That’s not a typo in the title. After all these years, I can now claim the prestigious and ego-massaging title of Founder and CEO of a non-profit organization. Breaking Age, Inc. is now an official non-profit entity approved by the Secretary of State in Texas.
However, I feel more like a flounder than a founder. I have been going against my natural inclination to wait until I can "get it right" before taking action. This has held me back all these years because I never get it right. Time is short, so I’m just figuring it out as I go.
I had an idea that I wanted to do something to challenge age stereotypes and dismantle the internal and external barriers imposed by ageism so that people can flourish in the second half of life. Why not form a non-profit? So, here I am.
The logo I’ve designed tells a story of the four pillars of this fledgling organization:
The name: Breaking Age is a play on the hit TV series, Breaking Bad. We’re going to break the internal and external barriers that prevent us from flourishing in the second half of life.
The hat: If you binged on Breaking Bad as I did, you remember the scene where Walter White faced his enemies with courage and confidence while wearing his iconic “Pork Pie” hat. We must face our fear of aging.
The feather: A feather in our cap symbolizes something that we’ve achieved and can be proud of. Age is an achievement that is a feather in our cap.
The curve in the name: The Ucurve of Happiness states the lowest point of happiness for most people is in mid-life, around 40-50, but we actually get happier as we get older . . . if we do it right. We help people learn how to do it right.
We envision a future where individuals of all ages are celebrated as valuable contributors to society, living purposeful lives and pursuing their dreams with confidence and fulfillment.
Now, I’m going to have to go against another one of my natural inclinations - not asking for help. If I’m going to be the Founder (flounder) and CEO of a non-profit organization, I’d better get used to fund-raising. I’ve set up a GoFundMe account to ask for help with some of the fees involved in finalizing some of the administrative and legal details of setting up the organization. If you’d like to help, you can access it here: https://gofund.me/2a8e07e3 There, I did it. That wasn’t so hard.
I am searching for people who could serve on my board of directors and help prevent me from floundering. If you would be interested, I would love to talk with you.
Love it! I often have that "natural inclination" too...