Seemingly everywhere one turned, there was a book or an article about this major life transition. Yet most of these pieces, informative as the were, spoke mainly of the discomfort of perimenopause and little of the wondrous freedom that comes with post-menopausal zest.

Suzanne Braun Levine and I have held many conversations on the topic. Suzanne is the former editor of Ms. magazine turned prolific author of books for women over 50. In fact, she’s just come out with her newest one, How We Love Now, Sex and the New Intimacy in Second Adulthood. Our latest discussion is a mere 15-minutes—well worth your time because Suzanne’s thoughts will resonate with you and deepen your perspective on your own journey through this remarkable stage of life.

In addition to enriching our relationships, the menopausal years provide us with numerous life-affirming freedoms. Many women report they’re happier in their third act than ever before.

Here are four freedoms that are true for me and, I’m guessing, for you as well:

The obvious—no more “feminine hygiene” products, uncomfortable bloating, or monthly mood swings. I often forget this freedom because I’ve now grown accustomed to feeling energetic and happy most every day of my life. However the cessation of one’s period is truly a cause for celebration.

Perspective—I’m freed from many of the worries of my youth. I no longer obsess about details, spend hours worrying that my words may have been misinterpreted, or feel wounded by a friend’s oversight. The realization that life is short is both a lesson in reality and immensely freeing. Perspective is truly one of the greatest gifts of age.

Learning to say “no”—This particular freedom is one Suzanne considers to be one of the most important of them all. As she puts it, it is only by learning to say “no” that our “yes” becomes authentic. In other words, we are now giving ourselves permission to “choose to” rather than to “have to.” This simple act of authenticity frees the individual and everyone in her circle of relationships… no more begrudging acceptance for us!

Learning to love myself—I’ve learned that I truly want to take care of my health, my wellbeing, and my-SELF.  As they say in the commercials, it’s “because I’m worth it!” No longer as concerned with how others may view me, I’m finally, finally realizing that I’m a valuable person in my own right. No more, “if I could just lose 10 pounds, I’d be attractive” thinking for me. I’ve become feisty!

So let’s share the good news with our younger sisters who are deep in the throes of perimenopause. Let’s let them know there is light at the end of the tunnel and, better yet, that light is big, bright, sassy, and incredibly freeing.

And be certain to check out Suzanne’s book—there’s no better way to celebrate love, sex, and the new intimacy than with an old broad’s sense of freedom!

Bar none, the holidays are the best time of year to reconnect with your contacts. Holiday greetings are not only welcomed, they’re expected. So take the opportunity to send out cards and enclose one of those newsy letters people write to update friends and family on what’s gone on with them during the past twelve months.

This way you can greet people you don’t see on a regular basis and look for work at the same time. Using a light touch towards the end of the letter let them know you’re in a job search and what type of work you’re looking to find. It’s also appropriate (and helpful) to mention a few of your target companies and ask friends if they might know someone who works in one of these organizations. You might write something like: “I’ve been targeting companies X, Y, and Z and am interested in finding out more about them from the inside. If you know anyone who works at any of these firms, I’d appreciate you letting me know.”

Now you’ve laid the groundwork by mentioning your target companies in your letter. When you see your friends at holiday gatherings or follow up with them at a later date, you can ask if they were able to come up with any names or suggestions… again in a friendly, lighthearted manner.

Whatever you do, do not ask for direct help in locating a job. This might put your friends on the defensive. Your aim is to make clear you’ll appreciate any and all information your contacts might share. Remember, you’ll want to keep in the holiday spirit and remain festive. So don’t push too hard or overload them with a long list—three or four companies will do for now.

To learn how you can use holiday greetings to contact recruiters and managers with whom you’ve interviewed, check out my latest post on Huff/Post 50. For more information on your holiday job search, you’ll want to look at this brief, 3-minute video of my latest TV appearance. And, for a full recap of why the holidays can make your job search a success, tune into my 15-minute podcast: The Holidays: BEST Time of Year to Look for Work!

So make certain you’re primed and ready to take full advantage of all the season has to offer and take a look at Land the Job You Love: 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50. It’s packed with the tools you’ll need to understand the job market of today and present yourself as the dynamic and accomplished candidate you are.

Above all, make good use of this very special time of year. People tend to be a bit merrier and certainly more open to reconnecting. So take the time to reach out, share the warmth of the season, and keep your ultimate goals in mind. Your friendly greetings might just translate into the job you’ve been seeking… and nothing beats ringing in a productive and prosperous New Year!

Suzanne Braun Levine, longtime managing editor of Ms. magazine and author of several books for women over 50, joined me once again on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio to discuss the various ways we undergo a multi-dimensional metamorphosis in midlife.

In truth, the beginning of the big change often looks like we’re standing still. It’s almost as is we go into shock…frozen by the overwhelming and often competing drives and feelings that inhabit out psyches. Do we want to quit our job and pursue a different career that’s more in line with our newly forming passions? Are we willing to step outside of our carefully constructed persona and start speaking up with a forcefulness that might surprise our friends and family? Do we opt to end a long-term relationship, that may be growing stale, in favor of a new one providing novelty and excitement?

All of these questions and more create what Levine terms “the fertile void.” This is the uncomfortable, albeit critically important, period of rebirth. On the other side of the fertile void lives the powerful land of “no” and the increasing ability to “toot.”

Learning both of these skills (and they are learnable skills) are your tickets to moving forward into mastery—living in a state of what psychologist Abraham Maslow called “self-actualization.”

So take a break from the holidays and give yourself time to think about how YOU can conquer new territory, how YOU can create your own state of mastery, and how YOU can experience your own state self-actualization. Take a listen to what Suzanne has to say in our 15-minute interview, at her appearance on TEDx Women, and on her post at Huff/Post 50.

And, if you know a boomer who’s looking for work, be certain to let them know about my own articles on Huff/Post 50. “’Tis the Season… So Get Out There!” and “Seasons Greetings Can Land You the Job” are packed with job search tips and reasons why December is the BEST time of year to look for work!

Thoughts of being of service enter my mind. I’m guessing a number of you have entertained similar feelings. After years spent focusing on rearing children and building careers, the hearts of many in our generation are returning to the spirit of the sixties and our earlier goal of changing the world. What better way to do that than with an encore career in the nonprofit sector?

This well meaning transition can be difficult, however, if you don’t know how to go about it. Several months ago I interviewed Betsy Werley, the Executive Director of The Transition Network on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. Betsy herself made the shift from the corporate world to the nonprofit sector and now oversees a national community of engaged and energetic women over 50. Betsy loves her job!

If you’ve got thoughts of renewing your own spirit of the sixties and looking to make a positive change in the world, here are some of Betsy’s suggestions:

• Think about which aspects of society get you excited and/or get you riled up and angry. Therein lie the clues to your passion and a possible career choice.
• What type of organization best suits your style? There are several options in the nonprofit world including organizations that involve direct service, consulting, foundations, and trade associations.
• Which skills do you bring with you that will provide added value to the organization?
• Build credibility in the nonprofit arena by becoming active in organizations that interest you. This it the most direct route to building a network in the not-for-profit sector and, at the same time, define which positions are best suited to your talents and skills.

So take a little time away from the hustle and bustle of December to listen to what Betsy has to say. It’s 15 minutes that just might change your life or … at the least give you some solid tips about finding your own encore career.

We were on to something in the sixties. And there’s no better time to remember our earlier aspirations. After all, helping to change our word for the better is the best way to celebrate the true meaning of the season.

Susan is a baby boomer who, like the rest of us, grew up with pitifully few female role models holding any positions of authority—let alone high-profile jobs in the media. And Susan didn’t aspire to that either… her dreams had her Broadway-bound, gracing the stage as an actress. It was through a chance meeting that Susan’s long and illustrious career began.

Now Susan can count Caroline Kennedy, Walter Cronkite, Nancy Pelosi, Deepak Chopra, Alan Alda, and numerous other celebrities among her guest list. She’s an Emmy winner and 8-time nominee and she’s hosted shows in San Francisco, Boston, and New Jersey. I asked her if she ever got star struck. Her answer? “Yes, when I interviewed Annette Funicello!”

Susan’s story combines good fortune and opportunity with determination and a willingness to take risks. She made several long-distance moves following her husband’s career and, in every instance, found herself without contacts in the local media. This didn’t stop her, however. Each time Susan took the initiative to pick up the phone and start calling.

I invite you to take a listen to Susan’s inspiring words. She can serve as, what Suzanne Braun Levine terms, a “horizontal role model.” Even though we’re over fifty, there’s no reason we can’t pursue our own dreams. In fact, post-menopausal zest gifts us with the added energy and drive to do just that. So do like Susan does: have the flexibility to recognize opportunities when they come your way, take the initiative to move your dreams forward, be warm and gracious to those around you, and enjoy. There’s no better way to celebrate the feisty side of fifty than to aspire to make your dreams come true and relish the journey along the way!

If you live in Northern California, watch Susan on Bay Area Focus, Sunday mornings at 8:00 a.m., 44/Cable channel 12.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard trained neuro-anatomist. At the age of 37, she suffered a massive stroke that, for years, significantly compromised the left hemisphere of her brain. During her long recovery period, Dr. Taylor’s training kicked-in and she became both the patient and the observer of the experience. Although locked inside her head (which, at first, was no longer able to recognize speech or even remember her own name), Dr. Taylor experienced a euphoric state of wellbeing. Her spirit grew to merge with the universal whole and she felt a sense of inner peace she’d never known–such feelings reside in the right hemisphere of the brain, which, by necessity, took over.

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist’s Personal Journey is Dr. Taylor’s intimate and inspiring story of her remarkable experience. The book is filled with thought-provoking revelations, tender moments, and extraordinary life lessons. I cannot begin to describe how touching and transformative this work truly is.

Out of all the universal truths in Dr. Taylor’s book, one life lesson stood out for me—the “90-second rule.” As Dr. Taylor put it, when one’s flight or fight response is triggered, there are certain reactions taking place in the limbic system of the brain that activate feelings such as fear and anger. But, she goes on to state, these physiological responses last only 90 seconds. After that, the chemicals of fear and anger are flushed from the bloodstream.

This lesson is profound. It means every time I’ve harbored a perceived slight, a wounding of my spirit, feelings of resentment, and anger or rage, I’ve chosen to do so! Whether consciously or unconsciously I’m choosing thoughts that will replay the flight/fight circuitry in my brain, causing a truly vicious cycle.

Therefore, unhappiness, bitterness, resentment, and anger are the results of choices we’ve made to replay old tapes that trigger chemicals of these feelings to re-release in our bloodstream. And, the more you play them, the stronger they can become. Amazing! I’ll leave you with these thoughts and a chance to ponder your own brain circuitry. Are you playing brain tapes that fill you with gratitude and joy or are you hitting the rewind button on unhappy experiences?

To learn more about Dr. Taylor and her truly astounding work, please listen to our brief, 12-minute interview. Then check out her website and take a look at her book. My Stroke of Insight is one of those life-altering reads that will change your outlook forever…

Here’s a list of 5 tips to help you get started:

1) Learn the rules of today’s job market:

• Take a proactive approach—target opportunities and companies where you’d like to work
• Learn to use your network effectively and build the critical connections that can act as a “bridge” to where you want to go
• Incorporate social networking into your job search

2) Get the technology training you need:

• There are plenty of free or low fee classes on the Internet
• Check out local libraries, one-stop centers, and community colleges

3) Update your resume:

• Give it a modern look—remove the clutter (employers are mainly interested in only the last 10 – 15 years of experience)
• Highlight your accomplishments and the results you’ve produced
• Customize your resume to the individual job description
• Downplay the age element and remove dates of graduation

4) Nail the frequently asked age-related interview question

• Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?

5) Come from a position of strength—attitude is everything:

• Take pride in your highly developed skills and extensive market knowledge
• Highlight the personal strengths you’ve built over a lifetime
• Stress your mature work ethic
• Remember to use the extensive network of friends, coworkers, associates, and clients or customers you’ve accumulated over the years

To get more ideas on how you can use these five tips to market yourself as the valuable candidate you are, take a look at this brief, 3-minute video of a recent interview I had on the local news. And be sure to check out Land the Job You Love—it’s packed with techniques that will set you apart and help you navigate the marketplace of today.

Use these 5 tips and get the tools you’ll need to approach the job market with confidence, express your numerous skills with pride, and anticipate success!

Enter Nava Atlas. This remarkable woman has been blessed with an innovative mind that gives creativity a whole new meaning. Not only is she a visual artist whose work has graced museums, galleries, and university collections, she is a master cookbook author. In fact, Nava is probably best known for authoring and illustrating such cookbooks as Vegan Soups and Hearty Stews for All Seasons, Vegan Express, The Vegetarian Family Cookbook, and The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet.

In her latest work, however, Nava may have outdone herself! Just in time for Thanksgiving, she’s releasing her amazing work, Vegan Holiday Kitchen. In it, you’ll find over 200 tantalizing recipes that are perfect for your special occasion cooking. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or an omnivore, you’ll find hearty, colorful fare that’s certain to be a hit.

Nava’s book is divided into six chapters containing recipes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Jewish Holidays, Easter, 4^th of July and summer entertaining, as well as brunches, appetizers and potluck dishes. Basically anytime you want to serve something extra special that’s guaranteed to garner compliments, you’ll find the perfect recipe in Vegan Holiday Kitchen. Plus, and perhaps best of all, Nava’s recipes are simple to prepare so you can entertain with panache… but without the pain!

In addition to making you into the perfect holiday hostess, this book also makes for an ideal gift for any gourmet on your list. Photographed by Susan Voisin, Vegan Holiday Kitchen is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate. But you don’t need to take my word for it, check out my 15-minute interview with the author herself—and then check out her website.

And for a special treat, give yourself the gift that truly will keep on giving. With your very own copy of Vegan Holiday Kitchen in hand, your holidays are guaranteed to be happier, healthier, and relatively stress-free—and that’s a whole lot of ho-ho-ho, for sure!

Warren Buffet is asking each of us to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise. In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they are out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen.

Congressmen made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

Be it through reconnecting with long-lost friends, strengthening the bonds within our primary relationships, or reveling in the unbridled joy a grandchild brings, we experience the new intimacy in ways we couldn’t have known in years past. Honesty, trust, authenticity, and perspective are all aspects of relationships with others and within ourselves that evolve over the years to form a new and deeper intimacy.

Suzanne writes about these profound shifts in How We Love Now and shared her thoughts on some of them in our latest conversation on Feisty Side of Fifty Radio. I invite you to take a listen to the brief, 15-minute broadcast. Then take a moment to reflect on how your own relationships have changed. Have you become more forthright and learned to express your needs with honesty and clarity? Have you learned to say “no” so that your “yes” is a genuine expression rather than a “have to?” Have opened your heart to love fully, openly, and without restrictions?

To learn more about the new intimacy and all the other ways we’re growing better and stronger with age, check out Suzanne’s website. Through her books, her articles, and her insights, Suzanne shows us that second adulthood is a pretty terrific place to be— and I add a great big “hooray for the feisty side of fifty!”