Are You Successful?

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Re-thinking Success And Self-Worth How do we measure success these days when it’s not as easy to identify using wages or position? I didn’t realize until recently that I was measuring my success in numbers, trying to quantify it. I also didn’t acknowledge how much my self-worth was connected to my measure of success.  … Continue reading Are You Successful?

How are you enjoying retirement?

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This post was originally published 2023/01/12 when I first began writing about what’s next after retiring in midlife. How are you enjoying retirement?  It’s a frequently asked question from my still-working colleagues and friends as they greet me. That is a loaded question. They mean well, I know. They probably really wish that they were… Continue reading How are you enjoying retirement?

A Very Good Place To Start

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For creative people, for life-long learners, and for those eager to discover what they’re capable of after retiring in midlife, this is a very good place to start. Julia Cameron’s, It’s Never Too Late To Begin Again was recommended to me when I first retired and it gave me direction and opened possibilities to me… Continue reading A Very Good Place To Start

The World Will Fill Your Time

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The other day I heard these words, “The world will fill your time.” As the summer winds to an end, I find myself realizing the truth of this statement.  My sunny summer days are filled. I drift from one thing to another and suddenly it’s bedtime again. I have no trouble filling my time with… Continue reading The World Will Fill Your Time

Life Balance Is A Moving Target

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Life balance is a moving target. No one secures a bullseye in life balance. Our life circumstances are too changeable and varied from one week to the next. However, it is a worthy target to aim for because it keeps us readjusting and moving in a direction that feeds us with energy and keeps us… Continue reading Life Balance Is A Moving Target

Processing Bittersweet Times

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Bittersweet has to be one of the most painful emotions that I’ve experienced. Moments that brought it on included my retirement, my daughter leaving for university, and when we moved homes.  These are major life events that change things forever, but have at their core both joy and grief.   Feeling The Confusion Of Bittersweet… Continue reading Processing Bittersweet Times

Think for Me

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When I was working, I didn’t have time to think. Like most people, my day was a rush of things that needed to get done, from the moment I woke up, until the dinner dishes were done and the laundry put away. By the time evening arrived, I was too tired to do any thinking.… Continue reading Think for Me

A Passion Project Is For You

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Why do we feel we need to justify our passion projects?  “I’m writing this memoir for the grandkids.” “I’m making these quilts as a legacy for my children.” Did we ask them? Probably not. A passion project is for you. Creating anything is primarily for the creator’s benefit: to express themselves, to develop their skills,… Continue reading A Passion Project Is For You

Seeking Contentment

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It is the perfect day when I look at it objectively: a slower pace with space to create, and gentle surroundings. If I had imagined a perfect day in the future as I was retiring from teaching, this would be it. But humming through me, there’s a disturbing feeling of dissatisfaction that surprises me. No… Continue reading Seeking Contentment

Dream Big!

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Do you have big dreams?  For some, retiring in midlife means learning to adapt to a different rhythm of life, developing new social connections, and finding a hobby or two that they’re passionate about. It’s about spending time with family, and that may include grandchildren. There’s nothing wrong with this version of life. It sounds… Continue reading Dream Big!