If you're up for more than a volunteer vacation, try two years with the Peace Corps. From teaching marketing in Romania to math in South Africa, the Peace Corps allows you to learn new skills and use your talents in challenging settings. Roughly 7 percent of Peace Corps volunteers are 50 and over (800-424-8580; www.peacecorps.gov).
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Take a Vacation
Before you make a career change, try working in the field as a volunteer (www.aarp.org/makeadifference/volunteer).
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VolunteerMatch lists thousands of nonprofit groups seeking volunteers (http://www.volunteermatch.org/).
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Volunteers of America organizes service trips in national parks and forests (http://www.voa.org/).
------
Minnesota-based Global Volunteers arranges assignments for social and economic development projects throughout the world
(800-487-1074; http://www.globalvolunteers.org/).
------
Volunteer Vacations (Chicago Review Press, 1999), by Bill McMillon, contains profiles of nearly 300 organizations that sponsor volunteer travel opportunities. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
------
VolunteerMatch lists thousands of nonprofit groups seeking volunteers (http://www.volunteermatch.org/).
------
Volunteers of America organizes service trips in national parks and forests (http://www.voa.org/).
------
Minnesota-based Global Volunteers arranges assignments for social and economic development projects throughout the world
(800-487-1074; http://www.globalvolunteers.org/).
------
Volunteer Vacations (Chicago Review Press, 1999), by Bill McMillon, contains profiles of nearly 300 organizations that sponsor volunteer travel opportunities. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Study With a Master
A more formal way to learn about a career is by becoming an apprentice. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, apprentice programs are available for more than 825 occupations, from accordion maker to x-ray equipment tester. Visit the Web site of the Labor Department's Employment & Training Administration, www.doleta.gov/atels_bat. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Visit a Job Site
Wondering what it's like to be an architect? Or a physician's assistant? Spend a day with one. Contact the trade association for the field you're interested in to learn if job shadowing is available. See the Encyclopedia of Associations in the reference section of your local library. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Take a Hike
How you handle a wilderness challenge can tell you a lot about your ability to cope with life. Voyageur Outward Bound School (now part of Outward Bound Wilderness) offers a Life Career Renewal program that's designed for those seeking renewed energy and a new direction. The course runs from seven to 14 days at locations in Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, and Texas.
A recent check of OBW's website showed a list of many other available locations (including Alaska, Colorado, Utah, and Florida, as well as the Caribbean and South America). Call toll-free 866-467-7651 or check http://www.outwardboundwilderness.org/index.html.
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
A recent check of OBW's website showed a list of many other available locations (including Alaska, Colorado, Utah, and Florida, as well as the Caribbean and South America). Call toll-free 866-467-7651 or check http://www.outwardboundwilderness.org/index.html.
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Monday, October 27, 2008
Unleash Your Inner Artist
Live Art, a two-week creativity spa located in the village of Soreze in the south of France, offers personalized daily art instruction amid breathtaking sunflower fields and vineyards. Visit http://www.artfully.com/. (Alternate URL www.artfully.com/soreze). [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Monday, October 6, 2008
Reinvent Yourself: HAVE A LAUGH
GTO's Thoughts:
Laughter can be great medicine. I'm not usually very political, but this spoof of the Vice-Presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden (as done by Saturday Night Live's Tina Fey and Jason Sudeikis) had me rolling with laughter. The characterizations are dead-on, and neither side escapes skewering. Enjoy!
I've been thinking for a couple days about "Having a Laugh" and I remembered that some of the most enjoyable, most laughter-inducing times I've experienced have been game-nights with family and friends. There's nothing quite like it. Talk about great medicine!
Have you ever played Balderdash? Oh my gosh, it's as close to perfection as a game can get! Unlike trivia games (where unevenly-yoked players fight a desperate battle to get a single correct answer, even as their more well-read counterparts are crossing the finish line), Balderdash is a bluffing game where players make up definitions to words they've never heard of, and earn points when other players choose their bogus definitions as actual definitions.
It's a pretty level playing field if you ask me. But bluffing is only one aspect of the overall entertainment value in a game like Balderdash.
One of the things I enjoy about the game is seeing a side of your family and friends that you rarely get to see. Hidden talents bubble to the surface. Family members begin to show facets of new personalities. And the room begins to feel a lot smarter than you remembered!
Just try to keep a straight face as you collect everyone's definitions and read them aloud to the other players, I dare you. You can't. It's impossible. Balderdash insiders know what I'm talking about! I'm not even playing the game and I'm cracking up at the comedic tension that fills the room during this stage of the game. (Oh, Dasher, your stifled yet gut-wrenching giggles betray you!)
It's a feast of amazing cleverness, unexpected creativity and uproarious laughter - all shared with people you know and love. And you won't even care who wins! I love it!
Play Balderdash and have a laugh. Or watch Saturday Night Live.
What makes you laugh? Let me know! GTO
Laughter can be great medicine. I'm not usually very political, but this spoof of the Vice-Presidential debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden (as done by Saturday Night Live's Tina Fey and Jason Sudeikis) had me rolling with laughter. The characterizations are dead-on, and neither side escapes skewering. Enjoy!
 |
| HERE'S THE LINK: http://www.hulu.com/watch/37730 |
I've been thinking for a couple days about "Having a Laugh" and I remembered that some of the most enjoyable, most laughter-inducing times I've experienced have been game-nights with family and friends. There's nothing quite like it. Talk about great medicine!
Have you ever played Balderdash? Oh my gosh, it's as close to perfection as a game can get! Unlike trivia games (where unevenly-yoked players fight a desperate battle to get a single correct answer, even as their more well-read counterparts are crossing the finish line), Balderdash is a bluffing game where players make up definitions to words they've never heard of, and earn points when other players choose their bogus definitions as actual definitions.
It's a pretty level playing field if you ask me. But bluffing is only one aspect of the overall entertainment value in a game like Balderdash.
One of the things I enjoy about the game is seeing a side of your family and friends that you rarely get to see. Hidden talents bubble to the surface. Family members begin to show facets of new personalities. And the room begins to feel a lot smarter than you remembered!
Just try to keep a straight face as you collect everyone's definitions and read them aloud to the other players, I dare you. You can't. It's impossible. Balderdash insiders know what I'm talking about! I'm not even playing the game and I'm cracking up at the comedic tension that fills the room during this stage of the game. (Oh, Dasher, your stifled yet gut-wrenching giggles betray you!)
It's a feast of amazing cleverness, unexpected creativity and uproarious laughter - all shared with people you know and love. And you won't even care who wins! I love it!
Play Balderdash and have a laugh. Or watch Saturday Night Live.
What makes you laugh? Let me know! GTO
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Reinvent Yourself: MAKE A 10-MINUTE COMMITMENT
Subtitle: Don't Let Yourself Off the Hook
How often do you say you're going to do something - and then fall short of actually doing it?
Do you let yourself off the hook more often than you should?
Have the people in your life stopped taking you seriously, or have you stopped taking yourself seriously?
Well, friend, I know your pain.
And as a living, breathing example of someone who lets himself off the hook way too often, I believe that we pay a severe price for this behavior.
When we say we're going to do something, then don't - aren't we, in essence, lying to ourselves?
(Now, you can choose to believe that it's not a lie, but then my question becomes, when does it become a lie? At what point does saying something (and not doing it) become a lie? -- a month? A year?)
The point is, putting off important things compromises the trust and belief we have in ourselves. The longer we put off important things, the more doubt creeps in. Our brains start asking the wrong kinds of questions, start seeing the wrong kinds of outcomes - and we stop moving forward. Inertia sets in, then paralysis - the result of no longer believing in ourselves.
We can start believing again.
By doing what we say we will do.
Take that first, tiny step.
In my case, the first tiny step is often just sitting down. Sitting my butt down and focusing on something for five minutes.
What important things do you need to do? Can you do them for even five minutes?
Do you have a paper due? Can you work on it for five minutes?
Do you need to lose weight? Can you exercise for five to ten minutes?
Or is it as simple as your dishes piling up? Can you wash five glasses or plates right now?
Is your house a mess? Make the bed!
(Making the bed only takes two minutes, yet completely changes the look of the room!)
Just get started!
Even a small change to our environment can help us feel like we're taking action.
And before you know it, things are starting to look up.
But don't overdo it. (I'm talking to the beginners here!)
For things to change, you need to take small, consistent actions. But don't overdo it!
If you write for two hours today, you may not feel like writing tomorrow. I'd rather you go slowly everyday than risk overdoing it, scaring yourself, or wearing yourself out, and never getting back to the matter at hand. (I'm speaking from experience here.)
We want to offset the sinking emotions you've been feeling recently, but we don't want to overwhelm you. So take small, gentle action everyday.
Don't let yourself off the hook!
With those small, focused, consistent actions, momentum begins to build. Sometimes it takes a while. (Some argue that it takes a month for new habits to kick in.) But even before that you'll start to see that you're getting back on track. Moving forward. One step at a time.
My friend, Elwin, and I get together to write once a week. At first, we'd spend a majority of our writing-time catching up with each other, or getting into very interesting conversations about this or that. (It was mostly my fault.) But as the weeks went on, as we got comfortable with our writing-time, we found ourselves getting to the important stuff (the writing) much more quickly. Yes, it took weeks, but we stayed consistent, and now spend the majority of our time doing what we need to do - the important stuff.
We can't afford to lie to ourselves for long. There's a time-limit on life.
Things change constantly. One day an opportunity may present itself, then the next day it could be gone forever.
To get ready for these opportunities, we need to stop lying to ourselves, take tiny, focused action, re-establish a level of trust and faith in ourselves, and move on to the next thing as soon as possible.
All we need is a 10-minute commitment.
(We'll add more time later.)
Today. 10-minutes. Don't let yourself off the hook. This is important.
We're training ourselves to be consistent. We're training ourselves to stop lying.
We can do this.
We got this.
GTO
How often do you say you're going to do something - and then fall short of actually doing it?
Do you let yourself off the hook more often than you should?
Have the people in your life stopped taking you seriously, or have you stopped taking yourself seriously?
Well, friend, I know your pain.
And as a living, breathing example of someone who lets himself off the hook way too often, I believe that we pay a severe price for this behavior.
When we say we're going to do something, then don't - aren't we, in essence, lying to ourselves?
(Now, you can choose to believe that it's not a lie, but then my question becomes, when does it become a lie? At what point does saying something (and not doing it) become a lie? -- a month? A year?)
The point is, putting off important things compromises the trust and belief we have in ourselves. The longer we put off important things, the more doubt creeps in. Our brains start asking the wrong kinds of questions, start seeing the wrong kinds of outcomes - and we stop moving forward. Inertia sets in, then paralysis - the result of no longer believing in ourselves.
We can start believing again.
By doing what we say we will do.
Take that first, tiny step.
In my case, the first tiny step is often just sitting down. Sitting my butt down and focusing on something for five minutes.
What important things do you need to do? Can you do them for even five minutes?
Do you have a paper due? Can you work on it for five minutes?
Do you need to lose weight? Can you exercise for five to ten minutes?
Or is it as simple as your dishes piling up? Can you wash five glasses or plates right now?
Is your house a mess? Make the bed!
(Making the bed only takes two minutes, yet completely changes the look of the room!)
Just get started!
Even a small change to our environment can help us feel like we're taking action.
And before you know it, things are starting to look up.
But don't overdo it. (I'm talking to the beginners here!)
For things to change, you need to take small, consistent actions. But don't overdo it!
If you write for two hours today, you may not feel like writing tomorrow. I'd rather you go slowly everyday than risk overdoing it, scaring yourself, or wearing yourself out, and never getting back to the matter at hand. (I'm speaking from experience here.)
We want to offset the sinking emotions you've been feeling recently, but we don't want to overwhelm you. So take small, gentle action everyday.
Don't let yourself off the hook!
With those small, focused, consistent actions, momentum begins to build. Sometimes it takes a while. (Some argue that it takes a month for new habits to kick in.) But even before that you'll start to see that you're getting back on track. Moving forward. One step at a time.
My friend, Elwin, and I get together to write once a week. At first, we'd spend a majority of our writing-time catching up with each other, or getting into very interesting conversations about this or that. (It was mostly my fault.) But as the weeks went on, as we got comfortable with our writing-time, we found ourselves getting to the important stuff (the writing) much more quickly. Yes, it took weeks, but we stayed consistent, and now spend the majority of our time doing what we need to do - the important stuff.
We can't afford to lie to ourselves for long. There's a time-limit on life.
Things change constantly. One day an opportunity may present itself, then the next day it could be gone forever.
To get ready for these opportunities, we need to stop lying to ourselves, take tiny, focused action, re-establish a level of trust and faith in ourselves, and move on to the next thing as soon as possible.
All we need is a 10-minute commitment.
(We'll add more time later.)
Today. 10-minutes. Don't let yourself off the hook. This is important.
We're training ourselves to be consistent. We're training ourselves to stop lying.
We can do this.
We got this.
GTO
Monday, September 22, 2008
Hop on a Hog - or Sail Through the Fog
Nothing like hitting the open road on a big bike to clear one's head. You can rent a Harley in California, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin through Street Eagle Motorcycle Rentals, (800) 717-7970; www.streeteagle.com. Additional state and European rentals are offered through Eaglerider Rentals & Tours, (888) 900-9901; www.eaglerider.com.
Or go around the world on a freighter. It worked for Douglas Fetherling, author of Running Away to Sea (McClelland & Stewart, 1999), who during a period of personal turmoil decided to spend four months on a converted Russian ice-breaker traveling to the South Pacific and back. Try TravLtips Cruise & Freighter Travel Association, (800) 872-8584; info@travltips.com. Find additional listings for freighter travel at www.freighterworld.com.
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Or go around the world on a freighter. It worked for Douglas Fetherling, author of Running Away to Sea (McClelland & Stewart, 1999), who during a period of personal turmoil decided to spend four months on a converted Russian ice-breaker traveling to the South Pacific and back. Try TravLtips Cruise & Freighter Travel Association, (800) 872-8584; info@travltips.com. Find additional listings for freighter travel at www.freighterworld.com.
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Take a Sabbatical
Getting away from work for an extended period, often with pay, may not be as tough to arrange as you think. Six Months Off by Hope Dlugozima, James Scott, and David Sharp (Henry Holt, 1996) is a how-to book for those who need more than a summer vacation. It contains more than 200 interviews with people who have had productive sabbaticals. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Try the Abbey Road
Looking for some quiet time? Most monasteries ask for complete silence or at least have silent hours. Attendance at services is usually optional; guests often spend much of their time in their rooms reading, or taking in the beauty of the grounds. For monasteries in the U.S., check out the guidebook Sanctuaries (Bell Tower, 1996). For an international listing of retreat centers, try www.asrenewal.org or www.retreatsonline.com; if you are interested in Zen centers, try http://www.buddhanet.net/whats_r.htm. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Monday, August 25, 2008
Find Meaning and Money
That's the philosophy at www.fastcompany.com, a Web site spawned by Fast Company magazine. Links include Your Calling and Brand You. Also check out the mother of all job sites, www.monster.com, a nationwide database of job openings with articles such as "The Ten Worst Mistakes Career-Changers Make" and a Cost of Living Calculator for those considering relocating. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Learn the Inns and Outs
If you've ever dreamed of opening a bed and breakfast (and who hasn't?), contact Bed & Breakfast Inns Online (www.bbonline.com), which offers books and seminars for aspiring innkeepers. It also features a four-week Internet course ("Becoming an Innkeeper") with such questions as: "Your brochure says you don't accept pets. A guest arrives and introduces you to his poodle and then to his wife. Do you take them in?" [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Hey, Teach
George Washington University in the District of Columbia is among the growing number of universities offering accelerated graduate programs for adults who want to switch to teaching careers. GW offers a series of programs, including the Fairfax Transition to Teaching, that will jump-start your career in secondary education in as little as 12-months. Additional schools can be found through The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. They publish a guide to college programs in teacher preparation (202-466-7496; http://ncate.org/). [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Feed Your Head
The Cambridge Center for Adult Education is a pioneer in the field of life-long learning, offering personal and professional development courses for more than 60 years in Harvard Square ("Our Fair City"), Massachusetts (617-547-6789; http://www.ccae.org/). A handful of well-known people (including Car Talk's Tappert Brothers) have taken classes and/or taught there.
Nonprofit Elderhostel provides one- to four-week learning adventures for people 55 and older at universities, national parks, museums, and other sites in the U.S., Canada, and 80 other countries (800-454-5768; http://www.elderhostel.org/). They have some great offerings.
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Nonprofit Elderhostel provides one- to four-week learning adventures for people 55 and older at universities, national parks, museums, and other sites in the U.S., Canada, and 80 other countries (800-454-5768; http://www.elderhostel.org/). They have some great offerings.
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Monday, June 2, 2008
Take Stock
The Marylhurst University Life Planning and Career Development Program in Portland, Oregon, is geared to adults in transition. It focuses on evaluating strengths and preferences, creating a vision,
and developing a new life plan (800.634.9982, ext. 6260; on the web
http://www.marylhurst.edu/learningassessment/lifeplanning.php). [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski]
GTO's Thoughts: A program like Marylhurst's would certainly be helpful to a lot of people. I did some digging and found that my local community college (CCAC) offers a 2-credit course on this very subject. Perhaps you could check with your local college.
Couldn't hurt.
My alma mater, Penn State, offers lifetime career services to alumni. Current students also have the opportunity to use their resources. The website is http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/. Job fairs are held at least twice a year and the University also keeps extensive job listings online through their Nittany Lion Recruiting site - http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/nlr/.
If you're a PSU alum in need of a new career, definitely check those sites out.
But there's a ton of other job resources online. Aside from Monster.com, another website I tried was LiveCareer.com. Their Career Interest Test was fun, informative, and free. (You'll have to pay for an expanded report.) But it's definitely worth checking out.
Of course, an obvious suggestion is to try Googling/Yahooing/
Dogpiling "new career" or "career change" for more ideas.
Let me know what you find!
GTO
and developing a new life plan (800.634.9982, ext. 6260; on the web
http://www.marylhurst.edu/learningassessment/lifeplanning.php). [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski]
GTO's Thoughts: A program like Marylhurst's would certainly be helpful to a lot of people. I did some digging and found that my local community college (CCAC) offers a 2-credit course on this very subject. Perhaps you could check with your local college.
Couldn't hurt.
My alma mater, Penn State, offers lifetime career services to alumni. Current students also have the opportunity to use their resources. The website is http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/. Job fairs are held at least twice a year and the University also keeps extensive job listings online through their Nittany Lion Recruiting site - http://www.sa.psu.edu/career/nlr/.
If you're a PSU alum in need of a new career, definitely check those sites out.
But there's a ton of other job resources online. Aside from Monster.com, another website I tried was LiveCareer.com. Their Career Interest Test was fun, informative, and free. (You'll have to pay for an expanded report.) But it's definitely worth checking out.
Of course, an obvious suggestion is to try Googling/Yahooing/
Dogpiling "new career" or "career change" for more ideas.
Let me know what you find!
GTO
Thursday, May 15, 2008
March to the Beat of a Different Drum
Careers for Nonconformists by Sandra Gurvis (Marlowe & Company, 1999) highlights 75 colorful jobs ranging from food stylist to tattoo artist to music promoter. It also contains tips on how to thrive, with profiles of 30 people who have succeeded in unusual endeavors. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski]
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Hire a Personal Coach
Need someone to push you toward your goals? Like a fitness trainer, a personal coach stays on your case and keeps you on track, checking in weekly by phone, in person, or via e-mail. Visit www.coachu.com, a site that also contains information about coaching as a career. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski]
Monday, May 12, 2008
Form a Board of Advisers
Just as a corporation has a team of people who represent an array of specialties - marketing, finance, sales - an individual should have a similar set of personal advisers, according to Marti Smye, author of Is It Too Late to Run Away and Join the Circus? (MacMillan, 1998). This informal board should be made up of friends whom you respect and admire, whose opinions you value, and who would be willing to offer you their counsel when you need it. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski]
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Bare Your Soul
Schedule time with your priest, rabbi, minister, or other spiritual adviser, or a close friend with whom you'd feel comfortable talking about your deepest feelings and values. Or try talking to others who are facing similar life-stage issues in online discussion groups such as the ones at www.thirdage.com/work, which feature topics like Job Fantasies, Home-Based Businesses, and Work Styles for a New Milennium. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Turn to a Professional Career Counselor
Whether you're seeking a career change or a new job in your current field, a professional career counselor may help focus your thinking. If you go to one, you may be asked to take a standardized test such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which categorizes personality types along the lines of introverted/extroverted, sensing/intuitive, thinking/feeling, judging/perceiving. The results are used to determine the kinds of work you might enjoy. To find a counselor, try the Career Counselors Consortium Directory ( www.careercc.org or call 212-859-3515). [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Find The Courage to Change
If you're looking for inspiration, read Dennis Wholey's The Miracle of Change: The Path to Self-Discovery and Spiritual Growth (Pocket Books, 1997), which contains more than 60 personal stories about navigating life's transitions, by such notables as Mary Higgins Clark, Tim Russert, Laura Schlessinger, and Jack Valenti.
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Write Your Eulogy
What would you want people to say about you after you're gone? Addressing that question can help you better understand who you are and who you want to be, advises Richard Nelson Bolles, author of What Color is Your Parachute? (Ten Speed Press, revised and updated annually). This career-hunter's bible offers a checklist of values to help you set priorities. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January-February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
I stopped publishing this blog for a few months while I thought about my eulogy. I wasn't going to continue until I had figured out exactly what I hoped people would say about me when I die.
So here we are. And here I am. And I got nuthin'.
Although..
Here's two things that I don't want my family and friends to say
at my funeral:
(1) "He was a 'nice' guy."
(2) "He had great potential."
Ugh, the "nice" guy thing.
Nice guys have their points. (They hold doors, they say hi to people in the park, they'll listen when strangers tell them their entire life stories waiting in line at the grocery store.)
But a part of me wants to scream -- "NICE GUYS FINISH LAST!"
(I mean, look at me -- I'm in a casket! If I wasn't so nice, I'd still be alive!)
But, seriously, nice guys are (often) afraid of the world - and of life!
Nice guys don't (often) get what they want from this world.
And nice guys are not remembered (often).
Now "great potential" - that's something I think about everyday.
I'm more haunted by it actually.
I'm not doing enough with my life. I'm doing little things, but they're just not adding up to a colorful life. I want a colorful life.
I want to travel. Go on adventures. Stay with friends wherever they live. I want to see the Aurora Borealis. Skydive. Pilot a glider. I want to be interviewed by a magazine. Any magazine. Swim with dolphins...
(Yeah, just some basics. I'll start with them, then move onto more creative ventures.)
But I've got to stop having potential, and start having:
KINETICISM.
That's the real trick.
Thanks for reading!
GTO ("the nice guy with great potential")
GTO's Thoughts:
I stopped publishing this blog for a few months while I thought about my eulogy. I wasn't going to continue until I had figured out exactly what I hoped people would say about me when I die.
So here we are. And here I am. And I got nuthin'.
Although..
Here's two things that I don't want my family and friends to say
at my funeral:
(1) "He was a 'nice' guy."
(2) "He had great potential."
Ugh, the "nice" guy thing.
Nice guys have their points. (They hold doors, they say hi to people in the park, they'll listen when strangers tell them their entire life stories waiting in line at the grocery store.)
But a part of me wants to scream -- "NICE GUYS FINISH LAST!"
(I mean, look at me -- I'm in a casket! If I wasn't so nice, I'd still be alive!)
But, seriously, nice guys are (often) afraid of the world - and of life!
Nice guys don't (often) get what they want from this world.
And nice guys are not remembered (often).
Now "great potential" - that's something I think about everyday.
I'm more haunted by it actually.
I'm not doing enough with my life. I'm doing little things, but they're just not adding up to a colorful life. I want a colorful life.
I want to travel. Go on adventures. Stay with friends wherever they live. I want to see the Aurora Borealis. Skydive. Pilot a glider. I want to be interviewed by a magazine. Any magazine. Swim with dolphins...
(Yeah, just some basics. I'll start with them, then move onto more creative ventures.)
But I've got to stop having potential, and start having:
KINETICISM.
That's the real trick.
Thanks for reading!
GTO ("the nice guy with great potential")
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Start a Journal
Cleopatra, Marco Polo, and Anne Frank all kept journals as a tool to help them make sense of their lives. "Along the way," says Lois Guarino, author of Writing Your Authentic Self (Dell Publishing, 1999), "each of these people discovered more about who they really were, even though at the time they may not have consciously known this is what they were doing."
"Take Marco Polo. His intention was to chronicle his world travels, yet among the dates and descriptions are personal insights and observations of himself and others. As Marco Polo broadened his horizons, he also broadened his sense of self." [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
GTO's Thoughts:I've journaled for a majority of my adult life. Since high school.
I don't remember why I started the practice.
(I should read my earliest entries to see if they provide a clue.)
But speaking as someone who's kept journals for over 20 years, here's a few reasons why I think they're important.
(1) We are our memories. If I want to know how I felt about something in 1984, I can find out. If I want to know who I loved in 1991, I can find out. I already know the basic facts, but the journal helps me to round out the picture. It goes a bit deeper than my natural memory does. The journal adds detail to those memories, color. And keep them more fully alive.
(2) I always wanted to be a writer. Something inside of me always felt that if I wrote a journal, taking the next step and writing a book wouldn't be as difficult.
I haven't written that book yet. But I have enough journal entries now that they could fill at least two books. Heck, maybe three. (Point #3 is a book by itself!)
I'm not a prolific journaler. Most times I don't sit for hours and hours, though sometimes I do. If you sat down for just a few minutes each day (or week) to write a little something, I bet you'd have enough words to fill a book too.
(3) Journaling helped me come out of a very dark place in my emotional life by making me aware of trends (some a decade long) that had overwhelmed my life.
For about 10 years after college, I fell into an obsessive/compulsive state that did serious damage to my psyche.
You've heard the stories of teenagers obsessing over a single pimple on their face, and thinking themselves ugly and unattractive? That was me in my mid-20's.
You've heard the stories of men and women, worried whether they will be called back for a second date, obsess over things they could've done differently to "really impress" their date? That was me in my mid-30's.
In my 20's and 30's I was living like a stereotypical teen. But my obsessive/compulsive thoughts weren't only limited to personal attractiveness. They were limited to anything that entered my brain.
I'd alternately obsess about one thing while behaving compulsively toward another, all while being addicted to, of all things, the Internet. Which, back then, was charged on a per-minute basis. It wasn't unusual to see $200, $300 or $400 AOL bills each month. I lost a lot of time and money.
I also lost myself.
Keeping a journal helped me to become aware of how much damage I was causing myself. Not just financially, but also emotionally.
Let's say the woman of your dreams has just moved to California. Despite the distance, your feelings for her do not decrease. You don't date anyone else because you know that you're destined to be with this woman. God has something good in store for the both of you. And you know that, despite how difficult it is now, you're going to be together someday - and you're going to marry her.
You hold onto these thoughts even when she comes back to town for the holidays, but doesn't contact you. You hold onto these thoughts even after she stops returning your calls altogether.
Eventually, you hear from a friend that she's a lesbian.
But you know God will bring her back to you!
I'm stopping there. Hopefully, you see my point.
If you read enough of these entries, you start to see trends in your behavior. And you start to see how things like denial and naivette and pure stubbornness play in your decisions. These are important lessons.
Your journal can provide a wake-up call. A slap in the face. Even if it's a slow-motion slap in the face that takes 5-10 years to make contact.
Better late than never.
Start journaling.
GTO
"Take Marco Polo. His intention was to chronicle his world travels, yet among the dates and descriptions are personal insights and observations of himself and others. As Marco Polo broadened his horizons, he also broadened his sense of self." [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
GTO's Thoughts:I've journaled for a majority of my adult life. Since high school.
I don't remember why I started the practice.
(I should read my earliest entries to see if they provide a clue.)
But speaking as someone who's kept journals for over 20 years, here's a few reasons why I think they're important.
(1) We are our memories. If I want to know how I felt about something in 1984, I can find out. If I want to know who I loved in 1991, I can find out. I already know the basic facts, but the journal helps me to round out the picture. It goes a bit deeper than my natural memory does. The journal adds detail to those memories, color. And keep them more fully alive.
(2) I always wanted to be a writer. Something inside of me always felt that if I wrote a journal, taking the next step and writing a book wouldn't be as difficult.
I haven't written that book yet. But I have enough journal entries now that they could fill at least two books. Heck, maybe three. (Point #3 is a book by itself!)
I'm not a prolific journaler. Most times I don't sit for hours and hours, though sometimes I do. If you sat down for just a few minutes each day (or week) to write a little something, I bet you'd have enough words to fill a book too.
(3) Journaling helped me come out of a very dark place in my emotional life by making me aware of trends (some a decade long) that had overwhelmed my life.
For about 10 years after college, I fell into an obsessive/compulsive state that did serious damage to my psyche.
You've heard the stories of teenagers obsessing over a single pimple on their face, and thinking themselves ugly and unattractive? That was me in my mid-20's.
You've heard the stories of men and women, worried whether they will be called back for a second date, obsess over things they could've done differently to "really impress" their date? That was me in my mid-30's.
In my 20's and 30's I was living like a stereotypical teen. But my obsessive/compulsive thoughts weren't only limited to personal attractiveness. They were limited to anything that entered my brain.
I'd alternately obsess about one thing while behaving compulsively toward another, all while being addicted to, of all things, the Internet. Which, back then, was charged on a per-minute basis. It wasn't unusual to see $200, $300 or $400 AOL bills each month. I lost a lot of time and money.
I also lost myself.
Keeping a journal helped me to become aware of how much damage I was causing myself. Not just financially, but also emotionally.
Let's say the woman of your dreams has just moved to California. Despite the distance, your feelings for her do not decrease. You don't date anyone else because you know that you're destined to be with this woman. God has something good in store for the both of you. And you know that, despite how difficult it is now, you're going to be together someday - and you're going to marry her.
You hold onto these thoughts even when she comes back to town for the holidays, but doesn't contact you. You hold onto these thoughts even after she stops returning your calls altogether.
Eventually, you hear from a friend that she's a lesbian.
But you know God will bring her back to you!
I'm stopping there. Hopefully, you see my point.
If you read enough of these entries, you start to see trends in your behavior. And you start to see how things like denial and naivette and pure stubbornness play in your decisions. These are important lessons.
Your journal can provide a wake-up call. A slap in the face. Even if it's a slow-motion slap in the face that takes 5-10 years to make contact.
Better late than never.
Start journaling.
GTO
Friday, January 11, 2008
Create A Mission Statement
In 25 words or less, jot down your life's purpose. Bob Buford, author of Half-Time: Changing Your Game Plan From Success to Significance (Zondervan, 1994), suggests starting with some basic questions: What is your passion? What have you achieved? How are you wired? What are the "shoulds" that have trailed you through the first half of your life? [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
Monday, January 7, 2008
Find Out if You're Gandhi or Cobain
Try the Keirsey character and temperament sorters, two online personality quizzes. They'll tell you whether you're more like the Mahatma, Cobain, Einstein, or Mother Teresa and suggest the types of careers you're best suited for.
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
GTO's Thoughts:
Just call me Oprah.
So I tried the Keirsey temperament sorter. And Mom was right! (More on that later).
The sorter was free, though you get more extensive reports if you pay a small fee. Personally, I like free! So the only price you pay for the basic report is a valid email address. (And, as always, I recommend using an email account setup expressly for junk mail). Once logged-in, you answer about 70 "Are you more like this, or Are you more like that?" types of questions and - Viola! It went pretty quickly.
I wasn't overthinking it. I wanted to be as true to myself as I could. (Not the future Greg, not the married Greg, not the Dad Greg..) I stuck with the "right here, right now" Greg and, as it turns out, of the four Main Personality Groups: Artisan, Guardian, Idealist or Rational, I am an Idealist. (I was hoping to be a Guardian, or an Artisan. They sound cool!)
But truly, I *am* an Idealist. I'm not surprised by this outcome, nor can I argue with it. It is me. For better. For worse.
I know Idealists have a dark side. (Seeing things as they should be can leave you out of touch with reality sometimes. And waiting for "ideal situations" often means you never take necessary action).
But the Keirsey temperament sorter focused on positives.
Such as: (1) Idealists are enthusiastic, they trust their intuition, yearn for romance, seek their true self, prize meaningful relationships, and dream of attaining wisdom. (2) Idealists pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic. (3) Idealists tend to be giving, trusting, spiritual, and they are focused on personal journeys and human potentials. (4) Idealists make intense mates, nurturing parents, and inspirational leaders.
Now here's where Mom was right...
There are four types of Idealists: Champions, Counselors, Healers & Teachers. (I was hoping for Champion or Healer because, again, they sound COOL!) but alas I am a (drum-roll)........... TEACHER.
Which makes absolute sense! - to me, and to Mom. (Just ask her.)
Teachers have a natural talent for leading students or trainees toward learning, or as Idealists like to think of it, they are capable of calling forth each learner's potentials. Teachers also are extraordinarily tolerant of others, are easy to get along with, and are usually popular wherever they are. Teachers also identify with others quite easily, and will actually find themselves picking up the characteristics, emotions, and beliefs of those around them.
Kind of like a human chameleon. Yep, that's me.
According to Keirsey I'm in good company: Oprah Winfrey, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Ralph Nader, John Wooden, and Margaret Mead are examples of Teacher Idealists.
So, it doesn't hurt to give the Keirsey assessment a try. It's a silly little diversion that might shed some light on your personality type. Give it a shot and let me know how it worked for you.
Did I mention it's free? GTO
[Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
GTO's Thoughts:
Just call me Oprah.
So I tried the Keirsey temperament sorter. And Mom was right! (More on that later).
The sorter was free, though you get more extensive reports if you pay a small fee. Personally, I like free! So the only price you pay for the basic report is a valid email address. (And, as always, I recommend using an email account setup expressly for junk mail). Once logged-in, you answer about 70 "Are you more like this, or Are you more like that?" types of questions and - Viola! It went pretty quickly.
I wasn't overthinking it. I wanted to be as true to myself as I could. (Not the future Greg, not the married Greg, not the Dad Greg..) I stuck with the "right here, right now" Greg and, as it turns out, of the four Main Personality Groups: Artisan, Guardian, Idealist or Rational, I am an Idealist. (I was hoping to be a Guardian, or an Artisan. They sound cool!)
But truly, I *am* an Idealist. I'm not surprised by this outcome, nor can I argue with it. It is me. For better. For worse.
I know Idealists have a dark side. (Seeing things as they should be can leave you out of touch with reality sometimes. And waiting for "ideal situations" often means you never take necessary action).
But the Keirsey temperament sorter focused on positives.
Such as: (1) Idealists are enthusiastic, they trust their intuition, yearn for romance, seek their true self, prize meaningful relationships, and dream of attaining wisdom. (2) Idealists pride themselves on being loving, kindhearted, and authentic. (3) Idealists tend to be giving, trusting, spiritual, and they are focused on personal journeys and human potentials. (4) Idealists make intense mates, nurturing parents, and inspirational leaders.
Now here's where Mom was right...
There are four types of Idealists: Champions, Counselors, Healers & Teachers. (I was hoping for Champion or Healer because, again, they sound COOL!) but alas I am a (drum-roll)........... TEACHER.
Which makes absolute sense! - to me, and to Mom. (Just ask her.)
Teachers have a natural talent for leading students or trainees toward learning, or as Idealists like to think of it, they are capable of calling forth each learner's potentials. Teachers also are extraordinarily tolerant of others, are easy to get along with, and are usually popular wherever they are. Teachers also identify with others quite easily, and will actually find themselves picking up the characteristics, emotions, and beliefs of those around them.
Kind of like a human chameleon. Yep, that's me.
According to Keirsey I'm in good company: Oprah Winfrey, Mikhail Gorbachev, Pope John Paul II, Ralph Nader, John Wooden, and Margaret Mead are examples of Teacher Idealists.
So, it doesn't hurt to give the Keirsey assessment a try. It's a silly little diversion that might shed some light on your personality type. Give it a shot and let me know how it worked for you.
Did I mention it's free? GTO
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Make the Ultimate "To Do" List.
Thinking he was about to die in a plane crash in 1983, America Online executive Ted Leonsis started writing down 101 things he would do if he survived. The plane landed safely - but the list changed his life. So far, Leonsis has crossed off nearly two thirds of the items, which include catching a foul ball at a baseball game and owning a sports team (he became majority owner of the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals in 1999). Leonsis wants the list passed out at his funeral. [Source: "25 Ways to Reinvent Yourself" originally published in Modern Maturity January - February 2000, transcribed by Greg Olszewski.]
GTO's Thoughts:I can only remember a few things in my head at a time, so I like the idea of creating lists. I'm an expert listmaker and have a list for everything. Business concepts, creative outlets, social activities, web passwords, groceries, Christmas lists, etc. I like lists! But to me the trick is not creating the list (though it might be for you). To me, the trick is seeing the list.
We're surrounded by thousands of pieces of information at any given time in our homes, office, cars, etc. We'd go insane if every glance around our desk assaulted our consciousness with the same information we learned yesterday as though it were new. [Sunday: "Oh, look! I have a calendar! And blank disks! And a talking Jeff Foxworthy Clip-On Doll!"] [Monday: "Oh, look! I have a calendar! And blank disks! And a talking Jeff Foxworthy Talking Clip-On Doll!"] [Tuesday: "Oh, look!...]. I don't want each day to be an assault of information I've already gathered, do you? Maybe you'd be lucky enough to harness your skills and learn to woo Andie McDowell (as Bill Murray does in "Groundhog Day"), but I'd get buried alive in the details. I'd never make it past my livingroom. My brain would be shocked by all this great old stuff.
"Oh look, a calendar and blank disks...!"
So, to combat this informational assault, our brains take everything in and (depending on how your brain works) begin storing new information in the periphery of our consciousness. Just out of sight, but very close by. This is a wonderful blessing.
Of course when we really want to remember something, it's a bit of a curse. We fight our brain's natural inclination to protect our sanity. (Most of our battles are against ourselves, aren't they?)
So the trick to seeing your To Do list is to get it in a place where you will notice it and acknowledge it. Somewhere where it won't blend into the clutter. I used to print my To Do list and tape it to my fridge, bathroom mirror, monitor, etc. I recommend anything that works. It should be somewhere you cross paths often. Try everything. Have a friend come to your home and move the list to a new place everyday! (I've never tried that. Let me know how it works).
One spot I've found very useful for my To Do list is as a background to my computer's desktop. (If you need tips on how to do this, let me know.) This way, each time I sign-on to surf the web or write or play games, I get a glimpse at the things I don't want to forget. It's a pretty good spot if you ask me.
If only I kept my eyes open when I turned on my computer.
GTO
GTO's Thoughts:I can only remember a few things in my head at a time, so I like the idea of creating lists. I'm an expert listmaker and have a list for everything. Business concepts, creative outlets, social activities, web passwords, groceries, Christmas lists, etc. I like lists! But to me the trick is not creating the list (though it might be for you). To me, the trick is seeing the list.
We're surrounded by thousands of pieces of information at any given time in our homes, office, cars, etc. We'd go insane if every glance around our desk assaulted our consciousness with the same information we learned yesterday as though it were new. [Sunday: "Oh, look! I have a calendar! And blank disks! And a talking Jeff Foxworthy Clip-On Doll!"] [Monday: "Oh, look! I have a calendar! And blank disks! And a talking Jeff Foxworthy Talking Clip-On Doll!"] [Tuesday: "Oh, look!...]. I don't want each day to be an assault of information I've already gathered, do you? Maybe you'd be lucky enough to harness your skills and learn to woo Andie McDowell (as Bill Murray does in "Groundhog Day"), but I'd get buried alive in the details. I'd never make it past my livingroom. My brain would be shocked by all this great old stuff.
"Oh look, a calendar and blank disks...!"
So, to combat this informational assault, our brains take everything in and (depending on how your brain works) begin storing new information in the periphery of our consciousness. Just out of sight, but very close by. This is a wonderful blessing.
Of course when we really want to remember something, it's a bit of a curse. We fight our brain's natural inclination to protect our sanity. (Most of our battles are against ourselves, aren't they?)
So the trick to seeing your To Do list is to get it in a place where you will notice it and acknowledge it. Somewhere where it won't blend into the clutter. I used to print my To Do list and tape it to my fridge, bathroom mirror, monitor, etc. I recommend anything that works. It should be somewhere you cross paths often. Try everything. Have a friend come to your home and move the list to a new place everyday! (I've never tried that. Let me know how it works).
One spot I've found very useful for my To Do list is as a background to my computer's desktop. (If you need tips on how to do this, let me know.) This way, each time I sign-on to surf the web or write or play games, I get a glimpse at the things I don't want to forget. It's a pretty good spot if you ask me.
If only I kept my eyes open when I turned on my computer.
GTO
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