“We don’t get to a choice about what hand we are dealt in this life.  The only choice we have is our attitude about the cards we hold and the finesse with which we play our hand.” Quote from It’s Easier Than You Think, Sylvia Boorstein

I recently led a class for 50+ men and women whose life circumstances caused them to seek help to plan their next steps for work, contribution or enrichment.  Half of the participants were unemployed and came because they wanted support for finding full or part time work in this down economy.  The second half were looking for ways to contribute or enjoy their leisure time.  Many were making shifts and tradeoffs in how they live in order to stay within their financial means. The class offered tools for how to vision, prioritize and plan for today and the future.

However for many participants the biggest learning was the Way they manage their circumstances…the importance of their attitude and choosing to stay in the driver’s seat for their life.

Rather than write an extensive article this month, instead I’m sending you a valuable article.  I hope that it will inform you about some of the financial and job facts that the 50+ generation is facing as well as the ways others are dealing with challenging work and financial circumstances.  I suggest that you take a few moments to:

1. Read the article at http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/employment/2010-08-10-1Aworkinglonger10_CV_N.htm and

2. Do a little self reflection.

After you’ve read the article see how you answer a few provocative questions that will guide you to answer the bigger question…..How will I play the hand life gives me?

·        What point of view do I have when I start each day?

·        What might be the best perspective to take to stay open to the positive opportunities that might show up?

·        What actions am I taking daily to move me closer to meeting my needs as well as my dreams?

·        How am I showing gratitude for the goodness that I do have in my life?

Don’t put your life on hold because of challenging circumstances. Give me a call at 707.824.8836 or email me at mary@pathmakercoaching.com and let’s talk over what’s on your mind.

I’d love to have you share your reactions to this article as well as tell us about the positive steps you’re taking to survive and thrive during this challenging time. Please leave a comment below.

Every once in a while something comes by my desk that I believe will be of value to you. I thought you would find the information below very valuable to help you be a “Positive Change Maker” of your own life and keep you on course for what’s truly important during your life’s next stages.

Millions of Americans have had to change their retirement plans in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown. The new PBS series, Retirement Revolution, looks at the stories of everyday people who have found ways not only to survive but thrive in this new reality.

Check this link to find the schedule for your local PBS TV station http://www.pbs.org/wttw/retirementrevolution/

Or watch at your leisure on the web by clicking the video below.

How are You Taking Positive Steps to Survive and Thrive?

I’d love to have you share your reactions to this program as well as tell us about the positive steps you’re taking to survive and thrive during this challenging time. Use the Comments link to add your thoughts.

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.

A Date in the Garden

I recently made a date with my basil plants, all six of them, that I carefully planted in the raised beds soon after we moved into our temporary rental house this past May. I remember what fun it was picking them out at the organic nursery soon after a very intense move from the home my husband and I had shared for over 10 years.

Now several months later, these lush, green plants were calling to me to prune their unmannered heads before they would go to flower. I looked at my calendar and was feeling a little resentful that Mother Nature expected me to shift gears and carry out Her work. I noticed myself considering this task as an unwanted chore that was stealing time from my schedule of business priorities. The time I set aside had arrived for me to pick a grocery bag full. This finally was starting to feel fun again, clipping the fully formed leaves stem by stem with the sun warming me. After what felt like a short time in the garden I was faced with several hours worth of washing and picking the leaves from the stems and turning it into the green paste that would make many delicious meals between now and next harvest season.

Focus on What You Value

My guess is that you’ve had this experience, where once you focus on an unappealing task, it suddenly transforms into a timeless, peaceful and energizing activity where the clock seems to stop. With a conscious decision we each have the opportunity every day to take these tasks and encounters we find in front of us and turn them into uncommon, meaningful experiences. When we shift our attention to what is of value to us and look for where it shows up, we bring more of that experience in.

Find ways to capitalize on the law of nature that dictates that we can only focus on one idea or feeling at a time. To increase the pleasure and possible joy spent in any activity look for the parts of your task that please you. For me with the basil, it was the tactile feel of the leaves, the sun on my back, the meditative plucking of each leaf from the step, the smell of the basil essences and tasting the luscious pesto as I put the finished product into jars. And it was also giving myself a deserved break from my office and computer to a task that would give me a very special meal at the end of the day and in the months to come.

Even when your tasks involve people you would rather not have to deal with, look for something positive that encounter offers you. It might mean remembering that you’ll be contributing something important for that person’s development. Or if you decide to recruit a friend or family member to help you brainstorm the situation you can feel how sharing the burden within our community lightens our load and helps us create the results we want.

It’s Your Turn to Focus

Focus on what you uniquely value and experience how uncommonly meaningful moments blossom! Where will you turn the common parts of your day into uncommon experiences for yourself and those you touch? Pick just one right now and see what happens? I invite you to share your uncommon stories with us. Post your comments so that others can learn from your experiences.

“When you can do the common things of life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” George Washington Carver
http://www.gratefulness.org/

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/index.html, 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

You’ve probably heard the old adage that your health is your most important asset. In effect, your physical health is the foundation which allows you to live fully and enjoyably.

During a daily walk, I stopped for a break at a bridge overlooking a beautiful creek. As the water sparkled and danced, I found myself asking a series of questions. They helped define and reinforce what matters to me, and what I can do to move my life forward down my path more meaningfully. Because they helped me, I’d like to share the questions with you, in hopes that you will take a few minutes to strengthen your own choices and the way you live your life.

Your 5 Minute Tune-Up

• What is the one important thing I want in my life that depends on my being and stayIng healthy? For instance, you may want to participate in physical activities like biking or dancing, take annual vacations that require you to withstand long periods of walking or you may want to live long enough to enjoy time with your grandchildren.
• Choose one of the two following questions:
  – What belief about my body or health is keeping me from having that important thing? or
  – What lifestyle or behavioral patterns do I have that prevent me from having that important thing?
• Write down options or things you can do to realize your goal. Choose at least three new perspectives that will move you toward having what you want. For example,
  – I could begin walking after dinner each night,
  – I can sign up for a charity walk that will support me in increasing my walking distance for my summer walking tour AND raise money for an cause that is creating positive change for others or the environment,
  – I can sign up for a smoking cessation class where I will be supported in giving up my 10-year habit.
  HINT: If making this change is really important to you, you may find higher motivation by identifying options that will impact others as well as yourself…for instance, the charity walk.

• From these options, what is one small step you will commit to taking today? For instance, I’ll check the internet to search for a charity walk that is coming up in the next three months.
• Create a physical reminder that will help you keep this commitment. You might use a tool like your calendar to schedule reminders, or post an affirmation on your refrigerator.
• Create a strategy to share your commitment with at least one other person today.

Be A Positive Change Maker for Your Own Life

We all move down our individual paths to meaning and impact one step at a time. See where taking this small step will lead in helping you achieve your goal of living a healthy and fulfilling life.

I hope you’ve found this perspective on healthy living valuable.

Want more inspiration for meaningful living? Click here to sign up for our 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/index.html, 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