My Final Quarter

Some of you know I recently had a horrific recurrence of my EOE (Eosinophilic Esophagitis) that had me first in Urgent Care and two days later in an ER. That was the beginning of my wake-up call, my AHA! moment, and my journey back to myself. To say it was life-changing is an understatement.

Being a part of creating a successful business that’s now 20 years old was exhilarating but tiring. And, while I bought into the vision and mission of Alive! Fitness Studio and I still do; it never provided me with the purpose or passion that was mine.

My dreams and passions were, and still are, mentoring women who aren’t comfortable with their aging to create rich, fulfilling, and, most of all, happy lives where they contribute positively to our world. We are needed!

So, why has it been so hard to do that? Why did I sink deeper and deeper into exhaustion? My recent health scare opened my eyes, my mind, and my heart to what was wrong with this picture and what was right.

I’ve discovered I’m no longer interested in building a big, all-consuming business where I must devote almost my entire life to building it.

And the most significant discovery was that I had been running away from my mortality. Yes, I said “mortality” as in death.

All my efforts had been to age naturally and powerfully, to put a lot of effort into living longer, healthier, and better. Now, that’s an admirable goal--it truly is. I was just using it to avoid seeing I was entering the last quarter of my current life and acknowledging that my motivations and interests had changed.

I am becoming an Elderwoman, a crone, a sage, a wise woman who values balancing “being” with “doing.”

I hadn’t wanted to acknowledge my desire to slow down, see what is present in this moment, take time to contemplate and reflect, and sit quietly and listen to the birds outside my kitchen window.

I was afraid my younger, entrepreneurial friends would reject me and see me as merely an old lady who had given up on her dreams. But I had to speak it; I had to start living it.

When I shared my revelation with my closest friends, I was given love and care, and an even deeper connection began. I was supported, accepted, and, most of all, included. My fear of rejection was just that, my fear.

I finally see the new path for me and where my accumulated wisdom from a lifetime of transitions can best be used. I have renewed energy and a new focus for my life.

I have slowed way down and have returned to doing Qigong. In fact, I’m doing a 2-day workshop with Master Mingtong Gu, "Life in Full Bloom: Conscious Aging through Qigong" workshop, led by Master Mingtong Gu on Saturday & Sunday, August 24-25. 8:45 am - 4:00 pm.

You can get an experience of his work on YouTube. Here’s a link to one of his many videos: https://youtu.be/f0Ft0CaQ3xU?si=ROvwUY2Wn5t4iNn- This one is on sleep.

Remember to listen to your body’s voice and take care of it. If it starts yelling at you, it may be too late, so pay close attention and give it love and care. Above all, don’t push the river; it flows.

Inspiration

Exciting news about my planned move of these Love-Letters to Substack!

You'll have the option of subscribing to a free version or a paid version.

Instructions on how to switch to my Substack will be forthcoming, with a target date of August 31^st, when you'll receive my last Love-Letter issue from my current platform, the Coaches Console.

Free Subscriptions:

1. Love-Letters with free content, twice a month.
2. Podcasts after I get them going; probably by the end of this year, but hopefully sooner!

Paid Subscriptions:

1. The cost is $8 a month or $80/year discounted, which is not a huge amount and one most of you can probably afford. Founding Members pay $240 annually and, in addition to all the perks (listed below), will receive four 60-minute individual Tarot/Mentoring sessions with me each year.
2. All paid subscriptions include three to four Love-Letter issues each month, much like it is now, except this schedule allows me some breathing room if I occasionally need a break. And at 82, this is more likely than not.
3. Paid subscriptions at any level supports my work and makes it possible for me to fulfill my purpose of empowering women to age consciously.
4. Paid subscriptions also help us pay our living expenses. My husband is only able to work two days a week due to three serious health issues; I want and need to help with paying the bills. Our Social Security doesn't go very far these days!

Paid Subscription Perks:

1. A one-time complimentary Tarot Card reading/mentoring session for each paid subscriber.
   • I'll do four individual ones each month for those who have not yet received one.
   • It's on a first-come, first-served basis, so I'll keep a list of those who have already had one and those who are waiting for one.
   • I want to be sure every paid subscriber has a chance to experience a complimentary Tarot reading! 
2. I'm also currently offering paid Tarot reading/mentoring, and my regular charge is $90 per 45-minute reading/mentoring. Paid subscribers will receive my discounted price of $65.
3. My third Extra will be a monthly Webinar on topics around Aging Consciously. These will occasionally feature otherwise Elderwomen sharing their gifts of wisdom. I already have a commitment for the first one from my friend, Lasell Bartlett, for her super powerful "Writing from the Inside" workshop, for which I pull Tarot cards for the writing prompts.

Why am I doing this? I have been extremely unhappy with the Coaches Console Newsletter platform, and Substack offers me some exciting possibilities.

1. A way to imbed videos, do podcasts, etc..
2. Easy entry to my website information so all my tools will be in one place.
3. Confidence in the behind-the-scenes statistics.

Love and many Blessings to you - Taru