June 2, 2010

This interview is one in a series of expert interviews on the AccessRx.com blog. We add new interviews on a regular basis. Please see our complete list of insightful interviews.

1. What do you see as the biggest challenge for boomers today and how might they go about changing that into a positive?

There are an incredible number of micro challenges for boomers, with this recession: unemployment, our 401Ks now 201Ks, children living at home, becoming the caregivers to our parents. However, the biggest challenge for baby boomers is what does the next 30 to 40 years look like in terms of work/career and family. Boomers now are realizing that materialism is a shallow pursuit and just leaves us with an empty feeling. Boomers are going to search for and bring about 3 things for themselves over these next 30 to 40 years:

• What is the purpose of life?
• How they can contribute to the world?
•  What will be their legacy?

What I would share with my fellow boomers is to find your passion, find what your skills are and marry the two.

2. In your opinion, is there really such thing as growing old gracefully, both in a physical and/or mental sense?

Boomers have redefined age. We refuse to let age affect our future, we are pursing bigger more audacious goals as we get older. For example, just in the news, was a 63 year old baby boomer grandmother in the UK that ran 27 marathons in 27 days. I could never have envisioned my mother or grandmother running 1 mile let alone 27 marathons. Our parents would never have said 50 is the new 40. Boomers will live longer and most of us will never “retire”. Retirement for boomers, I believe is a myth, we boomers will continue to serve whether it is a job, nonprofit/charity, or on our passion. If we stop moving forward, like sharks we will die.

3. How can boomers with responsibilities such as aging parents, impending retirement and newly-independent children find a sense of peace in their complicated world?

First, do children really become completely independent. LOL. For me peace comes through my faith. I really believe if boomers refer back to my answer to the first question, they will enjoy life more, find a sense of peace, and a sense accomplishment leading ultimately to that feeling of significance.

4. How can couples that are facing an empty nest learn to reconnect with each other and regain the spark in their marriage?

Here are 4 ways I have used to re-kindle the spark from the book 300 Dates to Impress Your Mate.

•  Give your partner a unique gift – How about this: Give your partner a magic gift box, and every month place a new small gift in the box for your beloved to discover.
• Say “I love you” in a unique way – Take a book that your partner is reading and, using a pencil, underline letters in a section of the book she has yet to read to spell out a secret message of “I love you” or an entire love letter. Doing it just like this. Or for something really unique: You can buy special plants that grow and after 14 days display a message of your choice on the leaf. Cool or what!
•  Start going on dates again – One thing that separates couples with ‘out of this world’ relationships, is they never stop doing new, fun and exciting things with their partner. In other words, they never stop dating and neither should you. Spend the day doing fun things: go to the carnival, the beach, have a water fight, stare at the clouds on a grassy hill, go on a picnic, walk in the rain without raincoats and umbrellas, dress up in funny costumes and hit the town.
• Or how about this: Pick your partner up for a date and blindfold her/him before driving to a special destination. Try to make the destination something really unexpected like a table set up at the top of a cliff or a dinner on a boat or old-fashioned ship. It needs to be something that will have an impact when your partner removes the blindfold.

So, believe me when I say that NOTHING can rekindle the love, passion and excitement in your relationship more than going on fun and creative dates together.

5. What advice would you give to boomers who suddenly have some free time to “find themselves?” After identifying with a certain role in life for so long, how can boomers rediscover who they are in all aspects?

For boomers to “find themselves” then there has to be growth. And growth only comes with being uncomfortable. So if you are going to “rediscover or find yourself” then find your passion, Web entrepreneur and baby boomer Michael Campbell, wrote a workbook, called The Uncovery, it is free, and I highly recommend it. This workbook helps guide you thru the process of finding your passion and also, what you are good at, then bringing the two together. Another book that I highly recommend is “The Purpose Driven Life” by Pastor, Philanthropist Rick Warren.  What should he do with this unanticipated wealth and attention? And last there is an incredible video about getting fired from your “job” and pursuing your passion. The tag line is…“It’s not a pink slip, it’s a blank page…LEMONADE is a film about starting over.” I was introduced to this video from Seth Godin’s Blog awhile back. This film ties into what a lot of us baby boomers are feeling at this point in our lives. To do work that matters to us, follow our passion , and contribute or give back in some way.

6. What is the greatest benefit to being a boomer? And knowing this, what advice would you have given to your younger self, if you could?

Options, we have more options now than ever before in history. Boomers have erased the stigma of age and that it is too late. There is a quote I really love that says “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” Younger self, first find your passion then set large outrageous goals that seem impossible. These goals will keep you focused. As John Maxwell, author of 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership says about goals…”Take more risks; set more challenging – even frightening – goals. No, you probably won’t achieve all of them. But you will have stretched yourself and grown in the process. And the successes you have will be that much sweeter.”

About Mark’s website – BabyBoomerTalkOnline.com

Be inspired, movtivated and grow daily with positive videos, quotes and self-growth articles all from the baby boomer generation. This blog is a community that is a positive affirmation of our lives as boomers. We are all bombarded daily by media with all the bad news. This website will always be inspirational, uplifting and motivational… Mark’s aim is to inspire, awaken, and motivate people to create their own reality and be who they want to be. He believes it is never too late to be what you might have been.

Read more of our expert interviews:
Betty Dodson, Renowned Sexologist, Author, Feminist, Educator
Dean Osborne, Human Nature of Cheating
Dr. MP Wylie, Relationship Advisor