I Found the Fountain of Youth (It’s Not What You Think)

Welcome to the Soul of Innovation podcast. I am Thomas Anglero, and I found the fountain of youth, and it was at an 80-year-old birthday party. Let me, let me tell you this story. This weekend, I had the honor of being invited to the birthday party of a former colleague. Hana, happy birthday! It was her 50th birthday. And at the same time, it was her mother's 80th birthday. Very special night, very special event. And I thought Hannah would be the star of the show, and Hannah was the star of the show. Hannah takes up a lot of room in a positive, beautiful way. But her mom, her 80-year-old mom, when she stood up, first of all, It was a surprise party, was sold as a surprise party for Hannah, when actually it was a surprise party for her mom. Beautiful. And her mom was totally surprised, taken aback. The room was full, maybe 50 people from all walks of her life and her daughter's life. It was just a wonderful event. And so when her mom finally had a chance, or stood up and said, I would like to thank everybody and give a toast. She, of course, was not prepared to give a speech. But let me tell you, I saw not an 80-year-old woman. I did not see someone who was consumed by life, consumed by hate, consumed by regret. Someone who looked 80 What I saw was a vibrant— and almost in a way she came off as like the top-level CEOs I've ever seen. She was so articulate in her words. Again, this was her surprise party with 50 people who she hadn't seen in years. And she was able to compose herself and give a 15-minute speech, nothing written, beautiful, thanking everyone and reflecting on life. And I understood and I learned at that moment that the founder youth is not something that Ponce de León found and nobody's been able to find ever again. The Fountain of Youth is your perspective on how you see your life. Here's an 80-year-old woman, and when I say 80-year-old woman, you have pictures of what this could be. But when I tell you this woman was more erect than most people I've ever seen, her voice was strong, amplified, but not yelling. Her presence took up the room bigger than her daughter. That's a lot of room. She was sweet, humble, and her story was to the following: she appreciated all the time she spent with everyone in that room over the past 80 years. She appreciated all the time she spent with her children, her uncles and aunts, and her grandchildren. She remembered all the wonderful things in life, all the very sad moments in life, but she was very much living in the now. And when she said that line She looked at her husband, who I guess is maybe a year or two older than her. He looked much older, not as young, as vibrant, as powerful as the 80-year-old woman, his wife. And the contrast was strong. But Haolan's mother motivated me, empowered me, gave me— it really reset me in that I understand that to be young forever, it is all of how I see you, is all of how I see me. It is how I frame the world. Is that, you know, the expression, the glass half empty or half full? But that's it. Somebody bumps into you, okay, they bump into me, or do you yell at them or something like that? Somebody honks their car at you, right? Something is— what does it matter? To be so young at 80, to be so reflective, to be so magnanimous that everyone in the party kept on magnetizing to her, wanted to spend time talking to her because you couldn't get enough of her presence and her aura. Don't you want to be that when you're 80? Don't you want to get to 80? She even made rounds around the room thanking everyone. Not only was she spunky in heart and in voice, but in energy and movement. The secret to the Fountain of Youth, it's how you see yourself, how you carry yourself, how you, how you feel about yourself all the time. You're never always going to be perfect, you're never always going to feel great, you're never always going to be happy. But if you know those are just moments and you go through them, but you control every moment— okay, maybe you don't have a job, maybe you don't have money, maybe you're not in love with someone who's not in love with you, but you're still in this moment right here, right now. Everything's great. I still have me. I'm breathing. 10 fingers. What's to complain about? You know, throughout her whole speech And throughout that whole night, never did she ever compare herself to anybody else. And I think that's another key, the Fountain of Youth. It is pointless and a waste of time and a waste of your life to compare yourself to anyone else, because other people living different lives, you have yours. And if you're living in the moment every single moment of your life, your life is going to be so full because you're full all the time. 80s the new 20. That's the bar. Those people who understand that this moment and every moment is so precious because you can't get it back, and that knowing that other people are important to you and that you see them. I'll share with you one private thing. She was— she made her rounds a second time handing out pictures or the words to the songs that we're going to sing during the party, and she came up to me And she goes, Thomas Anglero. And I grabbed the words and I just grabbed her and I hugged her and she just smiled. Usually when I've gone to parties with people in their 80s, they sit in a chair and they wait everybody to come to them to praise them, or maybe it's because they're not mobile. She went around the party praising everyone. Her perspective of life was to give love, not to sit and expect to receive love. Live life with that thought every day, and when you get to 80, you're going to look and feel 20. I'm so impressed with her. Go forth and spread beauty and light. I'm Thomas Anglero, blown away by an 80-year-old woman. Um, her husband better start lifting some weights and doing some aerobics because that woman's got a lot of gas in the tank. And I think it'd be a lot of fun if, you know, to be around her for a long, long time. So happy birthday, happy birthday, Hannah, happy birthday. If your birthday— happy birthday. Think about that the next time, just a moment before you blow out those candles. Think about an 80-year-old woman who is as young as 20. Because in the moment you're about to blow out those candles, just think about it. Look down at the candles and go I'm present, I'm here, and I love you. 80s in your 20s. I'm Thomas Anglero. Until next time.