What if You Had One More Story Left to Write?
By Steve Gahagen
It’s a quiet tragedy of our time: many older adults have stopped writing new stories. Somewhere along the way, they were sold a lie—that their value has faded, that retirement is about disengaging, that the final chapters of life are best spent in comfort, convenience, and distraction.
But while there’s nothing wrong with stepping away from a career, stepping away from purpose is something else entirely. That kind of surrender is destructive—not just to the soul, but to the body as well.
And it’s no less tragic when young people believe they have no story to tell—that their story is over before it’s begun.
So here’s a question worth asking:
If you had one more chance—one more risk to take, one more difference to make—what would you give for it?
William Wallace’s words in Braveheart stir something deep within us:
“Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live… at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance—just one chance—to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take… our freedom?”
The game is not over.
Our culture may idolize arriving at death safely—but that’s not what we were made for. Leave everything on the field. Don’t save anything for the next life.
Here’s why it matters to keep living your greatest story, for as long as you are able:
Living fully is an act of defiance against invisibility.
Aging can feel like fading from view. But living with curiosity, creativity, and conviction boldly declares: I’m still becoming—not just remembering.Stories evolve as we do.
The best stories grow richer with time. New insights, new relationships, new chapters—if you stay awake to life, your story keeps unfolding.Purpose is fuel.
Having something meaningful to contribute brings vitality. It keeps your heart in the game.Your story is not just for you.
It might become a lifeline—for a child, a neighbor, a stranger, or even someone not yet born. But that story can’t be shared if you stop living it.
There is a story only you can write—and others are depending on your courage to live it.
What if this moment—right now—is the one you were made for?
What if every lesson, every joy and pain, was preparation for this chapter?
What if your greatest moment is still ahead?
Questions to Consider:
What cultural values and/or lies cause older people to think they are finished and irrelevant?
Why is it important for older people to continue living a great story? What unique gifts can they offer?
How can we challenge one another to tell an alternative story and live boldly until the end?
If you are younger, what values must you embrace in order to have a mindset of always living a great story? What do you need to resist?