From the Desk of Cindy Faust

REINVENTING OURSELVES AFTER 50

Change seems to be the theme for baby boomers these days.  I could probably make a small fortune by selling pastel plus sized T-shirts (made in the USA of course) that say "I don't WANT to and you can't make me!!" in the back of the AARP Magazine (which I love, by the way).  Can you imagine the stares and questions you would generate!  Change is about as welcome to a baby boomer as a child moving back home at age 35.  Who would have thought that we would be facing the long term delay or loss of a retirement dream, having to sell our beloved home, go to jobs that pay half of what we used to earn and be grateful to have that job, live with the knowledge that one serious illness could wipe us out financially, or throw out the travel brochures and condominium floor plans because we know that lifestyle dream will never be a reality?  How many of you have invited Suze Orman into your living room on a Saturday night and have her tell you very emphatically "You are DE-NIED!!"  Suze is now telling me that it no longer is good enough for me to live within my means, I need to live BELOW my means.  How low can I go, Suze? Please understand, I LOVE Suze and think that she should run for President or Queen or something.  She does have the right idea and isn't afraid to shout it loud and proud.  I think that all those years of advocating tough love for parents with challenging children has come back in a new reincaration; the universe is practicing tough love on the baby boomers. There is an old adage "What doesn't kill you will make you stronger".  I do believe that is true; I am living proof.  Despite my kvetching, I do know that all of these challenges are really possibilities in disguise.  Arriving at this conclusion is called a cognitive shift, and it is absolutely a necessary skill for any baby boomer today.  I have many clients who are entering or re-entering the workforce or re-inventing themselves in order to procure employment after losing their jobs.  This is a big assignment for anyone, but especially for the over fifty or over sixty group.  They thought  that their next life passage would include working by choice, not necessity.  Dreams die hard, my friends.  The secret is to create new ones.  This is what I do as part of my work as a professional coach.  We look at the reality of life and design a plan and strategy that takes us out of the victim mentality and into the champion mentality.  One of the books that I consider necessary reading for my baby boomer clients who are dealing with career change is Encore: Finding Work That Matters In The Second Half of Life by Marc Freedman.The author gives new definition to the second half of many people's lives; instead of retirement, it becomes an "encore" career phase of life.  The hallmark of successful work in this phase is that what we do is meaningful in the emotional and spiritual realms as well as the financial.  It takes courage to take on this challenge; I have yet to meet someone who  can't meet this challenge with encouragement, a well-thought out plan of action, perserverance, and a bit of mazel.  Are you ready?  Let's go!  If you are ready to create change in your life, call or e-mail me.

Of course we all know that life is messy business and cannot really be controlled. There are however ways to make daily life less stressful. Getting rid of extra stuff is one of the keys to diminishing stress.

Simplifying Life

Simplifying your life means doing what you enjoy or being with the people you love and eliminating whatever gets in the way of feeling good. Getting to simplicity is about discovering what truly has value to you and getting rid of the rest. The de-clutter journey liberates the mind and spirit and frees your energy for deeper levels of fulfillment.

The more stuff you acquire, the more time and attention you need to expend caring for and managing that stuff. Taking stock of what is most important to you and eliminating the rest is the essence of the simplification process.

We accumulate material objects for a variety of reasons:

• Sentimental value; memories associated with a lost loved one
• Believing our lives will be happier and more fulfilling
• Feeling more valued ourselves for having more stuff
• Experiencing peer pressure to keep up materially
• Inability to let go; feeling a personal connection with belongings
• Thinking someday the objects will fill a need

The clutter that continues to build in your world creates chaos and anxiety, which can be alleviated by making some changes in your daily routine. When the space you live and work in is pared down and organized, you will feel more in control and able to focus on the things that matter most to you in life.

10 Ideas to Simplify Your Life

• Make a list of your top 5 priorities in your life.
• Evaluate your daily schedule and commitments. Eliminate whatever doesn’t line up with your priorities.
• Consider the appointments and commitments you make. Are they in alignment with your values?
• Think about all the stuff in your life that feels irrelevant or superfluous, and start clearing the decks i.e. donating books, clothes, utensils.
• Pare down your wardrobe. Eliminate clothing that doesn’t make you feel good and confident.
• Spend more time with friends and less time in the stores. You’ll be happier.
• Create morning and evening rituals. Your life will feel not only feel more in control with rituals, but you might also notice that you have more energy in the morning and better sleep as night.
• Find a regular time to de-clutter. Make it a routine, as it’s a process, not a destination.
• Learn the feeling of having enough, so you are not trapped in the perpetual cycle of wanting, seeking and getting.
• Make sure you are doing at least one of your top priorities daily.

 
 Cindy Faust, MSW

Passages Life Coaching Services

6210 Park Heights Avenue, Suite 404 , Baltimore, Maryland 21215 

3013 Westbury F, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442

856-906-8043

cindyfaust@juno.com

www.cindyfaustworld.mysite.com       Blog: www.cindyfaustcoach.wordpress.com