Beyond Retirement

Merri Macartney is a 70-year-young widow who is the founder of the Don't Die Before You're Dead Movement. Her message is that in order to avoid living in the Land of Regret, we need to live every day as fully as possible and not put things off till later. Later may never come. Live NOW as that is all we have for certain.

Merri has published a couple of books that are in perfect harmony with both her witty personality and her straightforward message. Her first book is called "Thoughts from the Tub" and gathers together ideas as only a mostly single mother of four rambunctious boys can do...while stealing a few precious moments of alone time in the bathtub!

More recently, Merri has published "Don't Die Before You're Dead",  which is a bit of a roadmap to help you forge your way forward in life, as well as  a journal for keeping track of it as you go. The journal offers a bit of a guide to help you along the way.

You can follow Merri on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/dontdiebeforeyouredead where she's gathering steam (and advice from people in the know) for her upcoming  cross-Canada RV trip, scheduled to begin in May 2021. Join the group and  be part of her journey !

You can also find Merri on her website, or through her Facebook profile:

www.merrimacartney.com
https://www.facebook.com/MerriMacartneyDDBYD

The idea of "lifequakes" or "lightning-strike moments" is taken from the book "Life is in the Transitions", by Bruce Feiler. To summarize it, there are moments in our lives that cause upheaval and result in our taking a different path than we were originally taking. We can't see these moments clearly when we're experiencing them, but looking back on our lives, we can identify at least some of the moments that caused changes in our life trajectory.

Retirement is one of those moments, for sure, and whether it comes as an expected change or is thrust upon us by some outside force (like maybe a pandemic...) there are changes. What we  with the moment - and the changes - is up to us. Why not make the most of it?

Diana Place founded Third Act Quest to help reframe aging for individuals in the workplace and in society in general so they can reimagine lives of joy, meaning, and purpose for the decades to come.

She shares with us the history behind Third Act Quest - which is designed to help people go on a journey of understanding & clarity about their llives -  and describes the various programs that she offers.

We've all got plenty of transitions in our lives and we've come through them all. Diana discusses how to master the changes when they occur.

She provides a quick outline of the group coaching program, discussing the 4 stages involved: assessment, the vision process to identify your WHY, brainstorming to put together a prototype that fuels your imagination, and finally putting together your personal plan.

The Living Forward program involves either group or individual coaching and now has an independent study program as well. Group coaching is done in sessions scheduled throughout the year, while independent and individual coaching can be started at any time.

Diana has also instigated Talking Circles, free Zoom chats that anyone can join. No registration required. They occur on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, at 7:30pm EST. 

Please reach out to Diana on her website at Third Act Quest

Complimentary Discovery Calls can be booked online, to see if you are a fit to work together.

She can also be reached via email: [email protected]

Nelia Hutt is  an employee in a medical office setting, a wife & a mother. She is also an author,  a podcast host, a philanthropist...and a force to be reckoned with! Despite her mild demeanor and what seems like an almost introverted personality, Nelia has strong convictions and huge dreams, and she's not letting anything stand in her way on the road to achieving them!

Time stamps:

4.09 - People say "Life is short", but most of us don't listen until something happens.

5:15 - A podcast gave here the realization that she was not the only person who felt "different"... 

We are generally not taught self-care as we grow. Women are brought up to care for others at their own expense...often resulting in burnout. Take care of yourself! Do not suppress your feelings! 

9:50 - Learn to walk toward things rather than walking around them. You'll find that less time is required to take care of situations if you're confronting them.

10:13 - Use the extra time to figure out your passion...what did you enjoy as a child?

11:14 - Ukulele Project to Guatemala

On her website, Nelia offers a free workbook called "Discover Your Passion" that will help you narrow down the activities that you love, reigniting in you what you forgot over the years. This is the first step to creating the life that you want.

The second part of the workbook is actually an e-book called "Pick A Passion & GO" and it's also available on her website. This workbook will assist you in turning your passion into a full-blown activity, taking you through the process of preparing and executing a mission trip of your own, should you so choose.

Nelia is also writing a book, due to come out on 4 May 2021. The book is a memoir about her relationship with her father, as well as lessons learned and ways to live the life you want.

Please reach out to Nelia at Travel Live Give.