{"id":3081,"date":"2013-07-01T04:00:01","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T08:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=3081"},"modified":"2013-07-01T01:35:51","modified_gmt":"2013-07-01T05:35:51","slug":"why-you-should-start-your-second-verse-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=3081","title":{"rendered":"Why You Should Start Your Second Verse Now"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"forbes\"<\/a>Two summers ago, I was sitting toes in the sand on a New Jersey beach talking to my friend, Larry Schmidt.<\/p>\n

He was in his late 50s and beginning to think about what was next for him. Not any time soon, but eventually when he retired in a decade or so.<\/p>\n

What struck me most about our conversation was how much he enjoyed his work, the challenges, the opportunity to mentor and coach younger employees and the overall work environment.<\/p>\n

Larry was a marketing and communications guy. But out of the office, he was pursing his passion\u2013 painting and drawing. His employer, Meditech, a firm based in Westwood, Mass., where Larry had worked for more than 30 years, was all for it.<\/p>\n

When Larry wanted to take classes to hone his painting technique, Meditech paid the tuition to support his \u201ccreative development,\u201d particularly since he managed a group of designers and writers.<\/p>\n

Meditech even has a \u201ccreativity lab\u201d at the office set up to promote teambuilding through creative activities, such as collaborative drawing.<\/p>\n

On weekends, Larry spent a few hours with a group of fellow artists who paint together and critique each other\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

I wrote in\u00a0this blog post<\/a>\u00a0that his next act may very well flow from this artistic passion in some incarnation. He wasn\u2019t sure, but he had begun.<\/p>\n

Sadly, he never got to make the leap entirely.<\/p>\n

Larry R. Schmidt died peacefully Sunday, June 2, 2013 at his home surrounded by his family. He was 59. Cancer.<\/p>\n

His obituary noted that \u201cLarry loved art in all its forms of expression: music, literature, theater, and the visual arts. In 2008, he completed a certificate program in Painting and Drawing at Rhode Island School of Design. He also studied painting with the late Joanne Regan in the 1990s and more recently, until his illness, with Anna Mogilevsky. His Saturday painting sessions with his friends in Studio 107 were counted among his happiest hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are you doing to find joy in your life, in your work, in your community? Larry\u2019s death reminds me, and I am telling you with all my heart, get going.<\/p>\n

Do something today, even if it is just one phone call to move forward toward finding work that is meaningful, fills your life with happiness, and gives back to the people and the world around you.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s my simple advice for you.<\/p>\n

Take a baby step.<\/strong>\u00a0There is no perfect path or ideal starting point. What matters is that you somehow get moving in the general direction of where you want to go. This might be simply making a phone call to someone who works in a field that appeals to you, volunteering for a cause you care about. Make a pact to do one thing every day to pave your path to doing work you love.<\/p>\n

Stop the negative thinking.<\/strong>\u00a0Whenever you have a naysayer refrain in your brain\u2013 such as \u201cI\u2019m too old to do that\u201d or \u201cit\u2019s too risky\u201d or \u201cI\u2019m afraid I would fail\u201d\u2014pay attention, write it down in a notebook, and then recast it with a confident thought.<\/p>\n

List your best skills.<\/strong>\u00a0If you don\u2019t know what they are, ask someone who does-a colleague, a friend, family member. Sometimes they see things in us that we take for granted. You need to get rid of mind messages that hold you back in order to move ahead with your dreams.<\/p>\n

Start a journal.<\/strong>\u00a0Put your passions on paper (or type them into an electronic file for your eyes only) I frequently meet with people who have trouble getting a bead on what they\u2019re passionate about, or what\u2019s a practical path to follow in terms of finding work that makes them happy\u2026 and delivers a pay check.<\/p>\n

My experience has been that when you write your highlight reel about the best times in your life, the things you really like, the experiences you\u2019ve enjoyed, what you\u2019ve excelled at in both your personal and professional life, it all starts to gel.<\/p>\n

Grabbing the ephemeral words out of your head and seeing them gives a shape, a tangible reality, power. It creates possibilities. It leads to action. These lists help you hone in on your passion and visualize yourself pursuing work that\u2019s new, exciting and meaningful\u2013something that matters.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m also a fan of making a dream board and cutting out pictures, places, people and activities that inspire you. (As an author<\/a>, for example, I have a New York Times Bestseller list taped in my notebook. As a competitive equestrienne,\u00a0I have a picture of a championship ribbon, too)<\/p>\n

Our time on earth may be short. We don\u2019t know. Why wait? Love and live with all your heart. Larry did.<\/p>\n

Kerry Hannon<\/a>, Contributor<\/p>\n

Follow me on Twitter,\u00a0@KerryHannon<\/a>\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0the author of\u00a0Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy \u2026 And Pays the Bills<\/a>\u00a0(John Wiley & Sons<\/a>), available here\u00a0www.kerryhannon.com<\/a>. Check out my\u00a0column\u00a0<\/a>at\u00a0AARP. My weekly column \u00a0at\u00a0PBS\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0NextAvenue.org is\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
Ex-Microsoft Exec Living The Boomer Fantasy: Meaningful Work<\/a><\/div>\n
\"KerryKerry Hannon<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
Contributor<\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
Why You Need To Love Your Job More<\/a><\/div>\n
\"KerryKerry Hannon<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
Contributor<\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The Big Shift: How To Move Into A Non-Profit Job<\/a><\/div>\n
\"KerryKerry Hannon<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
Contributor<\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n
How’s This For A Second Verse? Lights, Camera, Action<\/a><\/div>\n
\"KerryKerry Hannon<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
Contributor<\/a><\/cite><\/div>\n
\"Share<\/a>