Re-Make Your Life Over Again

from: Counselor of the Heart.com

A successful banker “remembers” that he’s always wanted to start his own advertising business.
An attorney-turned-fitness buff “awakens” to the idea that helping people fight midsection bulge is much more fun than helping people fight each other.
A pharmaceutical company executive suddenly finds that climbing the corporate ladder isn’t nearly as rewarding as succeeding in his role as husband and father. What do these maturing boomers all have in common? Their entry to Adulthood, Act 2 where consciousness of one’s true SELF emerges from the blur of responsibilities that typically define our first adulthood.

Our early adult years are typically devoted to getting a job, finding a mate, raising a family, and doing what we’ re “supposed” to do. We pursue success as though it were a universally defined objective: good income, prestige, more toys. But one day we find that what we sought…what we thought we wanted…isn’t nearly as appealing as it once was. The success is good, but we’re not driven for more. The house, car, and toys are great, but they come at a price that we’re no longer willing to pay. Instead of acquiring more, we want simply to enjoy what we have. Instead of seeking more power, we seek more inner peace. Instead of indulgence, we seek ways to make a difference. Adulthood, Act 2 has begun, and it is time to dust off the Self we put on hold for so long.

Finding one’s self means living a more authentic life…pursuing our own dreams…living by our own rules. It generally involves taking stock of the person we have become and the choices we have made. We wonder if we have followed the path we were destined to follow and embraced the opportunities presented along the way. This “wake-up call” makes us impatient, and propels us into what many describe as the best stage of life. Masters of our own fate, we take back our lives. Facing another 30-40 active years, we plan to do it our way this time. We’re determined to “reinvent” ourselves for the next phase of life and find whatever has been missing.

We’re retiring early to pursue late-life careers, more meaningful relationships, or follow old passions that were buried for a while.

A government worker retires at 54, studies photography, sells his Washington, D.C. photos to tourist magazines and eventually begins a photographic “safari ” business in the nation’s capitol.

A corporate trainer turns 14-hour workdays into a balanced schedule incorporating daily meditation, Yoga, massage therapy …simply by focusing on priorities and saying “no” appropriately.

An overweight and stressed-out exec hires a trainer, sheds 40 pounds, and rekindles an old passion for flying.

It’s never too late to find yourself…and it’s important to your health. Living authentically reduces stress and enhances a sense of well-being. People who are happiest in life have mastered the art of living from the inside out. Instead of living as they think they should, they live a life that feels right. They passionately pursue what they are drawn to do and make choices based on the wisdom in their hearts. These are the people we envy because they seem so focused and so good at what they do. It's as though they know a secret to living a fulfilling life…and they do. The secret is that a purposeful life grows from the inside out. We must take the time to look inside and honor what we find. Care for ourselves, learn what we need to learn, and give what we have to give.

A great life is born in the soul, grown in the mind, and lived from the heart.

Ponderings:

When was the last time you were alone in silence (no TV, book, music) just getting in touch with how you are feeling?

What is one thing you have always wanted to do that somehow keeps getting put off?

What activity do you love so much that when you’re doing it you feel truly alive and time seems to fly?