I stopped writing for a time, not because I didn't have ideas for the blog, but because I was overwhelmed with all that was happening.
So many people to meet and so many ideas..
I met author Marc Freedman and let him know how much I appreciated his work. (He has a new book,The Big Shift.) http://www.encore.org/ His informative books made me feel like I was doing this initial process right. I am adopting his wording for this phase I am in. Rather than being "retired" I am in my "gap year." He writes that people just leaving a 9 to 5 job are far more exhausted than they often realize. (No kidding!!) Work life has become "one long run-on sentence in need of punctuation." Wouldn't it be nice to have a pause at other times in one's work life?
(Note the word "pause", which I am careful to use in place of the word "break." Last time I said I need a "break", ended up with a broken foot, which needed surgeries, a bone graft, a plate and five screws. I did get some time off of work but not exactly what I had in mind.)
I have been able to meet with new folks to learn about how they moved forward with their ideas.
Jennifer Morris, a realtor, developed the Daisy Camp for women going through a divorce, providing one day or weekend retreats filled with information and connection to others. Her idea has now been developed into a non profit business offering support to that most difficult of times. http://www.daisycamp.org/
Sayre Darling, who has her own consultation business Courageous Communication and laughingly admitted what other business would a person with a name pronounced "say-er" be involved in. How awesome is that. http://www.couragecom.com/
I have just started to support my friend Amin Etemad with his new website Albooms for Baby Boomers in Business http://www.albooms.com/ and his site for preserving children's art work. http://www.paintdo.com/
I have had many of those sychronistic moments including a conversational lunch with a wonderful young man on break a fast food restaurant. He is a musician who is also hoping to go into the helping field. We had a great time!!
I have also been trying to get outside now that Spring has finally arrived in the Twin Cities. For mother's day, I have a new rose called Aromatherapy which it truly is. I am hoping to get it planted between the rain today.
I also had an Oprah party, inviting four friends to watch and discuss Oprah's last show.. end of an era and the beginning of a new one. Sounds like the theme of my life also. Oprah asked us to listen to the whispers of what is calling to each one of us. Out of the discussion that day I discovered I may be going on a trip but that is in still process... as I am...
