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Note from Katana: Reinventing Midlife
I am interested to know how many of our readers
picked up the book I recommended last month
called, “How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free.” In
this
book, Zelinski suggests retiring as soon as possible
while you are still young and healthy and then finding
ways to enjoy your retirement more by discovering
your life purpose, pursuing hobbies and enriching your
life. If you do work part-time in retirement, he
suggests doing something that you love regardless of
the pay.
While his book is focused on how to enjoy your
retirement more, I have been inspired to use some of
his suggestions for women in midlfe who are still
working but feel that they are really ready to write
that next chapter of their lives. I have found that
often when a woman has reached
40-50, if she has not found something
that she is passionate about in her career, it begins
to affect her entire life. Imagine what it would be like
if you could create the ideal life of your dreams
working at something that you love.
Ask yourself these questions:
- Are you crazy about your job?
- Do you wake up excited every day -- passionate
about your life?
- If money and time were no issue, would you still
be doing what you are doing?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, you
may be ready for a major change. Zelinski states,
"A few individuals are lucky enough to have had
their career work and some passionate pursuit be one
and the same. Thus, they can continue happily
working part-time in their field well past retirement,
without having to discover their true calling.
Unfortunately, this is not true for most of us."
Whether you are looking to retire early, change
careers, start your own business or just want to
make your life more interesting, consider doing some
soul searching or assessments to discover your true
passion in life.
There was a point in my life when I was working in a
regular job, working 60 hours a week, day after day
doing the same thing over and over. I hated it. I
used to wake up and look at my husband and
say, "Gotta make the donuts." I cannot imagine living
that way again.
How many of these statements reflect the way you
feel right now about your work?
- I hate going to work and cannot wait to retire
- I spend everything I make and refuse to look at
my investment statements.
- I hardly ever take a vacation. When I do, it
takes me a long time to relax.
- I have no hobbies or interests outside work.
- I have no time for exercise or taking care of
myself.
- Most of my best friends are from work and I don’t
even like them that much!
- Most of my social functions are work related.
- I am proud to be a workaholic even though I know
I am not that productive
- When I am home, I am restless or exhausted and
can’t even imagine starting a hobby.
- I have a book in me that I would love to write
some day, but know that I will never have the
time.
If your work is running your life, consider the idea of
reinventing your life to one filled with passion--where
you can wake up every morning excited to start the
day! It is possible, but it will take some work on your
part to make it happen.
Life is too short to live without passion and purpose.
I have seen too many individuals work right up to 60
or 65 only to discover that their health is gone and
with it--their dreams. One of my neighbors had been
working overtime, six days a week, to maximize his
pension. He was going to retire at 60 only he never
made it—he died of a heart attack while driving home
from work. He and his wife had a financial plan and
she will be fine financially, but what good is a bunch
of money if your dreams are crushed? Could he have
retired 10 years earlier; could he have found
something else to do for the last 10 years that was
good for his health -- that he loved doing and
perhaps
could do for the next 20 years if he chose? I believe
the answer is "yes".
Since it is very difficult to spend
your last nickel with your last breath, it’s important
to have a plan. I love the idea of retiring as soon as
possible to pursue your passion and even earning an
income from this passion! I have
discovered this secret for myself and am in the
process of creating multiple streams of passive
income. It’s very exciting and I plan to share this
information with you later this
summer!
Begin to envision your ideal life...what would you do
for free...what gets you excited and how would you
like to spend the rest of your life? You will have a
chance to do this in July when we launch our new
f.ree program, "Reinventing Midlife with the Perfect
Life Pause." I can't wait to share it with you!
~ Katana
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| Web Site Update |
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If you would like to learn more about how to discover
your true passion in life and how to live your life with
purpose, you don’t have long to wait. We will be re-
launching our Smart Women’s Coaching (TM) site in
July
with new programs, workshops and coaches to help
you Reinvent Your Life! These are just some of the
programs that we will be releasing over the next few
months:
- "Reinventing Midlife with the Perfect Life
Focus"
- “The Designated Daughter—Living in the Sandwich
Generation”
- “The Financial Freedom Formula”
- “Discover Your Authentic Image”
- “Overcoming Your Limiting Beliefs”
If you are interested in learning more about how you
can “Reinvent Your Life”, please send me an email
kabbott@smartwomenscoaching.com or call me at
248-366-0137 for a complementary 15 minute
consultation.
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| Letters from Africa: The funds from America are pouring in! |
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Peggi Tabor letters
It's raining! It's been raining off and on for several
days. If you'd like to put music in your mind to
accompany this letter, please make it the Halleluiah
chorus form Handle's "Messiah".
The villagers have started seriously tilling fields. Up
until now the ground in which maize and sorgum was
planted last year has just been too hard to till
although almost all the home gardens have been
planted. Cultivating is done mostly by oxen-drawn
ploughs or simply by hand with a hoe. Optimism is in
the air. Of course, it's too early to tell but if these
nicely spaced, rain filled storms are signaling an end
to the drought this is really big news.
So, not only is it actually raining but the villagers
here are so excited about the contributions you've
sent us. I don't even know what to say about your
generosity. Contributions in response to my last
letter have been flowing in.
I met with the village elders and sangomas and told
them that my friends in America have sent money
and asked for their ideas on how best to spend it.
They agreed that transportation for the sickest and
poorest in the village to the hospital is a priority. I've
contracted with a very nice taxi driver in Butha Buthe
to come to the village every Monday to take those
that need it most to the hospital. Either one of the
sangomas or I will accompany them. After everyone
has seen a doctor (also paid for by you) the driver
will bring them back to the village. The villagers think
this is a real miracle. We've allocated about ¾ of the
money for this program. I absolutely know that your
generosity will be saving lives.
The other 25% of the fund will be spent on other
village priorities. How to Speak English books and
dictionaries for our adult English classes are high on
the priority list. I visited a very good school in a
village quite far from here and got recommendations
from the principle on what books to use to teach
English. My students can hardly believe they are
going to have books. First pencils--now books! It
just doesn't get much better than this.
We've set up a fund called "Our Friends in America".
I want the villagers to run it just for the experience
of managing money and learning simple balance book
and cash flow statement procedures. Actually, I'm
not turning the money over to anyone. This can be
just too much temptation to these desperately poor
people. But, I do want them to make the decisions
on what the funds should be used for and I do want
them to learn to keep records.
So, things are quite jolly here at the moment.
Everyone is feeling so optimistic. The Cultural Village
project goes well in spite of the fact that the food
payments have been arbitrarily cut off. I'm headed
for the capital, Maseru, tomorrow to once again plead
our case at the Ministries. The villagers have been
working on the project for over a month now for
free. There is no reason at all for this. I thought our
payment situation was set in stone, not so, it
seems. The Ministries here are plagued with
corruption and I have the unhappy feeling that the
rice and flour payments are going into someone's
pocket. I think I now know whose. Tomorrow is my
day to try to diplomatically uncover the fraud and get
the food payments flowing again. I hope it works.
Well, for once this is a short letter. Every day I learn
more things about this interesting culture that I want
to share with you. Perhaps the next letter will be
about more of the unusual cultural aspects of the
Bantu tribe with whom I live.
Until then, say well and happy and please know that
the wonderful contributions you sent are making a
huge difference here.
Thank you, and love,
Peggi
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| Smart Women's Quote |
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Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny
- Frank Outlaw
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| Smart Women's Book Review |
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When Your Inner Voice Beckons, Do You Listen?
Pierette Simpson’s Story
In 1956, Piera Domenica Burzio and her grandparents
left their village of Pranzalito, near Torino Italy, to
begin a new life in America. They were making their
journey on the Andrea Doria, when the Swedish liner
Stockholm rammed the Italian luxury liner on a foggy
night, the eve of their arrival in New York.
Though Pierette (her American name) and her
grandparents survived this international disaster that
could have been another Titanic, the terrifying event
left indelible impressions on Pierette and her family.
Realizing that the 50th anniversary of the collision
was approaching, this first-time author listened to
her inner voice, which prompted her to write about
what really happened the night of July 25, 1956.
Though reticent to relive those moments, she
honored her calling and began a remarkable 3-year
journey, culminating with the publication of “Alive on
the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue in
History”.
The book is unique in that it is the first eyewitness
account ever published on the Andrea Doria calamity.
Along with her experience, Pierette shares in-depth
vignettes about her fellow passengers. Each survivor
was personally interviewed numerous times in order
to describe his or her precise personal experience.
Moreover, Pierette extensive research and scientific
data confront the controversial details of the
disaster. In doing so, she inadvertently breaks open a
cold case that reveals the true cause of the collision.
All of her facts are substantiated information from
nautical experts.
Alive on the Andrea Doria! The Greatest Sea Rescue
in History represents a great writing achievement,
especially for a first-time author. Because of the
topic’s historical importance, two versions will be
published: one in English by Purple Mountain Press of
New York and one in Italian by Sperling & Kupfer of
Milan. The book is a riveting read in any language.
Pre-orders are now accepted through Barnes & Noble,
Amazon.com or Purple Mountain Press:
www.catskill.net/purple
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Purple Mountain Press |
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| Your Smart Women's Coaches |
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Left:
Cynthia Zimber
Right:
Jill Jordan
Foreground:
Katana Abbott
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