Happy New Year 2009 & Happy Birthday to Me

Good afternoon everyone,
I trust you got the sleep you needed after the partying you may (or may not) have done last night. Whatever you did, I hope it was fun and fulfilling.

Today is my birthday ... and the only reason I tell you is because it's a milestone for us all ... all of us boomers, I mean. Remember, I call myself the Head Boomer because I'm born on this day ... the first day of the baby boomer generation. Yes, Boomers begin turning 63 today, just like me.

Funny, 63 sounds old, but I don't feel old and I don't look old. Most people think I'm quite a bit younger and sometimes I have to swallow hard when I admit my age. But, here's the rub. I can't call myself Head boomer and declare my age so publically and then lie about it at other times. So, for example, on dating sites .. I have to be honest. Does that get me less attention... probably. I mean, clearly, how many men are chomping at the bit for a 63 year old woman? So, if I lied by a few years, maybe I'd get more traffic. But, so be it. I'm sure, that one of these days, the man of my dreams will show up. I know he's out there looking for me too. In fact, I might have already met him and it's just a hop, skip and jump til it's declared and we realize it and relationship starts.

Point: You never know what the next moment in time brings you!

So, now for the specialness of today.
It's follows last night, which turned out to be nicer than I expected, altho frightfully cold in NYC.

Today is laid back for now. I took myself to brunch, ate too much (which has to stop happening very soon.) I'm home for a bit, then I'll have a few friends joining me for Happy Hour this afternoon. (Hoping the freezing weather doesn't keep them away.)

I'm reflecting a lot on how I expect this year to be.
Of course, I'm concerned, as we all are, about the impact of the economy. I'm a bit worried about work and contracts and "gigs" and finances. But, I'm also truly optimistic about the fact that I have talents, skills and information that's very timely and helpful. So, getting that word out will help.

I've been self-employed for 22 years now and have ridden waves before. I'm sure I'll be fine. We're all in this together, so let's hold on tight.

Meanwhile, throughout the day, and the weekend, I'll continue reflecting, intending, creating my future. It's nice to have a 4 day time period to do that in. I'll be working, yet relaxing and playing as well.

How about you?
If any of you reading this would like my FREE New Year's Assessment guide, please send me an email ... ann@annfry.com I'll send it right out. It's an opportunity to reflect on this past year and to prepare for this new one. It would be my pleasure to share with you.

So, take a deep breath, hug yourself, tell yourself how wonderfully marvelous you are, take another deep breath, sit down and write your goals/intentions for the year, DON"T make resolutions (you know you never keep them), take another deep breath, then go out and do something fun.

Remember the people who love you, remember all that is working well for you and all that you have to be grateful for.

Keep your optimism in check... you'll need it. Figure out where you are and where you want to be. Perhaps this is the year you REALLY do regenerate or reinvent yourself. If that's your goal, make sure you're on my mailing list at www.itsboomertime.com I'll be starting my ReInvention teleclasses very soon... you won't want to miss them

So, here's to 2009 -- may it be your best year ever ... the year you reach peak fulfillment in all areas.
For me .. I want a great man/relationship this year, I want lots of speaking engagements and coaching clients and I want my book to be a best seller. Of course, I also want health, wellness and wealth.

I raise my glass of Proseco to you and wish you all your dreams!
Happy New Year... from me to you.
I'd love your comments.
Hugs,
Ann

Summing Up the Year ... on the Last Day of the Year

Good Morning,
Well, here we are, the last day of 2008. What a year, what a ride.
I don't consider myself to be someone who keeps track of all the trends ... I'll leave that to the media pundits, reporters, sociologists, etc. I do know a few things though, and want to address them from the baby boomer perspective .. and of course, throw in some of my opinions and personal experiences.
Here we go:

This is both a glorious time and a maddening time for boomers. For years, we've celebrated the magnificence of our generation. However, in the last year, we've drastically "slipped" from grace as we are now being blamed for all the greed and failures of our society. The articles abound.
Comment: Screw them if they can't take a joke. How dare the reporters throw out all the good we've done by trying to blame us for the atrocities we face now. We are still the best generation... we know how to do things at the grassroot level, to impact our society, to make a difference. Clinton and Bush, both at the top of boomer gen were president. One brought our country to surplus and the other brought us to debt. We obviously can't put all boomers in the same pocket. I do know, however, that if we were to reconnect to our 60's roots, we could mobilize the sort of efforts needed to make things better.

The economy has brought the thoughts of retirement to a halt for many OR driven people to joblessness before they were ready.
Comment: My sources tell me mostly, that they are not ready to retire. They feel like they still have years of value to give. However, that being said, being forced to stay in work because of 401 losses is a nightare for some. Remember, all who do retire do not just enter the ozone .. they actually take on projects, self-employment, volunteering in ways that are helpful. Much of this will be put on the back burner. And, for those who wanted to stay and work for years, well they may be the first to be shoved out.... and they will flail around a bit trying to figure it all out. It's a tough time.

We made history politically this year. We had two women on the ticket ... one an older boomer and the other not quite a boomer. And, we had the oldest candidate and a very young candidate who also happens to be an Afro-American. We have a President-elect who seems to be creating hopefulness. He's a very young boomer... barely one... but let's give him a chance.
Comment: It's fascinating to watch history be made .. to see things we never thought we would see. And, in many ways, to me, it's interesting to pass the baton over to the next generation. I also love that so many millenials voted in the last election -- that's huge.
Personal Comment: My son, age 30, is the lead singer of a band. His band was among many others that urged the youth of the nation to vote ... great to see them all becoming dedicated to how our country can be.

As for the turning of the year to 2009, I'll probably write tomorrow, but briefly, I want you to know that I'm filled with hope. The country has been in a rut, many of us have been in a rut personally. Well, it's time. When you want things to be different (my byline) ... then now is your chance to make them different. It's up to each of us to do that. Otherwise, you can't complain. If you do what you've always done, you get what you've always gotten. Period.

So, when I go to sleep tonight, after watching the ball drop (and even though I'm in NY, there's no way I'll be downtown in that mess) I'll be a year older. Remember, I'm the Head Boomer -- your leader of sorts, born first day of our generation. I'll be 63 in the morning at 8:16 a.m..... not the first, but still pretty early.

Happy ringing in the New Year.
And, if anyone wants it, I have an assessment for the year. You can sit down in a little quiet moment and reflect over the past and the future. If you want it, email me at ann@annfry.com and put New Year Assessment in the subject.

Have a blast tonight.
ann

The Mid-Holidays Blues

Hi Everyone,
Hope you had the Christmas/Hanukkah, and any other holiday celebration that you desired. There certainly are many choices and experiences you could have had, so I hope you enjoyed the ones you made.

I spent much of the last week in solitude .. working on the final chapters, edits and rewrites of my book (which will hopefully be out by end January.) And, in between going crazy at the computer, I went to movies. I've seen many of the blockbusters and enjoyed them.
In fact, let me recommend: Doubt, Frost/Nixon, Milk, Slumdog Millionaire, Benjamin Button. Fine, compelling movies. There are many academy award nominees here and the choices will be tough to make. Some of the finest movie-making releases in quite some time... at least in my estimation.

So, we've completed one holiday and there's another to come. The heralded New Year celebration is upon us. I wanted to crawl under the blanket and avoid it... for two reasons: 1) I have no man in my life to kiss at midnight of new year's eve and 2) My birthday is New Year's Day and I'm turning 63 and it feels really old.

I have many girlfriends, but they have parties, families and plans lined up ... except for one and we finally made a plan to do something that night. WE're going to see a special NYE edition of the Best of Gilbert and Sullivan. Should be fun... it'll be over at 11:00, so lots of time to get home, turn on the TV for the ball dropping OR brave into a local bar, hoping it's not just filled with happy couples, and toasting in the NY as friends and with whomever might be watching TV at the time.

Then, finally, we'll be on to the new year and hopefully my spirits will perk up.
2008 has been challenging to me personally, but also to all of us collectively. If we have any money socked away, we've seen it collapse, dwindle, disappear -- might as well call a blanket a blanket ... it's true. Many of us have lost jobs or if we're freelancers, seen our opportunities go down. There's lots of fear swirling and who knows when it will end.

Does 2009 call for a prettier future? Who knows. I do know that our new President carries much hope for a new future. Those that didn't support him have their doubts about that ... but overall, after the past 8 years, the dreadful shape we're in .. the idea of new blood and youth and vitality seem to be carrying that glimmer of a better future. Time, of course, will tell. Would anyone want to be Obama right now? Not I, for all the tea in China.

So, baby boomers ... let's cheer on 2009 as our best year yet. Let's celebrate, dance, sing, and explode with fun and happiness.

From me to you ...onward and upward!!