Visiting Marilyn Meredith
While sitting in Grade 13 English class, I dreamed of writing the great Canadian novel. But when university application time approached, I gave in to my practical Italian side and obtained degrees in mathematics and education. I planned to teach during the day and spend my evenings, weekends and holidays churning out best-selling novels.
How hard could it be? Continue reading at Marilyn’s Musings.
My Yoga Trials
The blonde willow was out of her comfort zone.
She sighed deeply and tossed her Farrah Fawcett curls as she removed a borrowed parka, three sizes too big for her perfectly toned body. She was not impressed by winter in March and seven less-than-enthusiastic students in Sudbury, Ontario. She spoke at length about her personal journey as a California yogini, and then demonstrated her pretzel-like ability to contort her body in a variety of poses.
Impressed and intimidated, we did not look forward to the short lesson that would follow. Continue reading at Spunky Seniors.
Oprah and Diana Nyad–Part I
Yesterday on Super Soul Sunday, Oprah sat down with long distance swimmer Diana Nyad.
Having followed Diana’s amazing swim in late summer, I was looking forward to insights from this extraordinary woman who, according to Oprah, demonstrated “what a real warrior looks like.”
Born into a tumultuous home, Diana faced challenges at an early age. A temperamental father prone to outbursts and a cold and distant mother led her to find solace in the water, practicing up to six hours a day. The sexual abuse she endured from her coach rocked the cells of her very being and for the longest time, she believed that she had allowed the abuse to happen.
She swam competitively until age thirty and after burning out, decided to leave the loneliest sport in the world. She forged a career in sports broadcasting and lived a different dream. All the while, she kept hearing a little whisper about the failed swim from Florida to Cuba, “Gosh, it would have been magic.”
After her 82-year-old mother died in 2007, Diana began re-evaluating her life and asked the important questions: “Am I living the life that I can admire? “Am I going to leave this earth, maybe as you do, leaving it a place where it’s a little more than it was, and human rights have been fulfilled more?”
Since age 60, Diana attempted the Cuba/Florida swim five times. After four failures, she approached the fifth attempt brimming with confidence. She took every precaution to protect herself from the box jellyfish and completed the 110 mile swim in 58 hours.
Quotable quotes…
Will can push you beyond the impossible.
What the spirit can do is immeasurable.
Spirit is larger than the body.
When you achieve your goals in life, it’s not what that gets you, it’s who I am. (Henry David Thoreau paraphrased)
Diana’s Mantra…Find a way.
How to Celebrate Rejection…
I’m always on the lookout for unique word combinations, but this one took me by surprise. I couldn’t imagine a more unlikely word pair than “celebrate rejection” and an even more unlikely source: an interview with Susan Sarandon.
How does one of Hollywood’s most talented leading ladies celebrate rejection? Whenever Ms. Sarandon didn’t get a role, she’d go out for dinner or buy herself an album. In leaner times, she treated herself to an avocado. But more importantly, she did not dwell on it. She had a knack for replacing the negative self-talk with positive and affirming statements such as, This means I’m now available for something else.
Continue reading at MindBodyGreen.
Redefining Success
Welcome to my Second Acts Series!
Today, we have Kathy Bryson talking about letting go of expectations and heading off the beaten path.
Here’s Kathy!
When Joanne asked me to write about my second act, I was intrigued. I’m currently reading Between Land and Sea and laughing in recognition. I think that’s the first thing you learn if you make a change at mid-life. A lot of us realize somewhere in our forties or fifties that we really want to be doing something else and, whether through circumstances or conscious decision, head off the beaten path. You’ll be in good company.
When I left corporate America for teaching, I met bicyclists who were training for races on weekends, artists who worked craft fairs around temp jobs, and poets who taught night school. There was an amazing wealth of people and interests that had nothing to do with ad copy! My particular skill set was welcomed, however. I got to know people by working on their web promotions and learned I as I transitioned into part-time jobs and, ultimately, writing my own stories.
My background is 20+ years of advertising and marketing. I worked for Fortune 1000 companies and managed major campaigns. And like many, I bottle-necked somewhere in middle management, where positions start to disappear and everyone fights for the same budget and recognition. In my last job, my boss literally could not shut up from sheer stress. She talked non-stop from the moment she walked in the door until we finally escaped at the end of the day. It was infuriating, it was funny, and it was sad. I finally walked when she put me on notice, saying I couldn’t write headlines.
I had been working towards a change anyway. I’d gone back to school to get the credits I needed to teach and was moonlighting at my local community college. The timing wasn’t perfect. Since then, I’ve struggled with having hours cut and some of the weirdest state legislation regarding standardized testing you ever saw. And I don’t regret any of it. Instead of sitting in a cubicle waiting for retirement to enjoy my life, I’m sitting on a futon, drinking a second cup of coffee, and wondering how a toad managed to get in my front door peephole and how he’s going to get out. He’s a fat little guy.
The part that was hard was letting go of my expectations. I grew up in California during the first computer boom when everybody was going to be the next Steve Jobs or Bill Gates. I have no problem being an ‘entrepreneur,’ but it’s taken me awhile not to beat myself up because I wasn’t wildly successful. I don’t make big money, I don’t have guaranteed employment, I have a small house, and my car is fifteen years old. It took me a long time to realize that I was the only one making the comparison and to silly expectations. No one has a guaranteed income, there’s never enough money, and the house is just fine. I will probably replace the car since the door handles are falling off; my brother’s hunting a used one for me.
Ultimately, that was the best lesson learned out of this whole transition and my one suggestion. There’s no point in living a supposedly successful life if your reality is just miserable. Ultimately I can live without success because I am living. As my leprechaun pointed out, “It’s never just about the money!”
Blurb
Megan O’Malley pinched a cute guy and accidentally captured a leprechaun. Who’d have thought a perfectly normal guy – okay a bit short – would have such a bad attitude about giving away his money?! Megan may be millions richer, but she’s also got an angry leprechaun camped out on her sofa, trying to keep her from becoming the business mogul of her dreams!
Fergus O’Reilly cannot figure out what he did to upset the Queen of the Fairies. He was playing a wedding when a drunken lady pinched his ass and the Queen declared him caught. Now he’s broke, homeless, and hustling to stop the lovely lady with the wandering fingers from spending his money! This would be so much easier if she wasn’t cute, caring, and determined to help with his so-called money addiction!
Where to find Kathy…
Website: kathybryson.wordpress.com
Twitter: twitter.com/kathybryson2
Facebook: facebook.com/kathybryson22
Google+: plus.google.com/118438646025517720984
Joanne here!
Thanks for sharing your inspiring journey, Kathy. Feeling Lucky sounds simply delightful. I’ve just picked up the e-book and look forward to reading it.
Reinvention and Baby Boomers
Welcome to my Second Acts Series!
Today, Beth Carpenter is talking about transitions and introducing her new book, Recalculating Route.
Here’s Beth!
“And they lived happily ever after.” But what if they didn’t? Maybe the marriage didn’t work out. Maybe their career paths led them to a dead end. Maybe everything went just as planned, but now they are retired and need to reinvent themselves. “Happily ever after” isn’t a destination, it’s a journey.
Often, life feels less like a bed of roses and more like a tree on a riverbank, growing from the rock. While the river keeps washing the ground from underneath it, the tree is putting out roots, desperately trying to hang on, to keep from toppling over. Over time, that tree develops a certain grace, a sense of purpose that the pretty roses will never achieve. The struggle creates the beauty.
Baby boomers everywhere are making transitions. Many, after years at one career, are making the decision to move to another, either to fulfill a lifelong dream or from necessity as their old job disappears. Sometimes, they’re starting their own business from scratch. Others are making that jump to retirement, structuring their days and their lives without the framework of a career to shape them.
Sometimes I think it’s absurd that we expect eighteen-year-olds to choose a college major that leads to a career path. What do they know about life, about the possibilities? On the other hand, a person has to start somewhere, and maybe where they begin is less important than taking that first step. Knowledge is seldom wasted. Many people move from one career to something completely different, and yet the lessons from that first career shape the person and help him or her succeed in the next. I recently read Confessions of an Instinctively Mutinous Baby Boomer and her Parable of the Tomato Plant. In that book, Marsha Roberts tells of the parables she has experienced in her life. She was a nurse, but later became a successful producer. The two careers seem to have little in common, but her compassion, organizational skills, and experience working with people in difficult situations undoubtedly contributed to her success in her second career.
All our experiences make us who we are, and sometimes life seems to circle around, bringing us back to our roots. A few years ago, my brother agreed to help organize his class reunion. One of the other members of the committee was a woman he’d known in high school, but hadn’t seen since, who lived in a completely different part of the state. They’re happily married now, and they’re not alone. I’ve known of several couples from the same hometown who reconnected after years of living in different parts of the country. It makes sense. They have that common ground, that rootstock from which their life took shape. This gives them something to build on as they make their transitions.
Transitions can be fairly smooth. My own path from stay-at-home mom and avid reader to writer felt like a natural progression as my children grew up. A combination of life experience and those thousands of books I’d devoured over the years gave me a base to build upon in writing that I wouldn’t have had at twenty-five.
Other times, it’s not so smooth. In my newest book, Recalculating Route, the main character, Marsha, was happily married and had retirement all mapped out when her beloved husband died. That left her without a clue on how to spend the rest of her life. She meets Ben, who is also rudderless after selling his company and retiring. The two of them have to figure out what happens next.
As we make our transitions, whether by choice or by necessity, we need to keep in mind that we are in charge of our own “happily ever afters,” and happiness involves growing and changing. Enjoy the journey.
Where you can find Beth…
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Goodreads
Joanne here!
Thank you, Beth for sharing your wonderful advice and insights about transitions. I just finished reading Recalculating Route and highly recommend it. Leave a comment for Beth and you could win a giveaway package valued at $50. Check out the link to the Prize Description.
A Different Kind of Mermaid
I am probably one of the few people on this planet who couldn’t read past Chapter 1 of the first Harry Potter book. As for vampires, werewolves, witches, zombies and other such creatures, well, let’s just say I prefer to keep my distance. Instead, I like to curl up with historical and contemporary women’s fiction, psychological thrillers, cozy mysteries and memoirs.
Continue reading at Killer Crafts and Crafty Killers
A Leap of Faith
Welcome to my Second Acts Series!
While reading the summer issue of Halifax magazine, I was intrigued by an article about an entrepreneur who used marshmallows to launch an amazing second act. When I invited Kelly Blenus to participate in this series, I learned that she had just sold the thriving business to another Second Act Phenomenon, Nikki Roach.
Here’s Nikki!
Originally from Calgary and a single parent, I moved to Halifax six years ago with my sister and her family. We trekked across Canada with nothing mapped out for us, and no certainties. I managed a spa in Calgary and was formally trained by the best in the industry, but the experience there did not translate inter provincial, and I needed to either retrain or change career paths. I opted to change career paths. This led to trying out a 3rd party call centre. I adapted quickly and began moving up the corporate ladder. By the time I started with Maritime Marshmallows, I had been in the industry for 5.5 years and was a technical analyst, working for a leading technology company.
What triggered the need for change?
After six years in Halifax, I am now married and we have two children. Working in an ever changing, fast paced, 24-hour environment, means that I constantly have to juggle a work life balance. I just finished six months of graveyard shifts and saw my family for as little as one hour a day. It left me mentally exhausted with no time for my family, which is what I was working so hard for. During this time I started working with Maritime Marshmallows as an interested party. It was one of my best friends who built the foundation for this amazing business, and she wanted me to build it with her.
Where are you now?
I now own Maritime Marshmallows. I took a leap of faith in a local fresh product that I can stand by and believe in and helped to create many of the gourmet flavours. Our product is now in three stores locally and growing. This is still a work in progress.
Do you have advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act?
Go for it. Everyone will give advice, but listen to your instincts. Not all of us are meant to be what is expected of us, and that often makes us look to be different.
Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?
“You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough.” Mae West
History of Maritime Marshmallows…
After climbing the corporate ladder for ten years, Kelly Blenus decided to go back to school and obtain a degree in psychology. When she encountered financial challenges, she turned to a talent she had acquired during her teenage years: making marshmallows. Kelly received an immediate response on social media with satisfied customers talking about her marshmallows and sharing photos.
Working together since the spring of 2013, Kelly and Nikki have introduced a new twist on an old standard, producing such unique flavors as Lemon Coconut, Chipper Mint, S’Mores, and Beer-Mallow. Gluten-free flavors are also available. If you wish to see Nikki in action, watch this edition of Foodie Tuesday.
Website: http://maritimemarshmallows.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaritimeMarshmallows
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarshmallowsHfx
Joanne here!
Thank you for sharing your journey, Nikki. Haligonians–you can buy these delectable marshmallows at the Alderney Landing Farmers’ Market, Halifax Seaport Farmers’ Market and Sugar Shok Candy Boutique in Dartmouth. I would encourage everyone else to visit Maritime Marshmallows online–Nikki will ship orders anywhere in Canada and the United States.
Open Mind | Open Heart
Welcome to my Second Acts series!
Today, we have award-winning and Amazon best-selling author B.J. Scott talking about her books and her life experiences.
Briefly describe your first act.
On a literary level, this comes in two parts. On a personal level there are several facets to my first act.
The series I am currently writing is set in medieval Scotland, early 1300s, during the time of the first Scottish war of independence. While I include some actual historical facts to enhance the book and to share some interesting bits of history with my readers, they are romance novels and works of fiction. It follows the lives of three brothers– all very different from each other– and the women who impact upon and change their lives forever.
The first book in my series, Highland Legacy, deals with the middle brother, Connor, the dashing, sensible, responsible brother who is often too serious and extremely dedicated to the cause. After the murder of his parents and siblings, he vows to avenge their deaths and to rid Scotland of the English invaders. He does not count on meeting Cailin MacMillan, a feisty lass who runs away after finding out she is betrothed to a man she detests and is accosted by English soldiers. When Connor happens upon them, he rescues her and kills one of the men, a crime for which Cailin is later accused of and subsequently sentenced to be executed.
The second book in the series, Highland Quest, deals with Bryce, the handsome, charismatic youngest brother and known for his way with the ladies. Tired of living in the shadow of his brothers and with no land or title to call his own, Bryce continues his involvement in the fight for Scotland’s independence. When he fist meets Fallon, a beguiling woman with the gift of second sight in Book 1 of the series, the instant attraction and chemistry between them is undeniable. But Bryce harbors a secret from his past, a devastating incident that has haunted him since he was a lad and caused him to close his heart to love. Fallon, unlike most women of the day learned at a young age to fend for herself and is not afraid to stand up to a man or go it on her own if necessary. When reunited in Highland Quest, the spark rekindles, but duty, pride and stubbornness keep them from admitting their true feelings. But when Fallon learns of a planned attack on Robert the Bruce’s camp and her uncle is executed for offering aid to Bryce when he was wounded in a scuffle with a rival clan, supporters of the English, she risks all to warn him. Putting them both in the path of disaster and danger.
My latest release and the final book in the trilogy is Highland Homecoming. This is Alasdair’s story. The oldest of the three brothers and least likely to fall in love or to take a wife. Born fighting for his life, Alasdair has battled some form of challenge his entire life and always confronted them head on. A larger than average man, no nonsense kind of man, he feels unworthy of love and while he secretly yearns for the happiness his brothers have found in their wives and children, he refuses to admit it. Instead he puts on a gruff demeanor and does his best to convince everyone, including himself that he doesn’t need anyone or anything but his sword to meet his destiny. When on a furlough from the war, he finds an beautiful, unconscious woman on the beach, he delays his journey to assist her, a decision that changes his life forever. But Lauren harbors secrets of her own, ones that once discovered can reaffirm Alasdair’s mistrust for women and keep them apart forever.
What triggered the need for change?
After spending fifteen years as a Registered nurse and then five years as a Child and Youth Worker, caring for challenged children, I decided to pursue my life-long passion for writing. I took some college courses in creative writing to hone my skills and joined some online writing groups. While I was no longer actively nursing, I was still working in the Child and Youth Work field. When I met my husband, Steve, and we decided to get married, things changed. There were no jobs in my immediate area in Child and Youth Work so I took a position with Community Living, working with challenged adults. I did this for three years, but old sports injuries caused me to retire from the field. I started a small business selling pet supplies and doing pet oriented gifts. This allowed me the time to pursue my writing as well as earn enough to help pay the bills.
Where are you now?
While I write and continue to do the small business on the side, I missed working with kids, so re-entered the child care field as a private nanny, specializing in special needs children. I have been with the same family for six years.
Advice for anyone planning to pursue a second act?
I guess the only advice would be to follow your dreams. Nothing is impossible if you want it badly enough and are willing to work for it
Any affirmations or quotations you wish to share?
Keep your mind and heart open because the learning never ends. While this is not an actual quote, it is something I try to keep in mind.
Blurb
The last thing Alasdair Fraser expects to find on an isolated beach in Northern Scotland is a beautiful, unconscious lass. Unable to turn his back on someone in need, he delays his journey and tends to her injuries-an act that has him questioning his destiny and his plans to rejoin the fight for Scotland’s independence.
Will he drop the shield that guards his heart or will the secrets she fails to reveal and his own stubbornness keep them apart forever?
Where to find B.J.
http://authorbjscott.wordpress.com
Joanne here!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Highland Homecoming and look forward to reading Books I and II. Thank you for sharing your journey and insights, B.J.
Joanne Guidoccio 