Guest post by Dr. Martha Cain
Congratulations! After much fine tuning, your
portfolio is thriving. The details of your will and advance directive are
resolved and recorded, and your emergency back-up plans are in place. You’ve
done an excellent job taking care of business.
Chances are, you’ve worked hard to reach this stage
in life where you feel like you can finally breathe a little…or maybe a lot!
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to
design and monitor your life - the
most valuable asset of all - with the same degree of care and scrutiny? What
might be possible if you clarified and itemized your deepest values, passions,
strengths, and dreams and wisely invested them so that you lived fully in tune
with what matters most to you?
If you’re like most of us, you’re probably not this
intentional about your life. Instead, we tend to go through our days on automatic
pilot, as if we’re in somewhat of a trance.
In the first half of life, we’re busy pursuing
cultural “guidelines for success” - get an education, a career, a partner,
perhaps children, a house, nice cars, promotions, vacations. We eagerly chase
the next bright shiny object - a bigger house, a more luxurious car, an exotic vacation - and are happy when it’s
ours. We push ourselves along the road to a perceived brighter future, often
missing the riches of the present moment.
The second half is messy and magnificent! Many of
our expected obligations and routines have been met and daily responsibilities
have greatly diminished. While we’ve earned a degree of success, we’re also
dealing with many changes - often losses. Trying to adjust can leave us feeling
unsettled and lost, instead of vital and energized. Things we once thought were exciting and
meaningful may have lost their luster. What’s all this for, anyway?
Whether your nest is empty and lonely, or you’re
happily looking forward to more me-time in retirement, you have many new
choices to make, and you want them to be life-enhancing. You sense time
slipping by, and there’s a strong urge to “make this time really count,"
but you may not even know where to begin.
At your core, you know there’s “more” for you in
life...and you’re ready to find it! You’re wondering, “What’s my best next
chapter? How can I tap into my gifts and talents to live fully, no matter my
limitations, and create the difference in the world only I can make?
I have two powerful suggestions that are proven strategies
for a more joyful, fulfilling life — at any stage. The first is mindfulness. Learning to be fully
present, open, and nonjudgmental in each moment allows you to pause long enough
to quieten your inner chatter and fears so you can truly experience the good.
There are thousands of current scientific studies that support the physical and
mental benefits of mindfulness. Practicing yoga, tai chi, or meditating for as
little as five minutes a day can make a significant difference in your life.
The second suggestion is to set an intention for what you most deeply want in your life. Getting
clear about your strengths and values, what you love, and what you want to
contribute to the world, and then putting that vision into action is life-giving. There’s no good reason to
remain a passive bystander when you can create and live the masterpiece of your dreams!
To meet the needs of people who would like a structured plan, along with guidance and support, to design a more vibrant and meaningful life, I’ve developed a 10-week science-based coaching program, Joy Unlimited. Life Transformed to help you:
- Examine, embrace, ignite, and integrate your personal strengths, values, and passions
- Recognize old patterns and limiting beliefs that may undermine you, and apply proven tools to disengage from them - for good!
- Develop time-tested skills to decrease stress and foster forgiveness (for self and others) and compassion (again, for self and others)
- Make wise, intentional decisions based on your True North values so you can confidently move ahead and experience the life of your dreams
If you’re ready to move beyond the status quo and
create a life-giving next chapter that brings you greater joy, purpose,
connection, and wholeness, let’s talk! I’m offering a free 30 minute
consultation that I call “Your Time Is Now." It’s an opportunity to share
your hopes, dreams, and challenges for creating your best life now, to get
questions answered, and to see if you might be a good fit for my program. Whether
you’re right or not, I’ll share my assessment and personalized recommendations for designing a more joyful and fulfilling life.
You may reach me via cell (601)260-2528 or email drmarthacain@gmail.com.
“Tell me, what is it you
plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
~Mary
Oliver, The Summer Day
P.S. I’d appreciate if you’d help spread the word by
sharing this with anyone you think might be interested. Next class begins January 2019!
Meet Dr. Martha Cain:
Dr. Martha Cain is a licensed clinical psychologist, coach for mindful leadership, and speaker with over 26 years' experience helping empower people to transcend life's challenges and learn to thrive. Her successful private practice was launched after completing a clinical residency and postdoctoral training at the University of MS Medical Center. She and her husband, Edd, live in Madison and enjoy creating wild adventures with their four grandchildren.
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