Women Over Fifty—Reinventing Our Generation’s Calling
Now that baby boomers have taken over midlife territory, we women past fifty are getting all sorts of messages to reinvent ourselves. Actually, nature does that for us with the hormonal shifts at menopause. Once we’ve survived the inarguably rocky period of perimenopause, we come out the other side blessed with hormonal and emotional equilibrium, a renewed sense of purpose, and a certain joie de vivre Margaret Mead termed “menopausal zest.”
So what can we do with all this reignited enthusiasm and gusto? Become invisible like generations of older women in the past? CERTAINLY NOT!!! Those youth obsessed, smug young whippersnappers who attempt to overlook and discount us don’t know with whom they’re dealing! Women in midlife truly are in their prime and, in addition to our reignited energies, we’ve got loads of knowledge, skills, and wisdom to share.
As a generation, we’ve always been into changing the world for the better. Boomers, without a doubt, tried to do that in our youth. However, in early adulthood, we tended to shift our focus to rearing families and growing our careers. Now that we’re older, our generational calling is reappearing big time. Full-on retirement holds little appeal for many of us and economic realities ensure that we’ll need additional income–so how can we recapture our do-gooder spirit and make a living at the same time?
One of the most rewarding and self-fulfilling roles we can adopt at this age is one of social service. We each have talents and skills to share and the answer can be found through Encore Careers. This forward thinking and innovative organization is spearheading a movement that appeals to the very heart of our age group: “There’s more to do. Encore careers combine social purpose, personal meaning and continued income. Put your experience to work for the greater good.” What a great way to harness our boomer spirit and share our gifts and talents with the world!
Check out their website, “Encore: Work That Matters in the Second Half of Life” and find valuable information on what encore careers are all about, employers who hire boomers looking for non-profit and service oriented work, and proven job search strategies to support you in finding your own encore career.
But they don’t stop there! Civic Ventures, the group who formed “Encore Careers,” awards cash prizes of up to $100,000 to people over sixty who’ve made a difference in their communities and across the world. You can read up on this year’s Purpose Prize award winners and reinvent your own sense of purpose. In addition, one of Civic Ventures’ supporters, Stanford Professor Laura L. Carstensen, Ph.D., wrote a book that will ignite your passion even further. A Long Bright Future is all about finding personal meaning in our work and our lives as we age.
Yes, as we grow older, boomers will undoubtedly recharge our passion to change the world for the better. And armed with a lifetime of experience, there’s no better time or no better way to do that than through an Encore Career!
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November 21st, 2009 at 6:28 pm
I am glad I saw my last comment on this great post. It reminded me to reinvent myself. That must be a constant goal.The need for restoration is a reminder to guard my energy output. Thanks for such great posts that encourage me to revisit them.
November 15th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I just realized I’ve reinvented myself twice! First, my husband and I made a mid-life career change and moved to Africa for eight years — the needs there are enormous, and the work was so rewarding. Like Beverly Mahone said on November 6, “You might not make a lot of money but the joy is having JOY in your work.” Amen! My second reinvention was having time to devote to my passion: writing. My memoir, “Grandma’s Letters from Africa: Quaint I Ain’t” comes out in January.
November 10th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Hey buddy…thanks for this post. I am a big advocate of volunteerism and have walked the talk. I went to post-Katrina New Orleans six times to both gut homes and build new ones with Habitat. And I recruited 35 friends to join me over those six trips. It is good to get outside ourselves. We see things more clearly. Keep up the good stuff, Eileen.
November 8th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Years ago I spent a couple of years volunteering with Head Start. What a heartwarming experience..visiting with little ones in their class room, playing beauty parlor (yes, I let them put my hair in curlers) and restaurant (I was always the customer), painting, reading, dancing. Such great fun and I know for a fact a lot of the special needs kids never got that attention at their foster home. I treasure my Head Start Volunteer of the Year plaques to this day. Obviously didn’t make any $ but I certainly felt richer for doing it………
November 8th, 2009 at 7:30 am
Perfect post for an author who didn’t even think about a writing career until she passed the half century mark! But, I don’t think I was ready to face the challenges and rewards until a few years ago.
Mary
http://marycunninghambooks.com
http://woofersclub.com
http://cynthiasattic.blogspot.com
November 7th, 2009 at 10:21 am
Reinvent, restore and refocus is my motto right now
November 7th, 2009 at 8:05 am
What a fabulous program! I love it! Thank you for bringing it to my attention Eileen.
November 7th, 2009 at 7:25 am
I’ve thought about volunteering in the NICU of local hospitals lately. I love babies (gosh, who doesn’t?) and have had personal experience with premature birth. My second child was born 9 weeks premature and spent 5 weeks in the NICU battling for life.
Preemies especially need human touch and to hear the human voice and so I thought it would be great to volunteer to go and sit and rock those little ones until they become big enough to take on this world all by themselves.
There’s something in it for me though – I get to feel their precious little bodies next to mine and they usually have over-sized rockers set in quiet rooms decorated for mood. It’s nothing short of heaven sitting in those rooms. It would be healing for both of us.
November 7th, 2009 at 6:33 am
Eileen:
Great post! You are absolutely right that boomers have been bucking the status quo from the get go! Why expect that to stop simply because we reach a certain age? For all the reasons you site, and more, women in midlife and beyond are in that search for significance, and what better way than to live a life of service or do the work that fuels the soul. I’ll certainly check out the links you’ve listed. Onward ladies…
Evelyn Kalinosky, CRC
November 6th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
With the economy being the way it is and traditional jobs hard to come by, what better time than now to reinvent yourself. I’ve heard some awesome stories from Boomers who went back to their true passions to start their own businesses. You may not make a lot of money but the joy is having JOY in your work. Great post Eileen!