Chapter X with Michael Kay

It’s funny how quickly life becomes dull and unfulfilling when we don’t have things to look forward to each day. But what if the solution was to stop waiting for good things to happen to us?

In this episode, my guests will share how we can take control and look forward to living every day. Joining me on the show today are Servet Hasan and Mark Alyn.

Individually, they're each navigating their lives with purpose and meaning. 

Together they wrote a book entitled Growing Old Sucks: But It Doesn’t Have To. The book is filled with their insights and ideas for transitioning through life’s stages — and they present their ideas with equal doses of humor. 

In this episode, we cover:

• What Servet’s personal battle with ovarian cancer taught her about aging
  
  
• How we can shift from an achievement mindset to a fulfillment mindset
  
  
• The unexpected reason why some people experience a midlife crisis
  
  
• How to eliminate the noise in our heads to start moving towards fulfillment
  
  
• The significance of creating time to consider what really matters to you
  
  
• The trick to help you stop feeling sorry for yourself and get back up

Have you ever lost passion for an interest you once enjoyed? 

If you’ve ever felt like it’s too late in life to follow your dreams, my next guest will teach you how the door to opportunity is still wide open.

Today, I'm honored to speak with Chuck Howard, a man who exemplifies hero in every way. 

He’s an decorated Vietnam War army helicopter pilot who spent his career in aviation after the army. He has saved countless lives. And in retirement, he continues to make a difference. 

Chuck has turned his passion into a lifetime of challenges, interests, and gratification. In this episode, we’ll hear some incredible stories from Chuck on what it means to live a rich life, the pursuit of meaning, and what it takes to reconnect with your passions in the next chapter. 

In this episode, we cover:

• How joining a wedding party led Chuck to a career in aviation at age 13
  
  
• The unexpected benefits of pursuing multiple passions outside of his career
  
  
• Why he felt the transition from an engaged life into the next chapter was easy
  
  
• The reason why you’ll never hear Chuck call flying a hobby or sport
  
  
• Why the secret to happiness is bringing joy into other people’s lives
  
  
• Chuck’s remarkable advice for people who are approaching the next stage of life — or are already in the middle of a transition

The joy of pursuing an unconventional life is the freedom that comes with no limitations. On the path less traveled, there are only new opportunities, beginnings, and experiences.

My guest today, Tom Anderson, is the perfect example of an unconventional life lived to the fullest. With not only one — but two — retirements under his belt, Tom has reinvented himself multiple times throughout his life and career. 

He walks us through his incredible journey in this episode. I think you’ll find that he’s an example of not only resilience, but also what it means to be intentional with your thoughts and actions.

In this episode, we covered:

• Why Tom had two retirements — and how the first one led to another
  
  
• His exciting journey as Captain of a nuclear-powered submarine in the US Navy
  
  
• Why connecting with a group of retired cyclists kept him interested in riding
  
  
• How a love of varied outdoor and indoor pursuits keeps Tom active in Chapter X
  
  
• The important reason why he focuses on going after short-term goals
  
  
• Taking advantage of the opportunity to try something new in retirement 

We usually think of “finding” our passion in life, but what if we start creating our passion rather than trying to find it?

With his dedication powering a lifetime of dreams, my guest today has already firmly etched his footprint on history. Not only has he served in the political arena, but Morley Winograd is also an author, visionary, business executive, and teacher.

His life is one of passion and purpose — and I can’t wait for you to hear his story today. In this episode, Morley shares how reinvention has been a constant theme in his life. I think you’ll walk away from this show inspired to do the same.

• Why growing up with parents in business pushed him in a different direction
  
  
• His personal adventure in politics surrounded by the controversy of the 70’s
  
  
• Morley’s passionate pursuit of making the American democracy work better
  
  
• What boomers should know about millennials (and why it’s important)
  
  
• A sneak peek into his new project helping multiple generations learn from each other
  
  
• Why the time period between lunch and dinner is the challenge in Chapter X
  
  

Healing American Democracy: Going Local

Taking Control: Politics in the Information Age

Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics

Millennial Majority: How a New Coalition Is Remaking American Politics

It’s never too late to adopt an active lifestyle, even in retirement. Today’s guest, Leon Sirulnick, has been retired for 17 years now. His life has been filled with extraordinary adventures—and I can say he’s truly done it on his terms. 

Today’s guest is very special to me. Back in 2002, I met Leon for the first time in my office. He walked into our meeting, threw a stack of papers onto my desk, and firmly announced he was ready to retire. 

That one meeting was a turning point in my financial life planning career. In this episode, you’ll meet the man who I consider to be the father of the Chapter X project. We’ll reveal the complete story next.

Sometimes the transition into the next chapter is completely out of our control. What happens next after you’re blindsided by an unexpected retirement?

Today’s guest shares what it’s like to learn lessons the tough way. At age 57, Carl Schecter suddenly found himself retired—and not by choice.

He doesn’t sugarcoat the experience of being confronted with adversity, yet his story remains one of courage, hope and resilience. In this episode, Carl shares what he’s discovered over the last four years about dealing with the world on the world’s terms.

The pursuit of happiness is ingrained in our culture. We spend our lives searching for fulfillment and meaning, but is making ourselves happy a realistic goal?

According to today’s guest, happiness is a byproduct of living with meaning and purpose. I’m speaking with Harry Scheyer in this episode. Through his former career in financial services, Harry learned that life planning is about discovering who you really are—and making a difference in the world.

After walking through the gates into life after work, his current full-time role is the seeker of meaning and joy. We’ll hear from Harry’s wisdom and insights as he models what it means to live in balance.

In this episode, we covered:

• How financial life planning helped Harry transition into the next chapter
• Why the key to successful life transitions is learning how to let go
• The unique challenges Harry faced while leaving behind a career he loved
• His simple advice on how to let curiosity drive your learning after work
• Five attributes that help define your purpose (and design a well-lived life)
• Recognizing the importance of mental health awareness during changes

Retirement isn’t always a choice. Some people are forced into the decision, while others eagerly wait for the opportunity to leave an unhappy career. 

But then there are those who leave work behind on their own terms. Today’s guest is Ron LaRosa, a friend of mine who has triumphantly retired to a life that has meaning and purpose. Ron has successfully navigated changes in his career that took him from professional acting to a casting director for Disney. 

After making the decision to leave his career at 57, he’s learned how to manage this transition and find satisfaction in the unexpected. We’ll hear some important messages from Ron about what he has learned along the journey. 

In this episode, we covered:

- How Ron took his career from theatre performer to casting director for Disney

- What aspect of work gave him the nudge to resign and start a completely new chapter

- The mindset that’s inspired Ron to reinvent himself through different career transitions

- How the value of simplicity led to a life full of riches (and why a rich life has nothing to do with wealth)

- How he created a routine to give himself a level of structure during the long days

- Ron’s number one piece of advice for people approaching life after their career

How do you determine when it’s the right time to give notice and head into the next chapter of life? When it comes down to it, there’s no right or wrong age to move on from the workforce. 

In this episode, I’m speaking with Barry Farber, who is a professor of psychology and education at Columbia Teachers College. Not only does Barry maintain a robust private practice today, but he’s also written a wide array of books and research papers in the field of psychology. 

We’ll hear from his wisdom, experience, and insights as we explore the questions to consider while planning for the next major transition.

In this episode, we discuss:

- The remarkable reason why Barry continues full-time work in his seventies

- Why we must consider how life transitions affect our loved ones

- When Barry will feel certain that it’s time to leave his work behind

- How to approach difficult conversations about retirement with your partner

- Why life after work requires a need for changing our patterns

- The four types of therapy that can help people cope with an overwhelming world

- How Barry’s background in psychology has made life transitions easier for him

It’s easy to look back on our lives and recognize the events that brought us to where we are today. How can we apply that same level of thinking to the next chapter in life? That’s the theme we’ll explore in today’s episode.

It’s an honor to have our next guest on the show. Meir Statman, Ph.D is a professor of finance at Santa Clara University and has authored two of my favorite books on finance. Born in a refugee camp in Germany during 1947, Meir has an incredible life story that he takes us through on the show. 

We’ll hear his thoughts on keeping an open mind, learning about ourselves, and how life stages will ultimately prepare us for the next transition.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why Meir chooses to look at his life through the lens of serendipity

- How we can use the concept of serendipity as we look to the future

- How to address the common post-career fear of financial uncertainty

- The surprising theory of getting satisfaction from saving money vs. spending it

- The reason why Meir hasn’t retired from teaching in his seventies

- Why Meir focused on teaching his daughters the value of kindness as they grew