Early in life parts of the self have to go into hiding or be left behind in order to develop other parts.Or sometimes parents or circumstances force you to abandon a part of yourself. For example, as a girl, Joan, a client of mine, dreamed of being a singer, but her mother scoffed at her for this silly idea. Joan put the singer dream away in order to grow up in that family. She became a lawyer like her dad.
As a youngster I wanted to be a veterinarian. I loved all animals. In 1958, when I was 11 years old, our two miniature schnauzers gave birth to a total of 8 puppies between them. I raced home from school and spent every minute I could with the pups. I was enchanted. By the time I was in high school my father convinced me that being a vet made no sense at all for a girl, so I went off to college to become a teacher—a “sensible career” for a woman at that time. That animal lover part of me dropped into the background of who I was and what I could live in my life.
About 5 years ago I had a thorough physical which included filling out a long questionnaire. When I, a real couch potato, had to answer about my exercise regime, I wrote “Walking my dog.” A close friend who knew I was no friend of exercise, read over the form and howled when she read that I had lied to the physician! Walk the dog? You don’t even have a dog! Oh but I was going to get one.
You see, that part of me had to be left behind so I could go to school, become a therapist, work 40 hours a week, manage a home and family, teach, and do all the other things to become a card-carrying grown-up.
Five years ago Patch brought the animal lover in me out of the box.
What part of you wants to come out of the box?
LIFE REINSPIRED is designed to call forth unlived parts of you.
- We will track down the part of you that is in hiding.
- We will help you remember the dream that has been forgotten.
- We will welcome a new part of you to the party.
- We will help you dream a new dream for the future.
Creative peers and talented professionals will accompany you every step of the way in this exciting adventure of discovery.
Oh, by the way—Joan decided that she would give herself singing lessons for her 60th birthday. Two years later she performed her original cabaret act in a swanky Manhattan club to tremendous acclaim. It’s never too late to make a dream come true.
Come join me at LIFE REINSPIRED where you can bring special parts of yourself out of hiding. Together with two amazing colleagues, we’ve founded a program that is designed to make the next chapter of your life be the best chapter….because more of you will be coming to the party!
Join my colleagues and me at Life Reinspired, a life reset lab for successful Baby Boomers contemplating a meaningful next chapter.
Our first retreats are March 17-19 and March 24-26, 2017 at gorgeous MacArthur Place Resort and Spa in Sonoma, California.
