PART 1: USING YOUR PASSION FOR PROFIT OR PURPOSE

As the authors of Don’t Retire, REWIRE! we continue to travel the globe “preaching” the importance of rewiring yourself after all major life transitions. The retirement boom is on and eager audience members are trying to figure out how to get the most out of their futures! There isn’t one pathway for the future, but many. You just need to choose what you would like to pursue.

Some people told us they only want a future of fun, fun, fun…until they either get bored or they run out of money! Others say that they want to work but in jobs with less stress and less responsibility. Some want to try the entrepreneurial route but don’t have any ideas, and a good number are viewing their hobbies as possible pathways to new businesses or volunteering opportunities(look for blog number 2 on this subject coming soon.). The possibilities are numerous but to capitalize on them you have to use your imagination, and your curiosity needs to be in gear.

To give you an example of what we are talking about…look what happened when some mahjong players looked at the game with a new set of eyes! I took mahjong lessons several years ago with a group of friends, having never been exposed to the game before. We did it for fun; the bonus was seeing our friends with more regularity.  We thought it would be great for the brain! And it has been just that on all counts.

 But something else emerged from our playing mahjong.

Two of the women, who have always been interested in art, became intrigued with the artistry of the “tiles.” They started collecting antique mahjong sets and I am thrilled to report that they have just come out with their first book from Tuttle Publishing, MAH JONGG, The Art Of The Game. The book is a collector's guide to mah jongg tiles and sets, and the photography is sensational. They are speaking on the topic to a range of audiences, both experienced players and beginners (or want to be players as well as art afficianados).  A third player in our group has started teaching the game, with the goal of teaching mahjong on cruise ships!

Remember… we were just playing mahjong and look what happened! Let your imagination go wild!

But lest you think that this is just one group, I discovered that there is a club of avid mahjong players in the Philadelphia area (almost 120 at the time of this writing). Several of these women created a training/members site entitled mahjonggmentor.com/. The site includes over 50 videos and is a supplement to teachers as a standalone teaching tool, and as a great info resource for beginners and players alike.  

Remember …what was first and foremost an interest and hobby for these women has now turned into much more. It’s a business.

In both of these scenarios these women rewired and are working, just differently.