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Significant life changes are inevitable. If you're experiencing such change, consider the wise words of transition-specialist, Natalie Yan-Chatonsky.
© Danielle Robertson Consulting Pty Ltd t/as DR Care Solutions
A friend referred to someone’s recently retired partner as “an eternal flame”. I frowned and she responded, “well, they never go out”.
Jokes aside, whether we like it or not, life is full of change. Caring for a loved one and experiencing the grief of losing them precipitates a significant life transition.
This brings me to introduce you to Natalie Yan-Chatonsky, an Australian who, through workshops and resources, helps guide people, in particular women, through life transitions.
In her recently released book, The Art of Full Time Living[1], Natalie shares her story and those of other women, including myself, who have experienced a significant transition mid-life – and seized it to reinvent themselves.
The transition may have been brought on by any number of factors - the death of a loved one, a marriage breakdown, children leaving home, a redundancy, or ill-health. What matters is all the women featured in the book took a leap of faith and discovered fulfilling lives!
Knowing the current retirement age of Australian women is 52 and life expectancy is 85, Natalie makes the point that in our 50s we have a good 30 years to get on and do things that give us a sense of purpose. The Japanese call it, ikigai – having a sense of purpose at every stage of life.
When we hit mid-life the word “retirement”, be it from full-time parenting or full-time career, or both, might now be replaced with “evolution”. To evolve to our next ikigai.
Natalie raises the example of world tennis champion, Serena Williams. Disliking the word “retirement”, Serena says she is not retiring from tennis, she is evolving away from tennis to things that are more important to her[2].
In the book, I share my transition from my purpose-filled role as CEO of the national care-giving business, Dial-An-Angel, to another purpose-filled, more boutique care-giving role as Founder and Managing Director of DR Care Solutions. All of which took place in my late 40s.
I also speak of my approach to life – of having the end in mind – accepting that we are all going to die and being organised in life matters for that eventuality. I share what I do in this regard personally and how I advise my clients.
Treat yourself to some self-development and read Natalie’s “The Art of Full Time Living” or gift it to a friend who is experiencing some life changes: https://fulltimelives.com/art-of-full-time-living.
Needing care assistance for your loved one? Please feel free to call me, Danielle Robertson, at any time for an initial discussion on how to set up the right care, support and assistance at the right time and in the right place.
Resources
[1] Full Time Lives: The Art of Full Time Living
[2] Vogue: Serena Williams Says Farewell To Tennis On Her Own Terms - And In Her Own Words
