Looking For Meaning and Purpose In All the Right Places

I tell people NOT to eavesdrop on other people's dreams, because what one person considers heaven, you might consider hell. I give myself the right to eavesdrop. I view it as part of my on-going research. I see myself as a "social voyeur" so if you have that title then eavesdropping goes with the territory.

Recently a lot of folks have been telling me they need to rewire because they need to find new meaning and purpose in their life. They have gone stale at work and at play even in their relationships. When I ask how they define "meaning and purpose" I usually get a blank stare or quizzical look----"meaning and purpose" are great words but I believe it it up to each of us to define those words for ourselves.

Many Boomers say they want to do new work in their next act...to have a retirement career, or as my friend and author, Marc Freedman , calls it...to have Encore Career. If you are one of those people looking for new work that touches both your life and society then get ready to do some personal due diligence by reading the latest survey from MetLife and Civic Ventures on the topic.

"Drivers" Can Enhance Your Vacation

We just came back from a two week vacation in Paris; truthfully it was to not only have fun but to also celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary in a city we both love! We had an incredible time, even with a weak dollar. A few friends and associates had wondered, "wouldn't it be better to wait until the dollar got stronger? and our responses was, "and when does your crystal ball say that will be?"

First tip---You can always find a reason for not doing something! You don't even have to look that hard! So my advice is, accept that reality, prepare for it, and then get on with it.

Second tip ---For us, it wasn't just about going to Paris, it was about what did we want to do, to see, to experience there? We had subscribed to France Today magazine and used their great site(http://www.francetoday.com/) to see what was going on in Paris. As some of you know, in doing our research for our book DON'T RETIRE, REWIRE! we identified 85 reasons why people work beyond money, but we also discovered that these "drivers" as we call them, are a part of our DNA and apply to our total life.

Third tip---You can also use those drivers to plan your pleasures! Rewiring isn't just about work! One of my drivers is "to have new experiences" and another is "to be current!" I hate to miss out on anything, so we ordered tickets for the Camille Claudel exhibit at the Rodin Museum (http://www.musee-rodin.fr/) and booked an outstanding guide to tour Giverny(www.giverny.org/monet) Claude Monet's home, where he painted the famous waterlily series. and we're glad we did because there were waiting lines for both!

Fourth tip--- One of my co-author/husband's drivers is "to have freedom," so our goal was to create a vacation experience that would fulfill both of us! We didn't fill every minute but rather left time for just sitting in the Tuileries Garden and pondering life, devouring a chocolate dessert at Angelina's or munching on a baguette and letting the world go by!

Fifth tip---Discover what makes you tick (it's a key part of rewiring) then go out and create the life that makes you tick!

A bientot!