Making a new start

The other morning I caught an interview about women who had changed direction at midlife. As I fumed gently that the story was being aired on a holiday morning when fewer people would be watching, I was still glad that their stories were deemed newsworthy enough to be told.

One woman was author, Claire Cook, a teacher who aways wanted to write. So many of us are worried about giving up a steady income to pursue a dream, but unlike most of us, she found an ingenious way to act on that desire without giving up her income. Instead of sitting and chatting with the other parents during her daughter’s swim practices, she used the time to sit in her mini-van and write her first novel. A few years later she wrote another novel, Must Love Dogs, and soon found herself on the red carpet for the movie premier.

This story gives me great satisfaction! Not only did Claire find a way to work on her passion, but she exemplifies the way women at midlife can reinvent themselves. It is so sad to hear, “I always wanted to . . .” come from anyone’s lips. I encourage anyone who has a passion they want to follow, but doesn’t think they have the time to do so, to use the little pockets of time that they can to move towards their goals.

For those trying to work out what to do with their passion, I also commend Barbara Winter’s newly improved and revised book, Making a Living Without a Job. Barbara learned to use her skills and passions to create a lifestyle that used each of them to create a living. The original book was published about 16 years ago, so made no mention of the internet as a resource. I can’t wait to read the new edition to find what additional ideas she offers!

Let’s all take positive steps towards moving ourselves from the sidelines and stories on holidays to the forefront of awareness, and show those who have written us off that we still have a lot to offer!

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