Rock climbing entered my life way too late. At 59, I started going to the climbing gym (thank you, Alex; more on that later, and see my ‘About’ page). Alone, I’d wander around looking for odd-numbered groups of climbers (two climbing together, one waiting), and I’d timidly offer the one who was waiting, “Need a belay?” Some of them did — and thus began a very eclectic collection of new friends — and a new life.
.
But what you’ll be reading here isn’t about climbing — it’s about life in all its fascinating weirdness, and how to achieve your life goals. These thoughtletters will be eclectic. And they won’t be chronological. Life — or at least what’s important in life — never is.
My life has caromed from one passion to another, and another. Foreign languages have always been a major influence — French began at age 3, Greek at about 4 or 5, Italian at 6. (NYC after WWII was a maelstrom of languages!) More were added later. All the ‘old’ people in my family when I was a kid spoke only Polish. My university degrees are all in languages.
Music entered my life at the start, in many forms, and through all the ups and downs of life, my piano has often been my main solace. That will always be true, I think. (Do you use a musical instrument to cope with life? If not, what’s your key to peace and equanimity?) Other instruments got added to the mix over the years. Conducting the orchestra that I founded and created many years later filled a great chunk of my life for years, too, and I miss that enormously. So it’ll appear here, too.
As will running, publishing, painting, traveling…. Probably others, too. It’s been a wild ride so far! I hope you’ll enjoy coming along on the journey — and I hope you’ll add your own voice and experience as we travel through these thoughtletters.
My adventure started in New York City, and has continued in France, California, Japan and other parts around the globe. I’ve taught 5 foreign languages for 44 years on 3 continents, but that was just the background for all the other passions that have enriched my life. Life is fascinating. When the cosmic circles that drive my life collide with others in the universe, I always shout, “Yes!”
Do you have a dream? An idea — maybe a crazy one — that distracts you while you’re trying to focus on ‘real life?’ I’ve had many, and over the decades, I’ve discovered a way to achieve them all (so far; the adventure is far from over).
Over the last few years, in the 80+ speaking engagements I’ve done in various countries, one of the most frequent questions people ask me is not about what I’ve done, but rather about how. How can one person possibly do so many different things?
One can. You can.
In these thoughtletters, I’ll be exploring how it’s possible, with no particular special skill or education, to accomplish whatever you dream about. I was never trained as a conductor, yet I created a regional orchestra and conducted it for years. I had no idea what a publisher’s job consisted of, but I now have multiple books, awards, and several foreign contracts to show for my publishing adventure. And on and on. Whatever you dream of doing is within your reach. In these thoughtletters, we’ll delve into how.
Did I doubt myself when I started my orchestra, knowing I had no formal training? Not for a moment! I already knew that this method I’ve used all my life is remarkably effective. Did I worry that people might not take me seriously as an independent publisher who had no training to be one? Not for a moment! I knew that the same system I’d used to accomplish the other things in my life would work just as well for that.
My mother always dreamed of writing a book. But she never actually did anything to make it happen. So it didn’t. Simple truth. Whatever your dream is, whatever goal you envision for your future, it’s up to you, and only you, to make it happen.
Not sure how to start? Keep reading….