Rebooting Life

A few years ago, full of romantic notions of finally getting back to writing… a blog, an e-mag, anything really, I created a blog site. My ambition got the best of me…. or, procrastination and conflicting interests, if I were to be completely honest. So here I sit, two years later. Much life has happened in the last two years -- major milestones passed, a few proverbial crossroads met…some challenging times, but mostly good. I am compelled once again to give this thing a go…LIFE BEYOND THE GRAY, 2.0.

As I continue to find my way in this new era of my life, I have struggled with my calling or purpose. I have been seeking and trying to discern what’s “next” for me. You could say that I am retired, though I have yet to officially proclaim that title and I don’t really know why (a topic for another day). I never truly realized until now how so much of my identity and self-worth was tied up in my profession. Can you relate? For some, there is a clear path to retirement and a vision and plan for the life one is to enjoy after they are no longer “working”. For me, I had always wanted to retire early, at, or around the age of 55. And yet here I am, 53, unemployed, and well, trying to find my new identity and self-worth. I guess you can say I am at the “rebooting” stage of my life. One of the Merriam-Webster definitions of reboot[ing] is “to start (something) anew : to refresh (something) by making a new start or creating a new version”. It seems a fitting description of where I am in my life right now.

One of the people that has entered my life recently is Mel Robbins. I don’t’ know her personally, but I “meet” with her nearly every day on my morning walks while I listen to her podcast, The Mel Robbins Podcast. She is a down-to-earth, painfully honest life coach and best-selling author on change and motivation. She entered my life at just the right time as I find I the need for more motivation, tools and encouragement during this “change” in my life. And, on the topic of one’s purpose, Mel declares that “the mistake everyone makes about ‘finding your purpose’ is thinking that your purpose is something outside of you-- a person, place, job, thing-- you won't find it there because it's on the INSIDE. It's YOU. Everyone's purpose is the same: to share your full self with the world”.

So, here I am, in the middle of a reboot, and driven by my desire to write and create, I am compelled to lean into defining my purpose during this phase of my life by sharing my “full self with the world”.

I hope you will join with me each month as I bare and share my thoughts with the hope that this can be a source of support, relatability, and information for us to breakout and live LIFE BEYOND THE GRAY and into the full, vibrancy of all this world has to offer.