Greg Gerber on Why it's Never Too Late to Live Out Your Purpose and Passion

Do you ever feel like it's too late, or you're too old, to fully live out your purpose and passion in life, and you've missed out on your opportunity to fulfill your dreams? Well I agree with George Elliot who said, "It's never too late to be what you might have been." And in this episode of the More than a Pastor show, we'll explore how our later years can be our greater years for enjoying the life, impact, and income we were made for.

 Links for Today's Show

• Connect with Greg Online: Forward From 50 
• Join our private Facebook community: https://www.morethanapastor.com/facebook
• Get the Free PDF: How to Know if Starting a Business is Right for You
• Read My Last Post: 4 Lessons the Church Can Learn from the Gen Z Revival of Barnes & Noble
• My Interview on Forward From 50: Rich Avery Shepherds Pastors Toward Enhanced Purpose

Welcome to the 50th Episode of the More Than a Pastor Show!

Hey what's good my friend? Welcome to the More Than a Pastor Show. I’m Rich Avery, your host. This is where we help pastors, missionaries, and other ministry leaders take your skills, experience, and ministry know-how and leverage them into sustainable income outside of the church, through a business or side hustle that’s right for you. So you can serve God and provide for your family, no matter what.

This is episode 50 of the show. I'm super glad to finally hit this milestone. But...to be honest, I should have been here over a year ago.

Back in 2021, after recording 10 episodes, I podfaded. If you're not familiar with the term, podfading is when a podcaster quits producing new episodes, without notice. Maybe they were weekly...and then they missed a week...and then another....and then another...and all of a sudden it's a year later and they hadn't produced a new episode.

Podfading is kinda like passing gas in church. You didn't mean to do it. It just kinda happened. And unfortunately everyone around you knows you did it.

But just over a year ago, I re-launched the show, and am glad to finally to hit this 50 episode milestone.

Better late than never, right?

And this sentiment pairs nicely with our focus for today's show.

It's Never Too Late to Live Out Your Purpose and Passion

Greg Gerber is the founder of Forward from 50, an online platform to help men and women over 50 find more purpose in their lives by pursuing things they're truly passionate about.

I met Greg through Platform Launchers, an online community we're members of, that is focused on helping people turn their purpose and passion into a profitable online platform. If that sounds like something that might be right for you, you can check out Platform launchers for free for 30 days by going to www.morethanapastor.com/platform. And actually, there are several pastors, and former pastors, in the group.

Have you've ever wondered if you could take your old sermons or devotionals and turn then into a book you could sell on Amazon or in bookstores, or if you could leverage your shepherd's heart into a coaching practice?

Yes, you totally can! And Platform Launchers will help you create the step-by-step plan you need to build and grow your online business. You can give it a test drive for free for 30 days at morethanapastor.com/platform. Check it out and see if it's right for you. If it is, I look forward to you joining me there.

Highlights from the Full Interview

Why Forward from 50? - Greg is a journalist who covered the recreation vehicle industry for years shut down his business due to burnout. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, he found himself lost and without a sense of purpose. He slipped into a dark area of depression and stayed there for a number of years. However, a conversation with a friend led him to realize that many men and women over 50 experience the same problem. They don't have a sense of purpose in their lives.

What is Forward from 50? - Greg decided to take action and founded Forward from 50, an online platform to help men and women over 50 find more purpose in their lives by pursuing things they're truly passionate about. He posted about his idea on Facebook, and 20 people immediately stepped forward and wanted to be interviewed! Forward from 50 aims to help individuals rediscover their passions, set new goals, and find a renewed sense of purpose. It provides resources, including articles, podcasts, and interviews with people who have successfully reinvented themselves later in life.

Is it Ever to Late to Find Our Purpose? - Greg believes that everyone has the ability to find purpose, no matter their age. He hopes to inspire others to take the leap and pursue their passions, even if it means making a significant career or life change.

Our Purpose in Life Changes Over Time - Greg believes that our purpose in life changes as we move through different phases. Before we turn 30, our focus is on gaining skills, forming networks, working, and starting a family. In the 30s through 50s, we experience the Chaos Years, where we are balancing work, raising children, fine-tuning our skills, and learning new ones to improve our careers. Once we turn 50, our purpose shifts towards identifying how to use our skills and experiences to benefit others. A genuine purpose always involves serving other people. For instance, if you love gardening, having a beautiful garden in the back of your house may bring you joy, but sharing those flowers with others or teaching them how to garden can give your life purpose and meaning.

How God Changes Our Direction - When God wants us to go in a different direction, we may receive ideas out of the blue that align with our talents, skills, life experiences, and desires of the heart. These ideas must involve serving other people in some way. When others confirm these ideas without prompting, it is a sign that it is from God, nudging us towards the new path. For example, if someone suggests that we should write a book about our story, and we had thought about it two weeks ago, it is a prompting from God to move in that direction.

Unique Opportunities Over Age 50 - Being over 50 offers an opportunity to utilize one's skilled talent and life experiences to help others, which is more rewarding than simply pursuing leisure activities. This can be especially fulfilling as one has more time and financial security at this stage of life. Serving others provides a sense of purpose and passion, which attracts others and creates a positive impact on their lives. Despite the unexpectedness of reaching this age, it is a gift to be alive and have a purpose, which is to share the purpose of other people with others.

Greg Wrote a Book called 50 Over 50 - Greg has written a book called 50 Over 50 which features profiles of 50 individuals who are over the age of 50 and are doing things differently after reaching that milestone birthday. These individuals are starting businesses, launching charities, and serving others in some way. Greg is offering the book for free on the Forward From Fifty website.

We Can All Leave a Legacy with the Next Generation - Greg believes that everyone can live out their purpose and leave a legacy by mentoring younger people. He especially believes older men in their 50s and 60s should mentor younger men in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, who are often uninitiated and lack direction. But it doesn't have to be a formal type of mentoring program. Greg feels that mentoring can be incorporated into any activity and could have a life-changing impact on a young person's life. And even on our own. Greg believes that mentoring  is a great way to leave a positive legacy.

Connecting with Greg - I really appreciate Greg's willingness to share his story of how he found more meaning and purpose in his life in his later years, and how he launched Forward From 50 to help others do the same. As pastors, haven't we seen first-hand how God specializes in taking our mess and turning it into our message, or our pain and turning it into our passion? And with God, we're never too old, or never too late, to start living into the purpose and passion he made us for.

Hey, if this conversation sparked something inside of you, and you want to follow up with Greg, maybe get his free 50 Over 50 book, you'll find him at www.forwardfrom50.com