Mary Radu, MS, MSW, CPCC, Certified Professional Coach and Philanthropy Consultant Invites you to listen to a podcast of the Commonwealth Club of California!

What do I want to accomplish?  Where do I want to go from here?  How can I intentionally share my resources during this phase of my life as well as when I’m gone?

Those of us at midlife are facing a much more extended lifespan than did our parents and grandparents.  Many people are living into their 70, 80 and 90’s with new opportunities for staying active and involved.  If you checked in with your crystal ball in my previous blog you may have learned that you probably have 10 to 20+ years ahead of you.  As you move into your second half of life you may be shifting your focus away from the outward tasks of building your career, raising a family and managing externally imposed expectations. Collecting material possessions now might not be as important as your inner life, having meaningful experiences and relationships. You may sense and see changes in yourself and in the people around you that raise concerns about your own mortality and realize that your remaining time is finite.

You might find yourself asking some big questions about how you live and what you want to contribute with the resources available to you:

• what am I here for?
• what do I still want to accomplish and where do I want to go from here?
• what will I pass along to my family and my community for which I will be remembered?  and
• what do I want to leave behind that will make the world a better place than I found it?

I recently joined with three other professionals to provide some insights on how to make planning for the big questions of life easier.

In part 2 our panel continues the discussion of successfully planning for a long life. Income planning for your future needs and legacy planning are two big concerns that inevitably arise.  The program begins by addressing how legacy planning can fit into your life plan, followed by the financial and legal vehicles for implementing your legacy planning.

Join me in listening to the recording of our session at the Commonwealth Club of California on Longevity Planning: Practical Approaches to Managing Life Transitions (Part Two)

Panelists:

Mary Radu, MS, MSW, CPCC
Elizabeth Krivatsy, Esq.
Ben Yohanan, President, Hatch Retirement Services

If this has brought up some concerns that you’re ready to address and you’d like some additional support in taking your first step, contact me for a brief chat at 707.824.8836.

May meaning be your motivator!
Mary

Recently I received an email with this wish:
May 2010 be the best year of your life!!!

Don’t you want this coming year to be the best ever for you?  Since life happens one moment and one day at a time, the only time you can impact how well your life will be lived is today.  We all have life circumstances that can be “better or worse” depending on the incremental choices that we make in the moment, every day of our lives.

Take a look at what you have planned for the rest of today.  What might shift if you decided to make this the most meaningful, contributing, successful day you can live?  Consider these questions in choosing your best possible day scenario:

1. What activities will make up My Best Day? To make this a best day, contributing to an overall best year ever, what are my choices?  What activities must be carried out, which might be better handled another day?  Which might be dropped all together since they don’t significantly contribute to me, others I care about or the world around me?
   
2. How can I carry out my activities so they will add to the quality of This Best Day? What are my choices in how I carry out both essential duties and desires?  What will increase my enjoyment?

Waking up this morning next to my husband I created a best morning experience.  Rather than a quick peck on the cheek, I gazed into his eyes and greeted him with a smile, kiss and words full of love and appreciation for having him as my life partner.

I recently had friends spend the night.  Time with these friends who I dearly love would absolutely make this a best day ever.  Their overnight visit meant they would be with me on Monday morning, which is generally a work day at my home office.  In the time leading up to the weekend I cleared my Monday morning schedule.  Monday morning I reminded myself of my modified work start time so that I’d avoid distracting thoughts.  I also let my friends know how much time I had to spend with them.  With my decks cleared and them knowing my availability we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and walk together.  I could be fully present with them knowing that I’d shift my focus to work obligations later in the day.

Shifting your days to the best possible is a daily choice.  Will you make today the first of many that will make 2010 your Best Year Ever?  Write me about it!

May peace break into your home and may thieves come to  steal your debts.

May  the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your  lips!

May  happiness slap you across the face and may your tears be that of  joy

May the problems you had, forget your home address!

Want more inspiration for meaningful living? Click here to sign up for our Pathmaker ezine and receive periodic articles with helpful tips and inspiration.

Read past articles for effectively navigating your midlife career, philanthropy and lifestyle. Go to http://www.pathmakercoaching.com/resources/articles.html.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Certified Life Coach and Philanthropy Consultant, Mary Radu, guides midlife individuals and couples to discover how to share their unique gifts and be positive change makers. Let Mary and Pathmaker Coaching help you design and execute your unique path, aligning your life with your passions and values. If you’re ready to get moving, get resources at http://www.pathmakercoaching.com/resources, or contact Mary mary@pathmakercoaching.com to discuss how you can get supported to make a bigger impact 707.824.8836. See Mary’s Positive Change Makers Blog at http://www.positivechangemakers.com

Are you fortunate enough to have good food and enjoyable gatherings with loved ones as central ingredients in your holiday season? If so, I hope that you’ll take some special moments to celebration a deeper expression of Thanksgiving… expressing gratitude for the abundance in your life.

Research findings reported in Born To Be Good by Dacher Keltner, indicate that for those who have few financial resources, money does create happiness. “Material gain allows individuals …. to avoid the innumerable problems associated with economic deprivation, including depression, anxiety, compromised resistance to disease, and higher mortality rates.”  However, if your basic material needs are being met, it is the “quality of our romantic bonds, the health of our families, the time we spend with good friends, the connections we feel to communities that create meaning and happiness in our lives.”

The holiday season is a perfect time to remember what does give you meaning and happiness. Here are some ideas you might incorporate into your thanksgiving during this season and throughout the year.

• Make a toast at your holiday table, acknowledging the people there for what each of them adds to your life. You might also include a remembrance for those who are no longer with you that have made a mark on your life.
• Make a phone call or write a letter to someone who has touched you and share a memory that has stayed with you, that changed your life in some meaningful or important way.
• Start a new ritual to reflect daily on the positive experiences that have come into your life. Acknowledge the joyful moments. Express thanks for the people who have helped you. Recognize when you have been able to contribute your unique skills or gifts to others. And yes, acknowledge yourself for the ability to navigate difficult situations that have taught you endurance and courage.

My husband and I have found daily expressions of gratitude to be a deeply enriching practice. We each light a candle each night before we begin our dinner meal and share our gratitudes with each other. Some days we reflect on the birds humorously bathing in the bird bath or the incredible weather or sunset out our back door. Other days we recall the people we’ve worked with who have enriched our lives. We give thanks that at 58 and 66 we have healthy bodies and can enjoy a good run every few days. We often give thanks for the incredibly dedicated caregivers who allow my 98 year-old mother-in-law to experience quality in her life. This practice also gives us a way to regularly acknowledge the love and support that we receive from one another.

Make a choice to create meaningful, happy moments to your life with your own thanksgiving!

Finally, I thank each of you for enriching my life. I give thanks for having the opportunity to work and collaborate with so many of you who are committed to living meaningful lives that make a difference in the world!

Want more inspiration for meaningful living? Click here to sign up for our Pathmaker ezine and receive periodic articles with helpful tips and inspiration.

Read past articles for effectively navigating your midlife career, philanthropy and lifestyle. Go to http://www.pathmakercoaching.com/resources/articles.html.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete statement with it: Certified Life Coach and Philanthropy Consultant, Mary Radu, guides midlife individuals and couples to discover how to share their unique gifts and be positive change makers. Let Mary and Pathmaker Coaching help you design and execute your unique path, aligning your life with your passions and values. If you’re ready to get moving, get resources at http://www.pathmakercoaching.com/resources, or contact Mary mary@pathmakercoaching.com to discuss how you can get supported to make a bigger impact 707.824.8836. See Mary’s Positive Change Makers Blog at http://www.positivechangemakers.com