Boomers and Beyond

Book Review: What Should I Do With the Rest of My Life?

In keeping with my current theme of stories of positive aging, I want to recommend a wonderful book by Bruce Frankel, What Should I Do with the Rest of my Life? True Stories of Success, Passion and Purpose in the Second Half of Life. This book was just awarded the 2011 Silver Medal in the careers category of The Axiom Business Book Awards. Bruce was a former journalist for USA Today and for People Magazine. At age 53 he got his masters degree in fine arts and went on to become a poet and author. He has a lovely way with words as he presents these inspiring stories.
 
He interviewed a number of "ordinary" people who have accomplished extraordinary things in their second half of life. None had exceptional amounts of wealth, and all of them had experienced some losses and adversity in life. What they have in common is that they opened themselves up to possibilities; allowing a creative spark to emerge that enabled them to express themselves in different ways and in many cases having an amazing social impact. It's testament that clarifying values and goals, believing in oneself, taking risks and living life with passion and meaning really does make a difference and can happen for as long as we live.

In this book you'll meet people who've achieved tremendous success after age 60 such as:

• a grandmother who, at the request of her son to find him a piece of erotic art for his apartment, developed a passion for erotic art and founded the World Museum for Erotic Art;
• a woman who took her skills and developed new ones as she created a micro-financing program to help empower women in Ghana;
• a woman who had never been able to finish college but always dreamed of being a teacher who finally realized her dream and became a second grade teacher in her 60s;
• a woman who took her early passion in mirrors and developed an art activity toy based on an ancient mirror art;
• a woman who, inspired after 9/11, bought and opened a diner to bring home cooking, fresh baked pies and a sense of community to her neighborhood;
• a man who became a successful, published writer in his 80s;
• a man who in his 80s began to carve faces in stones and has created many wonderful sculptures;
• a woman who developed and produced an important documentary; a man who went to school for his Ph.D. in his 70's and has continued to work into his 80s;
• an ex-intelligence officer who became a dancer;
• a couple who developed a program to collect household items to help people make a home for themselves;
• and an 87 year old woman who became American's oldest park ranger.

They are inspiring stories of inspiring people!

It's often been said that the boomers have no role models for retirement. It is true that the notion of retirement is changing and we're working to redefine and revolutionize retirement, but there have been some people, all along, who quietly keep living their lives, finding purpose and meaning and making a difference as they've continued to age. We as boomers can learn so much if we open ourselves to the stories of many of these "wise elders."  In addition, as we and our society ages, it would be wonderful if "wise elders" would be more valued in our society.

The people in the book accomplished success, passion and purpose in their lives. As was stated in a review by Caroline Leavitt in the Boston Globe, "..the stories celebrate people who refused to let illness, stereotypes, and assumptions about aging stop them from realizing their dreams.. this wise and inspiring book hands down an important message: Happiness is abundant at any age, and only you can limit your options."

I hope this book will inspire you to think about your own life and what YOU would like to do with the rest of YOUR life. To learn more about Bruce Frankel and his book go to his website: www.brucefrankel.net.  You'll find excerpts from his book as well as links for interviews and videos.

How to Handle Your Finances Without Fighting

In January, 2010, I gave a teleclass for the Beverly Financial Group in Chicago, IL.  Here is the link for the teleclass entitled: "How to Handle Your Finances Without Fighting." 

http://www.advisorsquare.com/new/bevfinancialgroup/FinancesWithoutFighting.wav

I wanted to send it to you in case some of you would like to listen to it. It’s about the importance of understanding your own money messages and ways to begin to talk with your partner about money if you’re in a relationship. I hope you’ll find it helpful.

Also, if you’re in a relationship you may want to sign up on my book website, Couples Retirement Puzzle. As some of you know, I am in the process of co-authoring a book with my friend and colleague, Roberta Taylor. The book is entitled, "The Couples Retirement Puzzle: The 10 Must-Have Conversations for Transitioning to the Second Half of Life." The book is due out in Spring 2011.

Book Review: Next Steps: A Practical Guide to Planning for the Best Half of Your Life

I recently read a book that I think is helpful for all of us, either as we begin to plan for the next stage of our own life or are helping our parents, in-laws, or other people deal with issues in their life. It's entitled Next Steps: A Practical Guide to Planning for the Best Half of Your Life--Trusted Advice on How to Secure Your Future and Avoid Costly Mistakes,  written by Jan Warner & Jan Collins. The book is based on their nationally syndicated column "Next Steps."

Bottom line, they provide a comprehensive guide to planning for the future and convey the importance of putting our directions and wishes in writing so there will be "an orderly tansfer of authority" so we know that our partner, children, parents  and even our pets will be cared for. They cover issues such as putting together a team of people that is right for you, ways to prepare the necessary documents that we all need, and a lot of the "what if's" in life such as if you or your partner become chronically ill or incapacitated, focusing on issues such as health care planning, long term care issues, understanding basic medicare and medicaid and patient rights issues in assisted living programs and nursing homes, etc. They also focus on issues of divorce and 2nd or 3rd marriages when we're older, cohabitation and domestic partnerships. The final section in the book focuses on end of life considerations such as funerals, burial issues, organ donation, planning for pets, etc. As they point out, things are different today with longer life expectancies, more two wage earning families, the higher cost of care and the uncertainties of our economy. They write in a reable way and also share websites and resources.

There are all sorts of reasons why many of us avoid discussing these issues, but, given my philosophy of trying to control the parts of life we can control, I think it's important to think ahead and plan for ourselves, our children (if we have them) and our parents, if they're still alive. It's actually a form of "insurance" to protect us and our loved ones--to consciously and intentionally plan for the next stage of life. We all hope that we'll remain healthy into our older age, but none of us have a crystal ball. There's a lot of things to juggle. I'm a believer that we can breathe more easily once we know we've taken the time to prepare for some of the possible contigencies of life. We need to understand the issues and risks and choose professionals who can help us develop a plan that's flexible in maximizing our options.

I found this book helpful and informative. I have already taken care of a number of the items they mentioned, but it helped me think about some issues I hadn't considered. I recommend it and would love to hear your thoughts about the book.  Take care.  Dori 

Hi Everyone--I want to begin by wishing all of you a very happy, healthy, productive and prosperous 2010. One of my goals this year is to have more regular blog postings. I recently returned from the Positive Aging Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. There was a lot of energy and excitment among the presenters and participants. Little by little I plan to share highlights of the conference with you. In addition, I'll share reports from my Boomers and Beyond Special Interest Group for interdisciplinary professionals who work with the "Boomers and Beyond" population. I'll also be reviewing some new books. I hope some of you will also share books you've been reading, ideas you've been thinking about and programs you've attended. I'd like this to be an interactional blog. I look forward to hearing from you. Take care. Dori Mintzer

Impact of the Recent Celebrity Deaths on the Boomers

Over the past few months, with all of the celebrity deaths I found myself reflecting on life and death. When I saw this post on www.encore.org    I decided I wanted to share it with all of. Marc Freedman, author of the books  Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life  and Prime Time: How Baby Boomers will Revolutionize Retirement and Transform America, and founder of Civic Ventures, was interviewed by Sarah Kershaw of The New York Times. She had called to ask him what impact all of the celebrity deaths of the past few months had on the psyche of baby boomers. The deaths "from Michael Jackson (50) and Farah Fawcett (62), through Patrick Swayze (56) and Mary Travers (of Peter, Paul, and Mary, 72), to icons of our boomer childhoods like Walter Cronkite (92) and Edward M. Kennedy (77), the last of the Kennedy brothers – where have all the flowers gone?"

His statement was, "To me, at 51, these premature deaths and long lives represent both the compression and expansion of time, the realization that life is finite along with the likelihood that we will live much, much longer. Most of us who are crossing into our 50s today can expect to live well past 80. Time matters more, in a way that we didn’t realize in our 20s, and we have enough time to do something significant, something that matters. We get a second bite at the apple, with a new perspective.

I also feel that the sense of time is a helpful impetus to be conscious and intentional about how we want to live during our second half of life. I'd love to hear some of your thoughts and feelings about it.

Dori Mintzer

Eight Steps to a Successful Career Transition Teleclass

Eight Steps to a Successful Career Transition

Career Experts Offer Hands-On Strategies, Step-By-Step Action Plan

In today’s challenging job market, you need tools, not rhetoric, to help you plot your course of action.

Call in to “Eight Steps to A Successful Career Transition,” a free one-hour teleclass presented by:

• Brian Kurth, career strategist, founder of VocationVacations® and author
• Dorian Mintzer, Ph.D., founder of Coaching for Boomers and Beyond
• Roberta Taylor, certified life coach
• Will Wiebe, professional career and life coach

Whether you are looking for a new job, a totally new career or thinking of starting your own business, these experts will offer specific, practical strategies to help you:

• Explore, discover and pursue that “great job”
• Address your fears
• Create an action plan
• Find a mentor in your desired career(s)
• Test-drive a new job or career
• Create a professional brand
• Network
• Establish thresholds

A career transition doesn’t happen over night. But by following this proven step-by-step process, you can discover, pursue and attain career fulfillment and personal satisfaction.

Take that first step on Monday, June 29, 2009, at 8 p.m. Eastern / 5 p.m. Pacific.

The teleclass will last one hour. You will have the opportunity to e-mail questions and comments throughout the teleclass so the panel will allocate additional time after the teleclass for those who wish to stay on the call for further Q&A.

There is no cost for this call other than your normal long distance charges to call our teleconference bridge line.

You'll also get a complimentary subscription to my Boomers and Beyond ezine.

Name:
Email:

Panelists featured on the call:

Brian Kurth – Panel Moderator

Brian Kurth, a former “Dilbert”, worked for the phone company in Chicago. After realizing there was more to life than telecom calling plans, he founded VocationVacations. He is the author of “Test-Drive Your Dream Job – A Step-By-Step Guide to Finding and Creating the Work You Love” (Hachette, 2008) and is a sought-after career strategist and speaker on how to transition into a new career. He has shared his wit and wisdom in appearances on NBC’s TODAY Show, CNN, and FOX News, and has been featured in articles in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune Magazine and many more. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Brian lives in Portland, Oregon.

Dorian Mintzer

Dorian (aka Dori) Mintzer, Ph.D., has almost 40 years of experience as a therapist, consultant, group facilitator, speaker and personal and executive coach. She works with individuals, couples, and groups to help people enhance their life satisfaction. She’s a psychologist, a licensed Third Age Coach and a 2Young2Retire Certified Facilitator. She loves working with people to help them creatively craft their second half of life. She also facilitates a special interest group for professionals who explore together positive, creative and successful aging. Dori works and lives in Boston.

Roberta Taylor

Roberta Taylor is a Career/Life Transition Coach and Speaker and the founder of Pathmaking for Life. Her midlife transition led to coaching after many years as a psychotherapist. She brings to her work a passion for learning and growth, the wisdom and experience of her own journey, and the belief that realizing who we were meant to be comes with the desire and courage to step into our full potential. Roberta is certified through The Institute of Life Coach Training. She was trained by and affiliated with the Purpose Project™, a joint project of the University of Minnesota Center for Spirituality and Healing, and Richard Leider of the Inventure Group. Roberta works and lives in Boston.

Will Wiebe

Will Wiebe is a career/life transition coach, speaker, facilitator and team effectiveness trainer. After twenty-five years working as an executive leader in the non-profit sector, Will career transitioned to professional coaching in 2004. Will’s creative coaching approach focuses on the discovery process, utilizing powerful career assessment tools to produce positive results in his clients’ careers, businesses and organizations. Will is the Lead Career/Life Coach with VocationVacations and was trained and certified through the Centre for Life/Career Coaching (ICF approved) and earned an MS degree in Human Relations & Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco. Will works and lives in Portland, Oregon.

You'll also get a complimentary subscription to my Boomers and Beyond ezine.

Name:
Email:

Positive, Creative and Successful Aging

I know there are many bogs for the boomer and beyond population. Why another one, you may be asking. I've wanted to have a blog for a while---to create a place to share ideas, discuss books, and
raise questions. I'm a boomer myself and a professional who works with boomers. I created a special interest group (SIG)  for professionals (coaches, therapists, financial planners and other professionals) who are boomers themselves and/or work with boomers and beyond. The SIG meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month since May, 2007. I want this blog to be a parallel with that group---but open to everyone, not just professionals. I love to explore the challenges and issues of positive, creative and successful aging with kindred spirits. I find myself interested in the challenges of this stage of life: issues such as life transitions, parenting, life balance, positive psychology, couples and retirement issues, spirituality, health and wellness, money issues---just to name a few.

I am one of the "leading edge" boomers--having turned 60 in 2006. Although I am now in what is called "The Third Age of Life", I also have "second age" parenting responsibilities since I have a 12 year old son. It's a challenge, to say the least. We boomers are not a "one size fits all" group--some of us are married, some single, some with children at home, some with children in college or off working, some grandparents,some caring for elder parents, some having buried our parents, some working for pay, some volunteering, some "retired" or thinking about this next stage of life. I'd love to hear from all of you and start a dialogue about this challenging time in our lives. Welcome to my blog! Dori