Thinking About Tomorrow Reinventing Yourself

Nowadays people in their 40s and 50s--the revolutionary generation of the1960s and 1970s--are not walking quietly into their sunset years. InTHINKING ABOUT TOMORROW, Susan Crandell, a prominent journalist whodescribes her own self-rediscovery at 52, surveys the possibilities open toher readers in such areas as travel, work, family, and health. In theprocess she provides vivid profiles of dozens of men and women who haveremade their lives in fascinating ways. The book offers guidance tomidlifers who yearn for a more fulfilling life, and includes a valuablelist of resources including books, magazines, organizations, and relatedWeb sites that will motivate and enable readers to embrace the promise oftheir middle years with a renewed sense of optimism and vigor.

INTRODUCTION: Good-bye, Perfect Job! Hello, Perfect Life!

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When I switched careers at fifty-two, I joined a revolution of boomers who are remaking their lives in vital, exciting, and rewarding ways.

CHAPTER 1 Work That Works for You

1

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Bank executive to zookeeper. TV cameraman to race-car re-builder. Psychologist to university president. Here's how seven men and women found work they love.

CHAPTER 2 Health Makeovers

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(42)

Losing weight, zeroing in on the perfect exercise program, battling chronic disease on a personal and public stage: Health makeovers can make midlife the most vital and important decades ever.

CHAPTER 3 Redefining Family

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(35)

Having a child at fifty-one, reconnecting with one given up to adoption decades ago, finding true love on the Internet: Boomers are completing their families in an unprecedented variety of ways.

CHAPTER 4 Travel: Springboard for Change

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Whether your ideal vacation is tracking lions on the Serengeti or basking on a white-sand beach, getting away from it all can provide the launch pad for a life reinvention—or the ideal way to celebrate a big birthday.

CHAPTER 5 Adding Meaning to Life

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(31)

Midlife is a time when we begin to ask the big questions: Why am I here? Can I do some good in the world? How we answer them can bring a new level of personal satisfaction and peace.

CHAPTER 6 Continuing Education

180

(22)

Boomers are going back to school in record numbers, for profit and for fun. Whether you choose a classic academic environment or an offbeat class, the key is to keep your brain nimble and long-lived.

CHAPTER 7 The Power of a Passion

202

(23)

The right hobby—one that rises to the level of a passion—can make midlife the most exciting time ever. It's the low-investment, quick-entry way to reinvent your life.

CHAPTER 8 Going to Extremes

225

(29)

To some people, moderation is a bad word. For these joyful overachievers, building an airplane, cave diving, and running an Ironman are the stuff of a great life. They're pushing the envelope on just how far and fast we all can go.

CHAPTER 9 Finding Your Heart's Desire

254

(17)

The road to reinvention isn't always satiny smooth. What if you're frightened to make the big move? Maybe you don't even know what that big move should be. Here's how to iron out the rough spots.

APPENDIX Sources and Resources

271

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Books, organizations, and Web sites that can inspire you to new ways of thinking about your life.

Acknowledgments

281

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Index

283

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Thinking About Tomorrow Reinventing Yourself at Midlife

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