Creating Who You Will Be

One of the great things about passing fifty or sixty is having the opportunity to create the person you want to be for the rest of your life.  So much of who we were and what we did in our earlier lives was dictated by circumstances, usually the big three - children, job, spouse.

When my youngest child approached college age, I knew change was inevitable in my life.  There was a definite sadness about the last of the litter leaving the nest but there was, also, an impending sense of freedom.  A fresh start.  Seriously, how often do we get a chance to start over?  Whether being single is your choice or thrust upon you, change is imminent.

I began to welcome change and, by being aware it loomed in my not-so-distant future, I started thinking about what kind of life I wanted.  I didn't have a master plan but I was open to possibilities.  The idea of fiction writing came to me during a trip when the locale took my mind back a hundred years and I couldn't wait to write a story about what I imagined happened then.  Once I started writing, I was hooked and a new career emerged.  I'm so grateful to wake up every morning with a goal, a purpose, something to accomplish that interests and excites me. I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have an unfinished chapter waiting for my attention.

An unexpected bonus of writing has been meeting other writers, especially women who are talented, dynamic, and unbelievably involved in writing and promoting the craft.  Being associated with such creative and energetic people fuels my enthusiasm and propels me to work harder.

Each woman has to find her own passion but the search is worth the effort.  I have a wide circle of friends and acquaintances and I'm amazed at the variety of productive ways they're using their abilities and gifts.

I'd like to hear from women who've discovered their fresh start or are in the process of searching.