps. We could use it for study, writing or reflection. Whatever we choose, we would return refreshed and ready to ripen.
But why stop there? What if we were to create centres around the world where people like us could meet for their gap year? Imagine the subjects on offer, the conversations in the hallways, the new ventures that would emerge!
In the next few weeks, I'll explore other ideas about how we might change not just our work but the world around us.
Are you over 50 and ripe for change? Are you feeling at the top of your game? Are you finding that the world wants you to go away? Share your story with us below or feel free to email me via my website.
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"RIPE" is here! This spring, I'm writing about "RIPE: Rich, Rewarding Work After 50," a 12-week course on discovering passion, purpose and possibility at midlife. Check out the video (a.k.a. book trailer!):
Be part of the "RIPE" community on HuffPost, Facebook and Twitter. Together, we are going to change this phase of life!