There’s a certain pride in knowing you still can. You can still climb that ladder, still work 60-hour weeks, still lead the meeting, still power through. But should you?
One of the great gifts of aging is discernment—the ability to recognize that just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s wise. The young lion fights every battle, proving strength through sheer endurance. The elder lion knows which battles matter.
In our youth-obsessed culture, we equate capability with worth. But true wisdom is knowing when to step back, create space for others, and redefine success. Maybe stepping aside allows someone younger to shine. Maybe it gives you the bandwidth to explore something new. Maybe it prevents burnout or injury.
What if letting go wasn’t a loss but an invitation? An invitation to mentor rather than micromanage, to trust rather than control, to create rather than compete.
You’re not here to prove you still can. You’re here to elevate, evolve, and enjoy the ride. So the real question isn’t whether you can—it’s whether doing so serves your highest self and others.
Sometimes, the most powerful move is not pressing forward, but stepping aside. Maybe it’s time to attune rather than attain. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote,
“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.”
-Chip
P.S. Please consider joining me today online for a conversation with Beyoncé’s father, Mathew Knowles, talking about The Wisdom of the Elder at 2 pm PDT. Free registration HERE.
P.P.S. In less than two weeks’ time (April 14), my friend Maria Shriver and I will be having the time of our lives on stage at San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Her book “I am Maria” is published today and is getting all kinds of attention for her poignant poetry. Our intimate dinner is sold-out but we still have less expensive tickets available (which includes getting a copy of her book) for our fireside chat. Learn more about it HERE. Don’t dilly-dally as this wide-ranging conversation at the Great American will sell-out soon.