E187 Positive Aging with Stephanie Raffelock
Positive Aging: Create a vision for your 5th decade
Positive aging requires a certain mindset. This episode is a lovely example of how one woman approached the “What do I do now?” question at 50 after she and her husband sold their nutraceutical business. He would continue to work with the new owners – while she would not.
What do I do NOW?
At 50, my guest, Stephanie Raffelock was faced with that “What am I going to do now?’ question. She was not ready to retire but not interested in getting a job.
Instead of letting the wind set her sail, she reflected back to what she had dreamed for herself while in her early 20s. She needed to create a vision of what her 5th decade would look like and how she would live in her 50s.
Stephanie Raffelock shares her experiences of reaching back to her 20-something self and deciding to pick up where a lack of courage had derailed her dreams of becoming a writer.
Her first move was to begin teaching a creative writing workshop to women incarcerated at the Jefferson County Detention Center. Then she created her first blog, and writing her first novel which she describes as “just terrible”.
A champion of positive aging, Stephanie now produces her own podcast, Coffee Talk Wisdom (I just LOVE that name!), and has a published a wonderful collection of essays, stories, and philosophies in her April 2020 book: A Delightful Little Book On Aging
Stephanie Raffelock is a graduate of Naropa University’s program in Writing and Poetics. She’s worked as a freelance writer for publications that include The Rogue Valley Messenger, Nexus Magazine, Omaha Lifestyles, and SixtyandMe.com. Her book, A Delightful Little Book on Aging will be available in April. As host for the podcast, Coffee Table Wisdom, Stephanie promotes embracing the accumulating years with purpose, intention, and joy. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, Dean and their Labrador retriever, Jeter.
