I was up all night building a nursing pen for a score of baby chicks scheduled to arrive sometime this week. We’ll likely get a text around 5 or 6 a.m. and we have to be ready to pick them up immediately. They’ll be cold, hungry, and dehydrated. But now there’s a warm, roomy space for them with plenty of food and water.

Five years ago I couldn’t have imagined my life would look like this.

Feature: Living Your Best Life After 40

TL;DR: Your experience is more valuable than your labor.

You may have to take a leap of faith on this one.

Somewhere in your 40s or 50s*, people start to think differently about hiring and working with you. Your own priorities begin to change, too.

Past regrets and unfulfilled dreams take up more of your headspace.

You might find the situation depressing, or even alarming. I used to, until I learned the truth: With the right approach, this could become the most exciting and creative time of your life.

Anything is possible as soon as you realize your experience is more valuable than your labor.

*If you’re under 40, you may want to scroll to the end of this. I have something for you, too.

Lying on the floor, I’ve come undone.”

I had my “Weezer Moment” one evening when I was 42.

I hurt my back and couldn’t get up off the floor of my tiny, roach-infested apartment. I was paying my rent with a credit card.

I spent an hour lying on the floor, coming undone. I cried a hot puddle of self-pity.

But then, something changed.

I managed to tap into those vast internal resources that we all have available.

It was the start of an exciting journey as I learned to fix my bad back, fix my finances, and finally do all the things I really wanted to do.

I’m writing a book about that journey, but here I’m going to give you the basic strategy so you won’t end up on the floor like me.

Leverage Your Experience: The Story

There are specific events in your life that shaped who you are. Usually they’re the most painful ones, but sometimes they can be among your happiest moments (we talked about that last week).

Each of these events reveals a salient fact about you. It shows you are resilient. Honest. Funny. Brave.

Each salient fact leads to two important questions:

1. What could you accomplish as a person who is resilient/honest/brave/etc.?

2. What can you teach someone else who wants to be resilient/honest/brave?

Now we come to the leap of faith. Let’s start with the premise that you’re meant to help and serve other people through the qualities you’ve acquires as a result of your experiences.

Leverage Your Story: The Entrepreneur’s Solution

We’re going to look at this through the lens of business and entrepreneurship, because that’s what I do.

When you take ownership of your lifestyle and prosperity, it forces you to grow in every area of your life. Your health, relationships, and other important factors start to fall into place.

Let’s start by looking into who might be interested in your story and your qualities, and how they could benefit from them.

You could create artwork around your recovery from a chronic injury, an abusive relationship, or an addiction. You could teach other people who are going through the same challenge.

You could also pursue a radically new direction in your career or life, trusting in those qualiteis that you know you have.

An simpler route is to share your story openly in your professional life. Whether you’re a real estate agent, a teacher, or a chiropractor, people will feel a bond with you and trust you more when you share your story. This leads to more clients, more hiring, and a better outcome over all.

Both of these routes will put more money into your pocket. But that’s not all.

You are now living your truth. As you draw upon your story to serve others, you gain a stronger sense of purpose. Your physiology changes through the release of chemicals such as dopamine and oxytocin.

Not only that, but your past begins to feed you. You form a deeper bond with you past self. You begin to think more deeply about other stories you’ve lived.

Tool of the Week: Leverage Your Experience

1. Think of 5 or so major life events that shaped you in a significant way.

2. What qualities do you have as a result of those experiences?

3. Think bravely about things you’d love to do that would require these qualities. You know you have the quality. Now start for the adventure.

4. Brainstorm the types of people who would benefit from hearing about your experiences. How can your qualities serve them? How can they learn from your experiences?

5. Start sharing your story in your professional life. Make your qualities a core reason people should work with you.

6. Brainstorm new creative projects and business ideas build around your experience. Try putting one of your ideas into action.