10 LIFE LESSONS FOR INVENTING THE REST OF YOUR SUMMER

8 July 2009 1,031 views 5 Comments Tags: Health, New Experiences, Positive Attitude, Women 50+

When the living is easy and the rules are lax

1. Don’t even dream of “acting your age.” Now is the time for taking salsa dancing – secretly if you must. Or getting up an hour earlier – it’s light then – and writing down your most unformed thoughts. Take risks. Make a fool of yourself.

2. Make one tiny change in your routine, because even the smallest alteration shakes up the whole day – in a good way.

3. Clean house – not the cupboard kind. But get rid of skeletons in the attic that needn’t bother you any more. Of so-called friends that are making you feel guilty, lazy, or inadequate. Of obligations that were onerous all winter but are now moreso because they keep you out of the sunshine. Say No whenever the spirit moves you.

4. Make a new friend. One of the best ways to get to know yourself in new ways is to get to know someone new. There are so many summer-only activities that can bring you in contact with people you don’t know. The old adage that if you follow your own interests you will meet like-minded people applies to library sales, summer classes, motorcycle driving classes, volunteering at a Y kids’ program.

5. Do unto yourself as you have been doing unto others. You know what I mean here. Now is the time to take care of yourself in the ways you know are important, because you have been on the giving end for so long. It’s all about time. Taking time.
Taking time out. Wasting time. Spending time with yourself, on yourself, doing things by yourself.

6. Prepare for the worst. Not by dreading it, but by making sure your files are up to date – your insurance, your will, your finances (such as they are). Pick a rainy Saturday and check out your preparations for a rainy day.

7. Don’t let the body thing hold you back. Go take a jump in the lake, even if it means exposing those white, limp thighs. But also schedule those checkups that are a key to maintaining health.

8. Retool some relationships. It is easier to talk things through, to enjoy each other’s company, to redistribute responsibilities when the pressure is off. Even if the pressure isn’t off, it seems to feel that way in the summer. And with all the changes you are going through, there is surely some tweaking to do in that department.

9. Try some life experiences on for size. If you have spent the last year or so asking yourself “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?” now is the time to test out some of the answers you are considering. If you are thinking of moving, take a visit to one of the prospective cities. If you are thinking of working in the nonprofit world, volunteer a couple of hours at an organization you are interested in. If you are thinking of devoting yourself seriously to your garden or to chess or to karate, devote yourself not-so-seriously for a couple of weeks and see how it feels.

10. Speaking of “not-so-serious,” all of the above is really about not taking yourself so seriously but taking control of your life as best you can. Whatever the fall and winter bring, now is now, and that’s where the opportunities for self-discovery are. Surprise yourself!

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5 Comments »

Eileen Williams said:

I always feel I have so much more energy in the summer. With the longer days and plenty of sunshine, I feel it’s my time to enjoy life and all that nature has to offer.
Thanks for your great tips on stretching, growing, and having FUN during this special time of year. As a woman over fifty, I can not only enjoy, I can THRIVE! Who knows? I might just turn into the senior, saucy one of the salsa class!

# 10 July 2009 at 11:48 am

sharon grabowski said:

Hi
I love your advice. I have read all of your books and am a big fan. My life changed in one day four years ago when I was 55. My mom was hit by a truck while walking to work. She was a vibrant 74 year old. I am an only child. Over the course of these four years I have had lots of time to think about life and how suddenly it changes and how we must be adapt to change and look at circumstances in a positive way. My mom is now in a nursing home this year but I visit her everyday. Since I had to leave my profession as an accountant a too demanding deadline driven career, I took this opportunity to think about what I really wanted to do and it had to be flexible so i could visit mom. I always wanted to release my creative side. So, I started my own company and named it Thrifty Chic Boutique LLC and opened a store on Ebay. It has only been opened since January. I sell handbags a life long passion I have had since I was a teenager. My goal is to try to branch out someday and promote new designers with a purpose to give back some profits to a worthy cause. I have several in mind. Now that the summer is coming to a close I am thinking about Fall and what I also want to accomplish. Fall is always a time for starting something new. I am thinking about cooking classes.
Thank you for your inspiration and hope that you will continue to share your thoughts with all of us baby boomers.

# 5 August 2009 at 5:04 pm

Helen Hansma said:

My daughter picked out 4 books for herself at Goodwill, and the checker told her the 5th book was free. So she offered to get me “Inventing the Rest of Our Lives,” which was new to us. I love it. I’m lucky to be deep into new experiences now, in my early 60’s.

# 14 August 2009 at 10:01 pm

KellieS said:

Hi Suzanne,

Though I am not over 50 (yet), I completely enjoyed reading your “10 life lessons” article. I administrate a women’s web site that mainly focuses on health/wellness/beauty so I am extremely interested in your point of view. You seem like someone who would be a great mentor to me. I will be back.

Cheers,

Kellie

# 17 August 2009 at 10:57 am

Karin Lippert said:

My News – Well,for easy things to do this summer, I chose changing from AOL to Gmail and joining Twitter where I will tweet about women, second adulthood, politics, the envirnoment and of course, Fifty is the New Fifty! Find me on Twitter.
Karin Lippert

# 31 August 2009 at 10:48 am