| For more than twenty-years, Carla's | | | | Both are an accepted call to action. |
| primary focus was working her way up the | | | | Changing your job, career, or lifestyle |
| corporate ladder in the Human Resources | | | | may take some work. But if you truly |
| department of a large publicly traded | | | | follow your passion, the effort will |
| company. Day after day she worked hard | | | | provide infinitely positive results.Are |
| to meet the demands of her superiors and | | | | you ready to make a change? Here are a |
| colleagues, until one morning she woke | | | | few tips for getting started on a |
| up with a sickened, sinking feeling in | | | | successful second career.Make a list of |
| her stomach.It was her career, she | | | | the things missing in your lifeDo you |
| realized. Having spent nearly half of | | | | long to revive a passion from your youth |
| her life working in an unsatisfying job, | | | | that you never found time to pursue? Is |
| with few genuine accomplishments and the | | | | it music, a sport, writing, cooking, |
| goals of her youth long forgotten, Carla | | | | entrepreneurship? It doesn't matter |
| had hit midlife and she didn't like it. | | | | what, as long as it's something you |
| To alleviate the feeling in her stomach, | | | | truly have a desire to do. If you've |
| Carla began making a conscious effort to | | | | already got a clear picture of the |
| pay more attention to the gap between | | | | passions you'd like to pursue, then |
| the reality of her life and the dreams | | | | identify small, achievable ways you can |
| and passions she once had. She was | | | | start incorporating them into your |
| determined to pounce on her one last | | | | life.Imagine that you already have one |
| chance for a career that could make the | | | | million dollars in the bankHow would you |
| second half of her life more meaningful | | | | spend your time each day? Think of the |
| and fulfilling.In 2004, Carla decided to | | | | environment you'd like to be in, the |
| nourish her passion to serve the elderly | | | | people you'd want to know, and how you |
| and today, is the owner and operator of | | | | would relate to them. What activities |
| an adult day care facility in Houston, | | | | would you engage in? Chances are your |
| Texas. She is now planning her next | | | | passions come to the surface when you |
| venture-an assisted living program for | | | | play-out your "winning the lottery" |
| low-income elderly residents.Is Carla's | | | | fantasies. Although we're not all |
| story unusual? According to a study | | | | destined to be millionaires, that |
| reported in Prevention Magazine, not in | | | | shouldn't hold you back from following |
| the slightest; "79% of baby boomers will | | | | your desires and placing more value in |
| expect to work at least part-time well | | | | yourself, regardless of your bank |
| into their golden years," the study has | | | | account balance.Tap into your wisdom and |
| revealed. "A growing number of adults | | | | experience to re-evaluate your current |
| are looking at their 40s, 50s, and 60s | | | | careerAsk yourself what's not working |
| as the right time to start fresh in an | | | | and what you want to change. Use this |
| entirely new field." What drives adults | | | | time to reflect on your life. Are there |
| to change their careers? The answer, in | | | | any passions or dreams that you |
| a word, is midlife.Craving a more | | | | abandoned in your youth? If you don't |
| fulfilling and meaningful career is just | | | | know what you want to do, try |
| one area of focus during midlife | | | | volunteering as a way to develop new |
| adjustment. As adults reach midlife, at | | | | interests. Find a way to live your |
| a time when parents and older relatives | | | | passion everyday. I once heard someone |
| begin to die, the realization that their | | | | say, "You don't get what you want out of |
| lives, too, will come to an end begins | | | | life, but what you believe."Understand |
| to hit home. Suddenly the importance of | | | | your passion, but also where your |
| achieving goals and doing what makes us | | | | strengths lieIt's critical to take an |
| happy becomes much more important. This | | | | inventory of your life and to determine |
| is the time closet authors, | | | | what is really important. Make a list of |
| entrepreneurs, musicians or artists will | | | | the things you are passionate about, and |
| begin thinking about careers to match | | | | then narrow the list to items that |
| their energy, vitality, and passion for | | | | present an opportunity to generate |
| life.The life cycle is, for most of us, | | | | income. If you're not pursuing your |
| fairly predictable. From adolescence to | | | | passion, what's in the way? What do you |
| age 30, most of us are consumed with | | | | need to do to move forward with pursuing |
| learning how to become who we think we | | | | your plan?Keep your day jobYou don't |
| want to be. We go from our 30s to our | | | | have to quit your day job to focus on |
| 40s working and living that role. But at | | | | your passion. It's not an all or nothing |
| age 40, midlife, after having reached | | | | proposition. I meet people all the time |
| this goal, many discover it wasn't what | | | | who say they're working full-time and |
| we wanted to do after all. At this | | | | pursuing their dreams on the side, in |
| midlife point, after having worked so | | | | their free time. You may still need to |
| hard only to find ourselves wanting, | | | | earn a living while you transition onto |
| many are willing to take on the | | | | your new path. This is true whether |
| challenge of more risk and freeing | | | | you're planning to start a business or |
| ourselves from the burden of other's | | | | preparing to establish a new |
| expectations.Longer life expectancy | | | | career.Start right nowOver the next 30 |
| plays a part, too. At midlife, says | | | | days; make a commitment to yourself to |
| Deborah Carr, sociology professor at | | | | identify one thing you can do to begin |
| Rutgers University, people realize they | | | | pursuing your passion-and start doing |
| still have nearly half a lifetime yet to | | | | it! Research ways to integrate your |
| live and wonder how they will spend | | | | passion with your current obligations |
| those years. "They know they're going to | | | | and take those first steps into your |
| have lots of healthy years, so I think | | | | second career with achievable goals. |
| it's a period of making choices to live | | | | You'll soon discover that living and |
| out one's dreams that got put on the | | | | working your passion is being in control |
| shelf during younger years."Women are | | | | of your own life.Diane Randall is a |
| well represented in this mindset, with | | | | Certified Wellness Coach who works |
| more women than ever using their midlife | | | | primarily with adults over 30 to help |
| as a springboard to experience positive | | | | them reclaim their zest and drive for |
| career transformations. They want a | | | | life. Randall began her wellness journey |
| career that matches their energy and | | | | over fifteen years ago when an |
| allows them to be successful as | | | | unexplained health crisis forced her to |
| individuals. More and more often you | | | | adopt a better way of living, and has |
| will find women starting businesses, | | | | since used her education and experiences |
| gaining respect, and finding purpose in | | | | to help countless others. Randall speaks |
| their midlife.The lesson we can take for | | | | and writes about a variety of health and |
| Carla's story is that midlife should not | | | | wellness related topics affecting the |
| be feared, and that the sinking feeling | | | | adult community. |
| in your stomach should not be ignored. | | | | |