Do you ask the next question to follow up and clarify what someone said or learn more? Do you try something new just because…? These are indicators of a sense of curiosity. If you rarely ask questions or step out of your comfort zone in life, you may lose out on the benefits of curiosity. I have always been curious, sometimes bordering on asking too many questions, my kids would say. Life fascinates me and I love to learn how it works and why people do what they do. I thrive on wonderful conversations where questions move us deeper and broader to a better understanding of the topic and one another.…
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The 3 Biggest Mistakes I Made When I Retired…and How I Fixed Them
A Pivotal Moment in a Major Life Transition I experienced an awkward moment at a women’s event when someone asked for my business card. I had recently ended my 30-plus year career, didn’t have a current business card, and when asked what I did, I didn’t know quite how to answer. Without my business card, I had no job title, company, address, or contact information. I felt invisible without my career identity. I responded, “I recently retired.” This answer often stops the conversation cold or elicits benign responses such as “must be nice”, or “oh, I could never retire”. Then the conversation quickly shifts. The better conversationalists ask a second…
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5 Steps to Gain New Perspective and Balance After a Major Life Change
In the early morning quiet, I felt I was free floating over my former life and the roles I had. And sadly aware of the loss of several cherished relationships. I saw my communities grow smaller as I drifted farther away. I had no moorings, no balance, no terra firma to stand on. I wasn’t in a hot-air balloon—nor was I having a near death experience. It had been nearly a year since I had “officially retired” from my long career. I felt as though I’d untied the last of the ropes which had tethered me to the safety of the life I knew so well. In retirement I lost…
