September always feels like a reset.

Football is back. The calendar turns. The heat may still say summer in Alabama, but something about September makes us think about fall, routines, and what we want the rest of the year to look like.

At 54, I appreciate those resets more than I used to.

Life has taught me that we don’t always control what comes next, but we do have some say in how we meet it. We can stay curious. Stay engaged. Stay strong. Keep serving. Keep looking forward.

That’s why this month’s cover profile with Lane Easterling fits so well.

At 64, Lane isn’t talking about slowing down. After 35 years as a financial advisor, experience has changed the way he defines success. Relationships matter more. Faith matters more. Time matters more.

I especially liked what Lane said about retirement. After helping people prepare financially for it, he’s learned that money is only part of the equation. The happiest people also have purpose, relationships, interests, faith, and a reason to get up in the morning.

Lane and his wife, Teresa, are traveling, enjoying six grandchildren, serving through mission work, and continuing to build a life together after 41 years of marriage. His message is simple: be grateful for what’s behind you, but keep asking what might still be ahead.

That same idea runs through this issue.

Greg Budell takes on doomscrolling with his usual humor, but underneath the laughs is a good reminder that what we continually feed our minds affects how we experience our days.

Our feature Strong for Life reminds us that strength after 60 isn’t about impressing anyone in the gym. It’s about stairs, groceries, travel, grandchildren, and continuing to say, “I can do that myself.”

And Jeff Barganier takes us to Huntsville’s Lowe Mill, where creativity, reinvention, and lifelong learning are everywhere.

Maybe that’s the thread this month. Protect your attention. Protect your strength.

Keep learning. Keep serving. Keep something ahead of you worth moving toward.

At BOOM, we talk a lot about aging well. I’m increasingly convinced it isn’t about trying to stay young.

It’s about staying fully engaged with the life you still have.

Here’s to a good September—and whatever comes next.