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.

WE NEED THE HALLOWEEN FEELING MORE OFTEN!

I loved Halloween this year! I was in Michigan visiting my Mother and couldn't believe how Michiganders rocked out--challenging times and all! Everyone knows that Michigan has, and still is, going through tough economic times but you wouldn't have known it on Halloween. As I walked around my Mom's neighborhood I saw houses whose front yards had been turned into cemeteries!I heard the song the MONSTER MASH being played through windows and I saw huge spiders crawling up the sides of chimneys. I saw Lady Gaga and Barak Obama trick or treating not to mention assorted ghosts, goblins and dogs who were dressed for fun!

Neighbors were gathered around movable fireplaces in their driveways (living in New York City I had never seen these before!) and adults and kids both were heavily costumed! In fact the couple in the picture don't have kids, but had their house and themselves all decked out!

Now some of you might be thinking, this is what happens when you have too much time on your hands, but truthfully these people were having fun...and allowing for everyone else to have a great time too!

People were letting loose and the attached article from The Detroit News says it all: Halloween Weekends Raised Spirits. Did you laugh enough on Halloween? Get into the spirit?
If you did, then I say keep it up and find ways to laugh more...and by the way you should know that it only takes 4 muscles to smile and 13 muscles to frown! :)Maybe we need to rewire our fun!

JERI REWIRES BY PLAYING POKER!

I decided to rewire some of my fun a few weeks ago and took a poker class!
I needed to add something active, not passive to my life, and a lunch n' learn event on poker sounded great. Not only did I learn to play, but I won! Check me out at

http://www.pokerdivas.com/category/news-and-events

Playing poker fulfilled many of my personal "drivers." Those 85 motivators that we identified in DON'T RETIRE, REWIRE! My drivers include having a need to have new and different experiences and to be current. I realized that today's challenges were zapping me of my energy and positive spirit and that I was yearning to do something new! So off to a PokerDivas class I went! It was everything I wanted and MORE !

Are you in a rut? Feeling like you want to get away, but can't? Ask yourself if you are getting enough "driver" fulfillment? And if the answer is no, then take the time today to see what you can add to your life! Make the time to Rewire! Your future fun is waiting!