Second Chance at Your Dream

We are born with possibilities. As we grow, we imagine a great dream for our lives. This dream can get submerged or even derailed by the many challenges of adult life. The second half of life, usually sometime after 50, then may offer a second chance.

With recent advances in health care, we have been given the gift of 30-50 more years. It is imperative that we find ways to use them wisely. Because most of us have extra time, we have untold opportunities for creating change within ourselves. And from there, to influence our friends, our communities, our world.

New beginnings

Our culture avoids discussing the possibility of creative and meaningful aging. Instead fear and denial are associated with the later half of life and its most discernible tasks such as job retirement, opportunities for mentoring and influencing others, coping with changes in the body, losing loved ones and facing our own mortality. Rather than a time of decline, aging is an opportunity for abundant new beginnings.

This book is about a new look at the second half of life in positive, hopeful terms by incorporating resources of your own energy system. It is the first book to apply breakthrough insights of Energy Psychology to aging. It is an invitation to join in the adventure of self-discovery while enjoying more birthdays. It debunks such myths as genetic determinism, brain cell stagnation, and involution by investigating ways to expand mental activity and optimize genetic expression. It explores ways to stay in balance, to release dysfunctional patterns, to change perceptions of difficult situations, to build a sense of hope and positive expectancy, to connect with innate creativity, to align energetically with the soul’s purpose and learn to trust intuition. Unlike thinking suggesting there is some external factor, medication, or device for treating later life’s challenges, this book explores self-care with our internal energy resources.

No pills or harmful side-effects here

Within your body resides your vital life force, the quality called Qi (pronounced “chee “) discussed in classical Chinese texts for over 5,000 years and the basis of the current practices of acupuncture and acupressure. Directing this Qi with self-care techniques from the field of Energy Psychology assists readers to resolve internal conflicts, remove blocks to creativity and empower living more fully.

Contrary to traditional thinking that associates living well with lots of activity, the full-energy life is about connecting to inner wisdom and refining the arrow of intention. This orientation is filled with joy, peacefulness, openness, curiosity, wonder, appreciation, flexibility, exploration, new viewpoints and moving “beyond the box ” of traditional thinking about aging.

Moving from longevity to “fun-gevity ” is made possible by letting go of stressful issues rapidly so there is available energy for more satisfying choices. For most issues, energetic self-care advanced in this book gives opportunities for generativity. Exercises in each chapter lead readers to finding new ways of sustaining energy levels and lightening up inwardly. The interventions offer drug-free paths for relieving anxiety, finding inner harmony and thriving in advancing years.

How the book is organized

The book is in four parts. They flow from an explanation of the personal energy system to practical applications in addressing specific issues.

Flexible and Resourceful Thinking

The first section is the introduction to a conceptual framework of personal energy for more flexible and resourceful thinking. Two chapters explore cross-cultural resources and cite studies to show how these concepts are well within the realm of current science. Epigenetic research, for example, is demonstrating the power of thought to influence emotions as well as the body’s molecular, cellular and DNA structures.

Practical Maneuvers, Useful Beliefs

The second part is directly practical. Readers learn releasing maneuvers to use whenever becoming shaken by external events. They also learn to rethink limiting beliefs and find methods of installing more desirable, useful beliefs. Celebrating the present with its unique gifts becomes possible with methods to bring life-enhancing awareness into every moment and lifting the fog of anxiety and depression.

An Artist of Life

The third section addresses numerous ways of becoming the creative artist of one’s life. Learning from a self-inventory brings focus to inner wisdom with specific steps for developing intuition. Accessing transpersonal, spiritual dimensions is another means of expanding originality. Readers learn to nurture their own inner artist with hope and protective imagery.

Dealing with Pain

The fourth part considers energetic approaches for two of life’s greatest challenges: dealing with pain and viewing death from a new perspective. The book closes by redefining personal myths and suggesting maps for the adventure of thriving while growing into maturity and wisdom.

Read excerpts online

On this web site, you can read the book’s Introduction, Table of Contents, and one full chapter.

Author’s vision

I envision a new picture of audacious aging in which engaged, passionate elders bring their collective wisdom to our imperiled world. We are the talented and essential beings who, by healing and empowering ourselves, can heal and empower others. We are the ones who bring love of humanity and the natural world to our families and communities. The second half of life is indeed the opportunity to reclaim our life’s dream!

Comments from readers so far include:

“A breakthrough book…inspiring in every chapter”
“An engaging and authoritative book”
“Dorothea is a living example of what she teaches”
“Eminently useful for understanding pain’s lessons and overcoming suffering.”