The glitter of the strong morning sun is blinding as it reflects in tiny bright ripples off the lake here at the dock. Its warmth is comforting, and though this feels like a summer day, hints of color are starting to show on the brilliant yet dying leaves as temperatures drop each night. Someone once said if you think fall leaves are dead, watch them dance when they twirl in a brisk wind.

It may still feel like summer, but the lake has changed. The old wooden Chris-Crafts rarely rumble by, and there are fewer and fewer kayak and canoe sightings. Only occasionally do old metal outboard fishing boats cast their lines in the water. 

The lake is quiet and calm, and most of our summer neighbors have returned to their busy lives. Last night I noticed that most of the dock lights across the lake have been switched off, and the lake is feeling lonely, especially with the melancholy sound of loon calls that echo across the empty water. 

“All at once, summer collapsed into fall.” — Oscar Wilde

But with the new season come new opportunities, and our rapid slide down the hill to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Is it my imagination, or is time speeding by? It was the race car driver Parnelli Jones who said, “If you’re in control, you’re not going fast enough.” 

Slow Joe

One of my relatives once said, “We’re starting to slow down, to wind down,” which is something I hear from a lot of people as their hair turns white. Yet I just had a conversation with the “kid” who runs my company: “We’re not going fast enough. Speed up, there is much to do and not enough time.”

Hunter S. Thompson said, “Faster faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death.” And according to British TV star Jeremy Clarkson, “Speed never kills anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what kills you.” I like his style.

Slow Feeds Your Soul?

I’m not sure who ever came up with this idea that one should slow down once one hits a certain age, or that one should never go too fast because there is plenty of time. What is the purpose of slowing down? Speeding up will extend your life, your health, your physical fitness, and you’ll be more satisfied because you’re getting done what is important to you. Yes, of course you need to absorb and enjoy life, and there are times when slow feeds your soul.

Early Retirement. Not.

Decades ago I cherished the idea of retiring at 50. Yet over the years I’ve watched too many friends deteriorate from sheer boredom. “I thought I’d love tennis and golf every day, but now that’s all I’ve got, and I’m sick of it,” said one severely depressed buddy. When I suggested he go back to work, he said, “I spent my whole life looking forward to retirement, why would I want to do that?” I found it contradictory and comical. 

Milestones and Birthdays

Milestones have a way of kicking us in the butt. When a company I founded as a young man turned 30, it was a wakeup call. How could so much time pass? Wait, I’ve not accomplished what I wanted to accomplish! I need to pedal faster!

Big birthdays have always done that for me. The thought of turning 30 was frightening, but then 40 was even more frightening, as were the big ones to follow. Each stimulated me to get busy and not waste time, yet as I look back, I never got as busy, as aggressive, and as productive as I wanted to be. Once the milestone urgency passed, I fell back into my old habits and never pushed as hard as I felt I should. Yet the further down the road with big milestones you get, you realize that the last 20 years went by in a flash, and the next 20 or sooner could be the end of the line. 

The Grim Reaper

Last week my wife was urging me to do some planning for the inevitable, to which I responded that I intended to be the first to live forever. And though my genetic history dictates decades more, one always has to be ready for the inevitable. That’s why I’m driven to speed up.

Places to Go

Though I’ve seen a lot of the world, I’ve not seen most of it. There are countries and cities to visit and paint, new friends to make, and new adventures to experience. I love that most millennials are more interested in experiences than in accumulating stuff. I say go for it. 

Though speed is important in your attitude, your movement, your pursuits, speed without a finish line is mere folly. Gandhi said, “Speed is irrelevant if you’re going in the wrong direction.”

What needs to get done, assuming your time is limited?

My list is long. There are new ideas to pursue, new events to create, books to write, videos and courses to create, goals to accomplish, and people to spend time with. 

Traveling in an RV

An old friend of mine lost his job near retirement age, so he bought an RV and spent the next year traveling to see all of his old friends. That was his highest priority. What’s yours?

“Speed, agility, and responsiveness are the keys to future success.” — Anita Roddick

Now that fall has begun, and because the ball will drop on a new year in less than four months, my mantra is speed. Faster faster. This is the time to plan for next year and the time to solve what’s not working and double down on what is working. And the speed of the leader is the speed of the team.

 

A Sign of the Times

 

A little sign over my computer monitor says, “Speed Faster, Faster. Walk faster. Do meetings faster. Waste less time. Work faster.”

 

What about you?

 

“Remember, once you’re over the hill, you tend to pick up speed.” — Arthur Schopenhauer 

Eric Rhoads

PS: A couple more weeks here, then we’ll return to Texas briefly. My goal is to see the spectacular Scott Christensen/Quang Ho show before it ends, and then I fly to California for my Fall Color Week artists’ retreat (though sold out, we were able to get two more rooms). Then I fly to Tahoe for Plein Air Convention planning, then to Laguna to judge LPAPA (Laguna Plein Air Painters Association) and see some friends along the way. I hope to run into you somewhere.

Before I go I’ll be hosting Pastel Live from my Adirondack studio for the first time, and I have Kari Stober joining me as co-host from our Austin studios. We can probably squeeze in a couple more attendees. It’s the world’s largest online pastel event.

Realism Live, the online event about painting realism, is coming in November, Watercolor Live in January, and an event to be announced in February, Acrylic Live (all new) in March. And before long, May and the Plein Air Convention will be here. Maybe this is why the year seems to pass so quickly.

This year I’ve encountered dozens of people who want to learn to paint. These events and retreats are great opportunities, but you can also try my free online course at www.paintbynote.com