"Why are you doing this?" - it is the question that I have received on many occasions during the last few weeks since I have started my Bachelor in Responsible Entrepreneurship at the age of 47.
In the beginning, I just answered the question and did not think much about it. But then it came again and again, and I began wondering why I got the question in the first place. For me, the more appropriate question would be, "How can you not start all over in the middle of your life?" - keeping in mind that the world is changing at a speed never seen before in human history. It seems odd, to say the least, not to learn something new and take for granted that everything I learned so far in my life will be correct and the absolute truth until I retire, a concept that in itself is odd in my eyes.
Let's start with age, to be more precise, with my age. I am 47 years old now, and then the question comes - "Why at your age…?" I mean, this sounds like I am already just a few steps away from closing my coffin. I see myself now, after being 26 years employed in a global furniture brand from Sweden, at the right age to take my first steps outside of the corporate world and start to learn and understand what more is out there.
Now, when we talk about age, I do not get the need in society to classify people according to their age and what they should or should not do, and how they should be and how not, and what they should have achieved by now or not - you get the point. I personally think this is a concept that needs to be thrown overboard as soon as possible and replaced with something like - everybody is valuable and welcome at any age, just be yourself.
I mean, all my time in the corporate world, I always referred to it as my apprenticeship, so that one day in the future when I have "done this" successfully, I will be out there in the real world doing my own thing.
Now this time has come, and for me, the most natural step is to go back to University - to be exact, the Tomorrow University (ToU) - and learn all the new tools that are now available in the world, some of which could not even have been dreamt of the last time I saw a university from the inside - mobile phones at that time were exactly that, mobile phones with SMS functionality (I am still fascinated SMS still exists).
At the same time, being back at the University - and again especially in the setup that is offered in the Tomorrow University Campus - where the official language is English and students are from all over the world, will bring me into contact with so many people with diverse backgrounds and from all age groups. This combination, in my opinion, can only spark a massive amount of innovation, ideas, and energy to get things going and create something big and new.
At least for me, this has been the case. In the first weeks, we (me small learning group of 4) are already working on a social startup in which we want to support children in Tanzania with education - all sparked by the first challenge we have been confronted with at the ToU. Being in a group of like-minded people, it is absolutely fascinating how fast things can develop and take shape if you are not stuck in company politics and personal opinions. Focus on the topic and willingness to move mountains are just a WOW.
I think there is an enormous need for more people to stop and go back to University or whatever they want to do and start all over, and this not just once but regularly, so that you are always able to contribute - when you want and to whatever you want. It is such a great feeling to be out of this day-to-day, 9 to 5 thing and work on something that you really feel fired up about. I hoper to be some kind of an inspiration for at lest some people.
I will talk on this blog about my journey for the Bachelor in Responsible Entrepreneurship that I just signed up for, and also will share my view on my past and future working life and what I have learned during the years. I will share what kind of books I am reading right now and perhaps the one or other insight I get from them. Last but not least, I will share what I think could have some value for you. Finally, I would love to get your thoughts and questions to talk about - let's see what will happen and trust the process. .
I have been playing with the thought of setting up my own blog many times and always found an excuse not to do it, mainly due to the fact that I did not want to embarrass myself in one way or another and/or do not really have anything interesting to say at all. I decided to change this now, as I want to move on and grow as a person; this will only happen, as I understood :-), outside of the comfort zone. So here I am let`s see what is here already and has never been seen by me before.
Cheers
Uwe
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