Hello {!firstname}:

YIKES, just 55 days until Costa Rica and I haven't lost even a fraction of an ounce. And, you know what? I'm actually okay with it. Since I'm supposed to be a "model" for my clients and I'm nowhere near model size, and the theme of the retreat is Older, Bolder & Better, I'm modeling loving myself just the way I am. Gone are the days when I forgo some pleasure because I don't look the way I think I should -- one of the glorious perks of being a woman of a certain age!

And speaking of age, my birthday is coming up next week on February 5th -- the big 6-1, or as my friend Harriett would say, the second anniversary of my 59th birthday. Don't you just love it? Not sure what I'm doing to celebrate this year, but I will be taking the day off, and I promise you it'll be fun.

I'm still, however, reconciling how young I feel with the fact that I'm in my 60's. How and when did that happen? But, as Gail Sheehy so wisely says: "Is 50 the new 30? 60 the new 40? No, it's better than that. 60 is the new 60!" :-)

To your endless possibilities!

Lin Schreiber, Retirement Revolutionary

Could you use more confidence and more courage? Are you ready to take more bold action in your life?

Join me and a small group of amazing women for the Older, Bolder & Better retreat in Costa Rica, March 21-27.

Ahhhh, heaven!

The Empowerment of Change
by Lin Schreiber, Retirement Coach

You might not like change, but like it or not, everything changes all the time. There's the kind of change you choose, like retiring from your current work life to pursue the encore career of your dreams. There's also the kind that's thrust upon you that you would never choose for yourself, like being downsized from work that you love.

What's important, in either case, is how you make the journey from where you were to where you choose to be. You can dig in your heels and resist change, or open to the opportunities that change offers. You can look frantically to others for what to do next, or you can trust your own inner knowing. You can throw yourself a pity party, or alter your attitude.

Choose wisely and you’ll discover you have the courage to not only survive, but to actually thrive as you move through your transition.

Jean Shula is an expert on navigating change. She left teaching behind when her youngest child started school, getting a Master's degree and becoming a therapist -- her choice. Getting a divorce just as her three kids were emptying the nest was not her choice. It was on a year-long, post-divorce trip around the US in a camper by herself (her choice) that the idea of writing for a living first sparked.

Once back at home, Jean worked as a therapist for three years before retiring -- again, her choice. A year in Austria and a second Master's degree followed, and finally she jumped into writing full-time, an encore career that she chose whole heartedly.

In the middle of writing her first book, The Coming of Aging: Learning to Live from the Inside Out, Jean was diagnosed with breast cancer. Derailed? Definitely! But here's the thing. Jean didn't waste time battling against the fact of her disease, or blaming or feeling sorry for herself. She took care of business.

One surgery turned into three. Then there was the post-surgery protocol. Then the months of getting her energy and stamina back. Sure, Jean researched her options and got all the information she needed to make a well-informed choice about how to proceed. But, she trusted her instincts and made good decisions for herself.

While the book was on hold, she never lost her excitement about the project or her hope for the future. She saw this derailment as an opportunity to take better care of herself physically, and as a wake-up call to stay focused on the things in life that are most important to her.

Jean uses change to fuel her forward in life. Today, five years after her diagnosis, The Coming of Aging is published, her second book is being shopped to publishers, and a third book is in the works. This dream encore writing career also includes traveling around the country speaking and leading workshops and retreats, and Jean's having the time of her life.


WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you keep it intact and include this blurb with it:  Encore Career Coach Lin Schreiber, author of the popular ABC's of Revolutionizing Retirement, helps self-reliant women reinvent themselves in the next stage of life, formerly known as "retirement," by designing a new encore life that includes a fulfilling encore career. To claim your free Encore Career Starter Kit, visit her site at http://www.EncoreCareerStarterKit.com.

If you love film even half as much as I do, and you haven't seen Avatar yet, I highly recommend it. But, you simply must see it on the big screen in 3-D.

I'm not a fan of sci-fi or fantasy films, and I hate violence of any kind on the screen (especially of the exploding head variety), but I believe Avatar will ultimately change forever how we experience films.

Unlike the 3-D films of your childhood, you won't have to duck, because nothing comes flying off the screen at you, and gone are the cheesy cardboard glasses. But the technology allows you to enter the magical world of the planet Pandora, and it's truly captivating. Yes, the film is violent at times, but the depth and beauty of the spiritual story is so stunning that I honestly didn't mind the violence. Of course, I am famous for keeping my eyes closed. Let me know what you think!

I've been having so much fun interviewing my favorite authors on The WOW Zone! this month. Coming, two more great shows:

2/2: Forget Those Sags & Wrinkles and Celebrate Your Age! with Dr. Cathleen Rountree, author of the wonderful On Women Turning… series of books. She also coaches women writing their first books!

2/9: Fun, Funds & Fulfillment for the Rest of Your Life with Jeri Sedlar, co-author of Don't Retire, Rewire and America's "rewiring expert."

Tell your friends.

"If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies." ~ Unknown

Lin Schreiber, PCC, loves helping self-reliant 50- to 60-something women reinvent themselves in ideal encore careers in the next stage of life, formerly known as "retirement".

She is a sought after speaker and through her business, Revolutionize Retirement™, she delivers comprehensive coaching programs to individuals over the phone, and to groups at her Boot Camp live events at Kripalu Yoga & Health Center. Combining her contagious enthusiasm, non-stop energy, and passion for her subject, Lin creates a fun, dynamic learning environment that energizes and inspires her audiences and her clients.

Founder of www.RevolutionizeRetirement.com, Lin is featured on the PBS series Boomers: Redefining Life After Fifty™ and is author of The ABC's of Retiring Retirement.

Lin is currently hosting the weekly, one-hour live internet talk radio show, The WOW Zone! on Voice America. www.WowZoneRadioShow.com

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