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by Marlene Caraballo

In my twenties, I imagined my fifties would be a time when I started to slow down. At fifty-four, I now know that couldn’t be farther from the truth. In fact, I feel like I’m finally accelerating and shifting into a higher gear!

My fifties are turning out to be a sort of rebirth – a chance to reinvent myself. I’m pursuing interests and a career shift that really excites and energizes me and that I wouldn’t have thought possible just a decade ago.

What about you? Our kids have grown and are either entirely or nearly out of our homes. Most of us are still working and although our lives are still quite busy, there is a light at the end of the tunnel shining on the road ahead.

It’s time to think about ourselves and what will inspire and energize the second half of our lives – our passions and our interests (which may need a little unburying from years of neglect!).

Dig deep and figure out how you’d like to reinvent yourself. Get started today by making a plan for how you can find a chunk of time each day or even week to pursue what you feel most passionate about. It doesn’t have to mean quitting your “regular” job (but it might lead you there if you choose).

No more excuses for why you can’t.

You don’t need anyone to believe in you but yourself. The ability to learn, evolve and achieve has much less to do with age than it does with will. You have the power to decide to take steps toward making it happen. Our fifties is not the time to get in the slow lane. It can be a time to change lanes if you’ve been dreaming of it, and you may also find that like me, it’s time to step on the gas.

Marlene Caraballo – Eternal optimist, designer by day, writer by night. Mom to three sons, and pet parent to Nutley. Resides in Orange County, NY. Blogs about life after fifty at cheers2chapter2.com