Unlock Your Passion

One of Eleanor Ann Brownell's many areas of expertise is that of a Retirement Coach.  Eleanor describes herself as being actively retired.  In this capacity she quotes as a prompt, to really live your values, the following statement:

“You have to know one big thing and stick to it. The leaders who had one very big idea and one very big commitment ~ This permitted them to create something.” ~ Irving Kristol

 

BEING REMARKABLE ~ WITS & WISDOM

Being REMARKABLE is about you, I and all people who are in various stages of retiring. We are redefining retirement for our century. Being remarkable is about being extraordinary, notable, unusual and uncommon, Being remarkable is about being visible and not invisible in your retirement. Being remarkable is your unique, unusual and notable self alive and well. Being remarkable is about the energy you show transitioning from working full time to living full time. Being remarkable is about your synergy with others in relationships, interactions, connections and networking. Retirement is our time to learn and find ways to be remarkable each new day. As you think about your retirement, you might like to consider:

* We are REMARKABLE when we sense our time to retire. Timing is everything in life. Knowlege and trust of yourself enough to retire when you want to is often challenging. Considerations of the economy, your employer, family or personal finances often have an influence. Retiring on your own, listening to your sense of self, your own volition, when you sense the time is right, is a valued freedom. Wits & Wisdom tells us to chose our own time, not to be age appropriate and not to allow someone else to tell you your job is no longer needed. Remarkableness is our ability to sense, know and choose our time to retire. Denise sensed her time when she found herself doing more things of interest outside of work then in work. Jim sensed his time to sell his business, retire and travel with his wife, 10 years his senior, when she was diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer. Jon and Kim sensed their time when the demands and stress in their jobs overshadowed the time they wanted to spend together especially after Kim’s younger brother died early of a massive heart attack.
* We are REMARKABLE when we choose to live our values. A value is something you clearly choose, decide upon, really cherish. will go to the wall for, love and want to daily live. Remarkableness is clarifying and knowing the values you want to live and daily practice. Pat, A Medical Researcher, decided to live a planned family value, after the sudden death of her husband, joining her daughter for a 6 year venture in the Peace Corp. Tyler, an Inventor, Digital leader and Corporate Owner decided to leave his career to pursue a religious value and full time Ministry. PJ, a High School Librarian, desired to spend more time with his wife, a Consultant, so he chose to take early retirement, accompany her as she traveled for her business.

* We are REMARKABLE when we know the quality of our presence and the ways our presence can make a difference within our relationships. Every person has a unique and special presence within their family, with friends and interactions with others. Remarkableness is when we choose to simplify our activities, relationships and possessions so we can be free to be more significant in our presence. Like in the lives of those we love and care about. James and Laurie, reknown University Professors, decided their presence would benefit their grandchildren in their growing up years so they alternated their presense in the lives of 6 sets of grandchildren. Sue, a 30 year Nurse Practioner, retired early, to care for her only daughter’ triplets so she could pursue Medical School and complete her Residency while her husband was assigned to a war zone. Tim knew his presence and care was essential to the quality of life of his wife when her health problems increased.

* We are REMARKABLE when we give back and enjoy it. Remarkableness is when we offer our time and ourselves to others. Giving always teaches us about receiving. In giving we always receive more than we can imagine. Amy and Mike, both respected Physicians, retired from their lucrative medical practices to volunteer their time and skills in the Medical Missions and enjoy serving people in under developed countries. Jamie, a creative and innovative Educator, retired her tenured classrom position to follow her heart and become a Spiritual Director for battered women. Jason retired from his affluent, 25 year Law Partnership to become a outstanding Development Director for a non-profit school and enjoys the relationships in his new role.

* We are REMARKABLE when we re-wire in retirement. Re-wiring is about getting up, getting out and offering our gifts, talents, abilities, skills and expertise. Re-wiring is finding something you can do that helps others ascetain a better quality of life. To re-wire helps you stay active and healthy in your retirement. To re-wire adds to the quality of your well being, enables you will make a difference integratingn you, your happiness and fulfillment. Gabby and Gabe, both successful artists, found fulfillment volunteering in the criminal justice system drawing composites of suspects who commited crimes against children and juveniles. Jean’s happiness came from her love of golf. She gathered her golf buddies as instructors and started a successful golf clinic for people with disabilities. Josephine & John loved to cook but with a demanding business time was limited during their working years. They re-wired in retirement founding an Italian Cooking Club, taught classes and took students on tours in Italy to sample the foods, wines and joys of cooking courses in Italian Villages.

Retirement Your Way

RETIREMENT is your time to live life your way. In RETIREMENT you can either be invisible or remarkable. The choice is yours alone to make. This choice is never easy to make. I chose to be remarkable. I made the choice to share my life gathering knowledge and experiences to rewire. I made the choice to place my expertise at the service of others through RETIREMENT COACHING and INTERIOR DESIGN CONSULTING.

The process I used to set my direction was helpful and I would like to share this process with you. It is a decision process based on praxis, which means the process is useable and really works. I use this process personally and have taught it to others and they enjoy its use too. The process consists of five steps: IDENTIFY to Name, REFLECT for Clarity, GATHER New Data, DECIDE to Transform, ACTION by practicing.

Finding the right re-wiring path took me time and tons of thinking and re-thinking. Here are the re-wiring steps I followed:

* I knew my first task was to take a self inventory. To IDENTIFY and NAME by listing all my gifts, abilities, skills and job experiences and expertise. Identifying, listing and naming takes time. It requires you to ’look back’ at your personal gifts and abilities as well as to review your professional experiences, skills and expertise you have accrued in your working history. Its healthy to want to brag about your self and celebrate all your accomplishments on your list. Take time to do this if you wish. A technique that helped me make my list: NAME each gift, abilitiy, skill and expertise using one-word. Once you have a long list of one word concepts you are ready to work your list. Use your list as a springboard. Your goal is to get out on paper what makes you, YOU.
* The second task followed naturally. When you view and REFLECT on your list of gifts, abilities, skills and expertise you gain a clarity that is valuable to you. You see how you have spent your growing up and working time. Retirement is your transition from working full time to living full time your way. Yes, it is important to affirm this transition. Reflecting on your background gives you alot to be grateful for and savor but also positions you in a unique place to decide ways you will live full time. Knowing yourself is one aspect of a healthy life but the other is to truthfully see what you bring to this next ‘new phase’ of life, retirement. This listing activity helps you do this.
* The third task is the hardest. To GATHER new information for this next phase of your life requires that you review your list and focus on what possibilities are present and available for you to ~rewire. Use your list to rethink ways you might use your gifts, abilities, skills or expertise for your new phase of life and enjoyment. Beside each word on your list ways you could share it with others ~ family, friends or new colleagues of your choice.
* The goal of the fourth task is to DECIDE what you will do and when you will do it. I call this step the ways you will transform your experiences into your remarkableness. It is an opportunity to decide ways you might like and enjoy placing yourself at the service of others. Offering the remarkable you to others in volunteer work, continuing education, mentoring, coaching, consulting, writing, apprenticeship, a new found business or sharing yourself in a myriad of ways only you can do, is your unique possibility and decision.
* The fifth task is ACTION. Putting into practice your decision. Whatever your choice & decision, action ought to follow your decision making. What it means to retire, rewire or live life full time in retirement ‘your way’ is personal and individualistic. Our human uniqueness will direct our individual choices and retirement journey decisions and actions. Retirement is definitely a time of change. The one thing I can assure you is that retirement will be a different, it will be what you make it. Any new phase of life takes time to figure out. The true art of retirement is to enjoy and live your full time life ’your way’!

Eleanor Ann Brownell, D.Min.
email: eabrownell@aol.com
website: www.eleanorannbrownell.com
phone: 760-835-6663