Posts Tagged With ‘ Hey Boomer ’

The Dalai Lama is quoted as saying, “as a Buddhist, I view death as a normal process, a reality that I accept will occur as long as I remain in this earthly existence, knowing that I cannot escape it. I see no point in worrying about it. I tend to think of death as being like changing your clothes when they’re old or worn out rather than as some final end. Yet death is unpredictable. We do not know when or how it will take place. So, it is only sensible to take precautions before it actually happens.” I want to repeat that. It is only sensible to take precautions before it actually happens.... Continue Reading

I loved Serena Williams explanation of how she sees her next act. Williams indicated her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, saying she was “evolving away from tennis.” Retirement coaches and the media have been struggling with what to call the new retirement. Longevity of 20+ years post career has made the idea of retirement outdated. Terms like “unretired,” “rewired,” “next act,” “third act,” have all been suggested. Evolving is such a beautiful way to look at the life we are living after we step away from our full-time careers. That is what my clients... Continue Reading

What do you think about aging? It’s better than the alternative, right? I started listening to Dr. Becca Levy’s new book, “Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Well and How Long You Live.”  She is a leading researcher on the psychology of successful aging. Her research shows the connection between our beliefs about aging and our health and well-being as we age. Negative age beliefs impact our longevity by as much as 7 ½ years. You know that I am all about positive aging and I share this with you through my show and my posts. But I thought it might be helpful... Continue Reading

In 1977 NASA launched Voyager I and Voyager II to fly by Saturn and Jupiter, collecting data that has increased scientists’ knowledge of those planets and our solar system. In 2012, Voyager I reached interstellar space, making it the most distant human-made object in existence. Both spacecraft carry a “time-capsule” called The Golden Record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the story of our world to extraterrestrials. (source: Jet Propulsion Laboratory) Various labs and universities have transmitted messages into space over the years. Other... Continue Reading

“The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin living it.” W.M. Lewis We go through stages in our life. As young children our job is school and learning. Once we are in college, we are starting our adult lessons as well as preparing for a career. Life begins to speed up after that. A first job A first home Possibly marriage and a family Promotions (which could mean more working hours) Another job Another home Raising a family Accumulating stuff Sending kids off to college Parents declining health And one day, you are ready to retire … or maybe you are... Continue Reading

I had not seen Susan in person in over 35 years. We had worked together at Digital Equipment Corporation in Alpharetta, GA before it began downsizing and was eventually sold. At the time, we both had two young children, one boy and one girl each. Susan was married, I was in a relationship, so we did not spend much time together out of work. But we were friends. We connected as mothers; we connected as women. We were working in the support center, and it was a great working environment, and Susan and I were more interested in exploring the depths of thought and meaning, then whether someone’s... Continue Reading

Shhh! That is the sound of the librarian when you are caught talking.  Before my walkabout with Prudence, that was my stereotype of librarians. The label I gave librarians was quiet, demure people who loved books. It is true that Prudence loves books. It is also true that she speaks quietly. But she is passionate about literacy and learning and being responsive to customers. The bias I had that all librarians are demure was about to be changed. Let me take you on our walkabout from the new Unity Park in Greenville, SC to Falls Park (also in Greenville) and back. History of Greenville, SC Parks In... Continue Reading

I didn’t go to culinary camp. My 15-year-old grandson did, and I got to enjoy the results. Being a grandmother is one of the greatest joys of my life and it can be challenging. Like parenting except you are not their parent and you don’t see them regularly, so you get to know them anew with each visit. When the grandchildren were little it was easy. They were giggly and playful, creative and loving. All I had to do was show up and we had fun. Occasionally one of my children (their parents) would correct the way I said something or did something. Ways of parenting continue to evolve. But mostly... Continue Reading

Annie is the one person I have been friends with for close to 40 years. We have known each other since our children were in the 1st and 2nd grades. Even though we have not lived close most of that time, the friendship has endured. Being with her is like coming home. It is so comfortable. We always talk like we see each other every day, only we see each other every few months and rarely talk in between those visits. On this day we decided to meet at Carl Sandburg’s home in Flat Rock, NC. The home was built in 1838 and Sandburg and his wife Lilian and their youngest daughter, Helga, moved in in... Continue Reading

Every article about roles and transition starts with a recitation of all the roles and/or transitions the author has gone through. This story is not about me (until later). This story is about some of the people I have worked with or known, as they were going through transitions. One of the stories is not happy. One has a positive outcome. And then my story ties in purpose. The names of the people in this article have been changed. Greg – Lonely and lacking purpose There was Greg. He was in the Senior Executive Service with the US government. He had a staff, notoriety, and responsibility. He... Continue Reading