Carlos Santana is an American guitarist, composer, singer, and band leader, known for his blend of rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Santana, born in Jalisco, Mexico rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s, with a resurgence in his career in the 1990s. Santana has won ten Grammy Awards and continues to share his music with the world.
As you can imagine, Santana loves creating music and playing the guitar. Santana after all of these years, still does not consider practice a drudgery, or sacrifice. This time gives Santana the opportunity to “tinker” with his music, sharpen his skills, and experiment with new songs. Santana likens time with his guitar as an offering.
During a recent interview, Santana summed up his philosophy on music and life. When asked what he was searching for in life, he replied, ”the perfect note”. Santana is not looking for eternal happiness or world peace, but “the perfect note”! One might ask at seventy-five years old, what does Carlos Santana need to prove? For some fifty-five-plus years, Santana has entertained audiences and written and performed Grammy-winning songs. Perhaps what Santana is really saying is, his best work is still ahead of him. Entertaining audiences, using music as his offering, Santana is striving for later-in-life activities, lifelong learning, and living life to its fullest. Santana is still searching for “the perfect note”.
Being happy and productive past the traditional age of retirement is becoming a goal for more and more people. Later in life activities and lifelong learning are gaining momentum with many mature adults. Folks from all walks of life are exploring new passions, creating “bucket lists” and “giving back” as they create their next phase in life. When does one start to plan for this “Third Act”? The sooner the better!
Start to explore your passions with lifelong learning. Be curious about all that is around you.
There are multiple avenues to being a lifelong learner. Explore books, podcasts, classes, etc. to learn as much as possible about your “Third Act”. The question is, are you still searching for “the perfect note”?
