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Greetings! One of the reasons we started our e-zine and website is that we wanted a place for retirees (including us!) to come together, dream, learn, be motivated, and fulfill our dreams. We all should know that we don't have to hang on to an old dream that has stopped nurturing us or that has expired with retirement. Know that there is always time to start a new dream. In that spirit, we are excited to introduce a new series called Next Phase Stories, profiling retirees in one location who have pursued -- and fulfilled -- their dreams and passions, no matter what their age or circumstances. I find these stories endlessly inspiring. I hope you do too. At our website, in the right hand column, click onto Next Phase Stories and read the stories of what others have said and done. We would love to hear what you have done or plan to do. Send your story via email to either Gail or Ed. We can then share your story with others who might need that extra push to get them started. Gail and Ed "I can't imagine anything more meaningful than doing
what I most love! -Edgar Winter
What better time to start!!
------------------------------------------- Don't forget to check what your passion is, click here to take our FREE preliminary passion test, the test we give those who sign up for Discover Your Passion coaching with us. You may find your answers right there. If you want to go further, sign up for the 30-day Explore Your Passion course, which will be available next month. Check out our website, Retired-NextPhase.com. |
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THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH
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"Here's what my love affair with quotations has taught me: the more you focus on words that uplift you, the more you embody the ideas contained in those words." - Oprah.
What words uplift you? |
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THE GENTLEMAN TEACHER TURNED SINGER - NORMAN LEDER
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Norman Leder
Most mornings at the local bagel shop, one table is almost always filled with a group of men who have been meeting there for as long as I can remember. Their banter and their enjoyment of each other's company is obvious. At the center of the group, one gentleman stands out. A bit older than his cronies and clearly revered by them, Norman appears to be the catalyst for this good-natured fraternity; and recently we had the good fortune to interview him about his retirement years. After graduating from Brooklyn College in 1950, Norm found himself, along with a great number of other young men at that time, drafted into the Army during the Korean War in 1952. Assigned to a clerical position in Virginia, purely by chance, Norm felt more than a little guilty that he had not been chosen to see combat during that conflict. He literally pulled a card from a deck that landed him in Virginia where his main job was to run bingo games at the Officers' Club. Although somewhat embarrassed about his "cushy" situation, he had a wonderful time setting up the games and enabling others to have a good time. Those last seven words were also the hallmark of his adulthood. The next 40 years saw Norman teaching high school English in the N.Y.C. School System. His first assignment was at Boys High in Bedford-Stuyvesant and then at Tottenville High School, Staten Island. As a result of those teaching years, Norm and his wife are enjoying the benefits of a retirement pension, living in Clark, NJ, where he resides today. Norman's natural kindness and understanding of others have certainly touched the lives of many people, most of whom he will never know. As an example, he learned of a student in his class who wrote about him in an essay for another teacher's class. Her parents were going through a divorce, which made her life miserable. One day, in class she was supposed to have written what was on the board, but when Mr. Leder came to her side, she had put her head down on the desk without completing the assignment. Instead of being annoyed, he showed genuine concern. In her essay she wrote that because of Mr. Leder's show of caring and understanding, she felt she could handle her situation. Norman has been retired for twenty-two years. When we asked what he was doing and if he enjoyed what he was doing now, we learned what his true passion is and always has been--music; specifically, playing the guitar and singing. As a teenager, Norm watched and studied Bing Crosby. He noticed that Crosby always had an orchestra behind him, and thought that must be one of the key ingredients to Crosby's tremendous success. So, he figured that's what he needed as well. As a start, and with his father's permission, he bought himself a $5 guitar as his accompaniment and taught himself how to play by watching and imitating other students playing guitar in the college lounge. One day Pete Seeger and his group, "The Weavers," came to his college, and Norm fell in love with the sound. Seeger and his music were highly controversial during that time, a time when Harry Truman was elected in the biggest upset election in U.S. history. The sounds and the times blended together to form an indelible memory on the young and impressionable college student. During his early teaching years, Norman's proficiency with the guitar became such that he began teaching guitar at night school. One of his night students, a button salesman with ambitions of his own, felt that Norman had the talent to be a success as a professional singer and thus began a series of "almosts" for Norm. The fellow introduced him to a series of talent scouts. One of those auditions led to an appearance on a talent show which boosted his confidence when he won. This led to his being chosen as a contestant on the TV show, "Name That Tune." According to Norm, the most humorous part of participating on that show was learning that contestants were given a pair of sneakers before the show so they could run as fast as possible to hit the bell if they knew the tune. When asked what his anticipations were, if he had any, before his retirement, Norm responded that when he retired, he knew he was financially secure because of the pension plan provided by the N.Y.C. School System. With his basic financial needs provided for through his pension and social security, he decided he wanted to start a small business, which he did, with a partner. Together they opened a student driving school which lasted for four years, but eventually dissolved, and they went their separate ways. When Norm met a fellow music enthusiast at Temple, who played the mandolin, he had found someone who shared his passion and ultimately this moved him a step closer to realizing the backup support he felt was one of the keys to Bing Crosby's success, his own mini-orchestra. At this juncture in his life, Norm has come to recognize that his talent is making a positive difference in the lives of those with whom he comes in contact. He plays and sings at homes for the elderly, hospitals, local establishments, even at home parties. As you might expect, for Norm the intrinsic rewards from these activities far outweigh the monetary ones. Seeing an Alzheimer's patient sing along with a familiar song brings joy to his heart. Being told by attendants at a local hospital that a man who had never spoken for 20 years spoke for the first time because of his singing, touched his heart deeply. The combined reactions of those who listen to his music have brought Norman a great sense of personal accomplishment. These examples have no doubt been multiplied many times over. Norm and his wife live a full life and, in spite of some aches and pains, thoroughly enjoy their life in retirement. It is especially rewarding for Norm to realize that his personal talents positively impact the lives of others; and what he is doing is what he most loves to do--play and sing! This is a very special man, and it was our pleasure to have had the opportunity to interview him.
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BOOK REVIEW - DOING WHAT YOU LOVE, LOVING WHAT YOU DO
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Robert Anthony's book, Doing What You Love, Loving What You Do, is one of the most influential books in my library. It was well worth the time it took to type my underlines and notes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. Because of its length, only one part will be presented at a time. ENJOY!!
DOING WHAT YOU LOVE, LOVING WHAT YOU DO
DR. ROBERT ANTHONY
YOUR SILENT PARTNER WITHIN The secret forces of the subconscious mind should never be underestimated or ignored. Once they are properly channeled, they will go to work for you and cause incredible things to happen! Your higher self is always looking out for you and is always urging you toward those things that will make you genuinely happy, but it needs the encouragement of your recognition in order to begin manifesting its powers. All you need do is acknowledge what is already there. You might begin by saying to yourself. "I accept that there is a sleeping giant within me." Repeat this statement several times and notice its effect upon you.
Since we are all creative beings, it is always in our power to create more.
FINDING YOUR TRUE VOCATIONAL UNIQUENESS In addition to satisfying your innermost needs and desires, your life's work makes a contribution to the lives of others. When you begin to focus upon your life's work, you will want to focus on what will fulfill you. A life's work inspires passion! It sustains energy. It seduces you. It won't leave you alone. You think about it wherever you are, whatever you are doing. When you discover your life's work, you will realize that you already have the gift to make it happen. You can start by looking into situations that interest you.
The search for your life's work begins in your imagination. What do I love to do the most? How could I benefit myself and others if I were to make this my life's work? Then listen to yourself and take heed of what it is you want and need in order to create the kind of life you truly desire. Your mission in life is all about YOU, about your willingness to serve others while serving yourself.
"LIFE IS A DO-IT-YOURSELF PROGRAM." There are NO disposable days. Each day counts.
"WHAT YOU SEE IS WHO YOU'LL BE." Each of us has natural aptitudes that we must develop if we are to be successful.
Develop a concrete plan that makes it possible to advance systematically from one step to the next until the long-range goal has been achieved. Make a contract with yourself. Write down various ideas that you have or businesses you think you might like to run. Check the yellow pages for places like New York City and Los Angeles to see what services are available there that aren't yet available locally. In doing this, you could easily uncover a market for a highly profitable business of your own. It is important to focus on what it is you want to do!
Next month we will cover "Planning for Success."
Read more book summaries on our website. |
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SKY DIVING ANYONE?
| From Parade magazine comes a story about an unusual 50th wedding celebration:
Alan and Pat Dodd of Portales, N.M., recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in high style--with a tandem skydive. "I don't think we can top [that]," says Alan, 71, who persuaded his wife to hurtle toward the earth at 120 mph. Says Pat, 69: "Alan wouldn't stop talking about it. I finally decided the only way to shut him up was to do it." The retired Dodds--with four grown children, eight grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren--relish adventure. "We will do another skydive on our 75th," says Alan. "After all, we will only be in our 90's."
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MOVING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK
| Can you put the following events in the correct chronological order ?
- 1st Man On The Moon - Fall Of The Berlin Wall - President Nixon Resigns - Castro Becomes Dictator Of Cuba
Answers found following Rightsizing Your Life
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TAKE A BREAK AND LAUGH ABOUT IT.....
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Here are a few reasons why men are happier people......
- NICKNAMES...If Kate, Debbie and Lisa go out to lunch, they will call each other Kate, Debbie and Lisa. If Pete, Lou and Mike go out to lunch, they will call each other Fatboy, Bubba or Wildman.
- MONEY...a man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item she does not need, but is on sale.
- BATHROOMS...A man has 6 items in the bathroom, toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, shaving cream, bar of soap and a towel. A woman, on average has 337 items and a man would not be able to identify more than 20 of them.
- THE FUTURE...A woman worries about the future until she finds a husband. A man never worries about the future untio he gets married.
- CHILDREN...A woman knows everything about her children. She knows about their dentist appointments, romances, best friends, favorite foods, their secret fears, hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in his house.
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Profit From Your Passion - a thirty-day E-course
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Retire to Your Passion!! Treat yourself to a thorough review of all of your likes, dislikes, successes, challenges, and everything that has made you who you are today. Find not only what most interests you but also what your purpose in life is. In thirty days you will unlock the secrets of who you really are. To learn more about this 30-day course, visit our website.
Introductory Price: $97 - Thirty Days of Lessons plus Six Weekly Teleseminars. AVAILABLE NOW!
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Rightsizing Your Life
|  Imagine finding what you need when you need it! That pair of slacks you wanted to wear...right there on a hangar. Your favorite shoes...sitting neatly on the floor. Getting and staying organized makes every day life easier, and allows you to start the day without feeling so flustered and rushed. It becomes even more important when you are experiencing or preparing for a major home or life transition, whether you are downsizing, rightsizing, divorcing, remarrying, retiring or making a career change. Living only with those things you need and love leaves more time to do the things you love to do, more time to develop your creative side, and more time to explore your passions! Less is much more!
ABOUT ELLEN: According to an unknown author, "Simplicity is making the journey with baggage enough". Ellen Kazanoff, rightsizing specialist and simplicity coach, lives her life, as well as runs her business, according to the "less is more" philosophy. More time to do the things you love to do, more space to live comfortably, and more peace of mind! As a baby boomer herself, she is familiar with the feelings of overwhelm and panic that accompany the decision to make a major home or life change.
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ANSWERS TO MOVING FORWARD/LOOKING BACK:
- Castro Becomes Dictator Of Cuba 1959
- 1st. Man On The Moon 1969
- President Nixon Resigns 1979
- Fall of The Berlin Wall 1989
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Gail Cassidy, gail@coachability.com; (908) 654-5216
http://www.Coachability.com
Ed Topar, edtopar@gmail.com |  |
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