Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: live with passion

  • Ignite Your Life with Passion

    Ignite Your Life with Passion

    Leanne Blaney is a master coach. She helps people create more fun, passion, and meaning while living a balanced life. Leanne’s training runs deep; she’s a certified Jack Canfield Success Principles trainer, DISC consultant, Coaching Guild Associate Member, and Coaching Institute Meta Dynamics /Advanced Practitioner.

    So, when my friend Mary Wu suggested that we connect, I was thrilled. I love connecting with people who live with passion and it was easy to see that Leanne lived a “Bucket List” life. In fact, she’s a certified Bucket List coach!

    Leanne and I jumped on her podcast and talked about passion in depth.

    You can catch the episode via audio below or the transcript here:

    Ignite Your Life with Passion

    Here’s a bit from the podcast:

    [09:05] Leanne: That is awesome, I love it. I love how you have found that way of doing something using someone as a role model too because it is something that I’m very aware of through my Bucket Listing workshops so people are just living groundhog day aren’t they just over and over and they’ve lost their passion for life, so I am loving your story thank you so
    much for sharing.
    [09:28] Karen: It is so true, isn’t it? we get to midlife and we think you know oh my gosh this is it and it is so not true and when you find a role model it just opens up the world to you. But I also tell people, if you can’t find a role model you might have to be the role model that leads the way.
    [09:52] Leanne: Exactly and it’s great to have role models out there doing things and people of all abilities doing things that they love because we don’t want to just say oh something happened to me and then hide ourselves away it is so important to keep living because we only have this short lifetime so we need to have something that we are passionate about,
    don’t we?

  • Feeling Stuck: Ask Yourself This Question

    When you’re feeling stuck in life, ask yourself this question…

    But wait, before I dive into the question, let me tell you a story.

    Way back when my kids were very young, I faced a choice that I had to make for them. As a parent, I was responsible for their upbringing, and due to all three of them being deaf/hard of hearing, I was responsible (along with the hubby) for making decisions that would affect their life path.

    I didn’t know what to do.

    So it seemed easier to do…nothing.

    “Doing nothing is a choice,” a wise mentor told me.

    And the problem with doing nothing is that there is little energy associated with it.

    The hubby and I made a decision. It was a decision that energized us. Once we chose the direction of that decision–we owned it. There was energy behind that decision.

    And the words of my mentor often stuck with me.

    Doing nothing is a choice.

    As the years went on, my path shifted into the work of
    “passion.” I started studying this energy and I surrounded myself with people who were living at a high level of passion in their life.

    And I discovered something else…

    Many of them asked themselves a certain question when they were feeling stuck or faced with a decision in their life:

    “Will this bring me energy?”

    The question came in other ways:

    “Is this the right path for me?”

    “Am I aligned with this?”

    “Do I believe in this?”

    When you are aligned with the right path, energy builds up. A wise business coach once told me to hire people to do the stuff that takes away my energy so that I can focus on what BRINGS good energy into my life.

    So when you are facing a decision point in your life or you’re feeling stuck, ask yourself, “Does this bring me energy?”

    The stuff that saps your soul, find other solutions for that. Let go of the stuff that doesn’t bringing you uplifting energy. The stuff that is weighing you down, release it.

    Those words that I’ve typed above–they are words for myself as well. I’m learning along with you.

    Karen Putz is known as “The Passion Mentor.” She is the author of several books, including “Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want.” You can learn more about living YOUR passion at The Passion School.

  • Barefooting 50 States: Louisiana

    Barefooting 50 States: Louisiana

     

    “Have you done Louisiana yet?”

    Mark Varnes, a fellow barefooter, left a comment on one of my Facebook posts. He invited me to ski with him in Louisiana as part of my Barefooting 50 States for my 50’s quest.

    The next thing I knew, I had an assignment to speak in New Orleans, just 45 minutes from Mark’s secret spot on the Pearl River.

    Serendipity.

    Or synchronicity, as Wayne Dyer would say.

    I hopped on a Southwest flight, grabbed a rental car, and took off for the river. I met up with Mark and two of his buddies, Brad Ripp and William “Doc” Kutun. All of us were over the age of 50–and we all shared a crazy passionate love for barefooting. Like me, Brad got back on the water just recently–after a 25 year absence. We spent the afternoon barefooting up and down the Pearl River, one of the most calm, tranquil spots I’ve ever barefooted in. Whenever there was a tiny ripple on the water, Mark drove further down the river until we found glass again. As a result, my feet were burning on my first run! On my second run, I decided to try a backward deep start behind the boat–something that had eluded me during the last several barefooting trips. The start was smooth and I found myself up and about–but I couldn’t find my way around the wake. I let go as I was afraid I was going to fall–but I was so, so, so happy to have accomplished the backward longline start once again!

    Each of the guys took turns footin’–and I was impressed with their skills! I still have a ways to go to catch up!

    On the way back to the dock, one of the guys pointed out an alligator lazing between the trees. Fortunately, the boat was going so fast that I missed it. I was really glad I was done footin’ after they found a gator! Check out the amusing alligator sign in the video that Mark put together:

     

    Want some help putting together a Passion Quest of your own? Check out Karen’s book: Unwrapping Your Passion.

     

  • Are You Ready for a PASSIONATE Year?

    Are You Ready for a PASSIONATE Year?

    What does it mean to “have a passionate year?”

    It means a year of many moments filled with joy and bliss. Of doing what you love…and loving what you do.

    Even when things aren’t going well.

    A friend of mine recently posted that she couldn’t wait for 2017 to get out of her life and begin a whole new year anew.

    Yet, here’s the thing…

    At any given moment in your life, you can decide to live differently.

    You can change the thoughts that are floating around in your head. 

    You can change the way you see things. 

    You can change your perspective.

    You can choose your attitude. 

    You can create your actions.

    You can pivot in a new direction. 

    The end of one year is a wonderful opportunity to reflect back. What were your best moments? What accomplishments stand out? What was not so pleasant? What hurt?

    It’s all too easy to want to put the worse behind us and look forward to a better future ahead. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the many mentors I’ve had is this: if you keep repeating the same routines, you’ll end up with the same old life.

    Do you want this brand new year to be the same repeat of last year?

    Or even better?

    Knowing what you DON’T want can better point you in the direction of what you DO want.

    The first half of 2017 was the second half of my family’s downsizing journey. We moved from a five-bedroom house to a townhouse. On one hand, the convenience has been really nice–no more lawn work. We have a little plot of garden that we can grow tomatoes, herbs, and flowers and even that is mulched yearly by the service.

    On the other hand, it’s been quite the adjustment space-wise–my office is in my bedroom. The commute is short, but it sure is tough to write when the hubby is sleeping nearby.

    The move freed us up to travel more. We took an amazing cruise to several islands, including my favorite: Belize. My youngest son and I took a trip down to South Africa–another wonderful highlight of the year. I added Minnesota to my Barefooting 50 States for my 50’s quest.

    And the very best part of last year?

    The birth of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want.

    Not just because it was fun to see the book on the shelves at various Barnes & Noble bookstores and hitting the number five spot on Amazon, but because the information in the book is changing lives.

    Yes, people are actually doing the activities, creating new habits, and living with passion.

    Over the summer, I gave my friend Edie Iles a copy of the book. She was just a few chapters in when she reached out and told me that she remembered she had a passion for dancing. She had buried it for so long that she forgot about it. Right then and there, she signed up for dance lessons again.

    Here’s what she shared:

    They say timing is everything and this book sure came into my life at just the right time! I was recently divorced and was not feeling good about where I was in life. My good friend, Karen Putz gave me her book, Unwrapping Your Passion. 

    After reading the first few chapters, my passion for dancing was rediscovered. I had not been dancing in years. I was out of practice, had no dance partner and not sure where to begin. Unwrapping Your Passion inspired me to think about how I felt free and uninhibited and full of life while dancing. I got excited just thinking about those feelings.

    Then, out of nowhere, I received a message on LinkedIn requesting a connection from a former dance partner I had 15 years ago! It was as if the universe had read my mind and provided me with my desire! Bill and I reconnected and have been dancing every weekend since.

    I highly recommend reading this book and Unwrapping Your Passion!!

    ~Edie Iles

    So here we are, at the start of a brand new year. It’s the time of year when people start out with new energy, and new intentions. New thoughts, new attitudes, new habits, and new actions will result in a PASSIONATE year. One of the things I do is to look over my Life List. It is always so fun to see what has been experienced from the list and add more to the list.  A Life List is everything you want to be, do, and have in your lifetime. It’s a way of LIVING, of experiencing life in the way that only YOU can.

    If you’d like some help in planning a passionate life, I offer a 30-minute Passion session over the phone or via text chat–whichever you prefer. Simply email me at: karen at agelesspassions dot com and put “Passion Session” in the subject line. You’ll be on your way to making THIS year a passionate one!

     

    Karen Putz is known as The Passion Mentor. She helps people unwrap their passion at ANY age. She’s the author of Unwrapping Your Passion, Creating the Life You Truly Want. 

  • Would You Sell Your Home To Live on a Boat?

    Stephanie Palmer came home from work one day and told her husband Jim, “We need an adventure.”

    Stephanie, who worked in early childhood education for 25 years, was getting ready to retire and partner with Jim in his coaching business, Dream Business Coaching.  With the business, they could work anywhere in the world as long as they had access to cell service and a solid internet connection.

    After 28 years living in the same home, they were toying with idea of selling the house and doing something different–yet, they weren’t quite sure what “different” was going to be.  They both enjoyed watching shows on HGTV that showed beautiful places to live and they considered moving to the Caribbean.

    Then one day, Stephanie had an idea.

    “Why don’t we live on a boat?”

    Stephanie and Jim always enjoyed their outings at sea on their 30-foot Sea Ray. Every time they went out on the water, stress melted away and they came off the boat renewed and re-energized. The more they thought about it, the more the idea of living on the water appealed to them.

    When Stephanie and Jim presented the idea to their four children, they received positive feedback and support. Stephanie recalls how it all unfolded:

     

    For the past few years Jim had felt ‘finished’ with the house we were living in.  It was the house where we’d lived for the past 28 years and raised our children.  I was torn.  We had kept it up and done some remodeling and an addition that I was enjoying.  I also liked to think of it as a place where the family came together for holidays, where our grandchildren could play in the beautiful yard where their parents had played years before.   Finally, I didn’t have any idea where I wanted to move to next.

    I had worked in early childhood education for over 25 years and I was feeling ready to move on. Truth be told, I was burnt out and didn’t enjoy the work anymore.  I didn’t know what I wanted to do, as far as work but one day it just hit me – I needed a big adventure!  Not sure what that was, what it looked like, but I had a feeling.  Together Jim and I batted around a bunch of ideas.  I knew how much Jim loved boating and I had a desire to travel, so I threw out the idea of living aboard a boat.  Jim LOVED it!!!  

    I was a bit uncomfortable with telling other people about this home we chose.  I have been a person that feels the need to do what is acceptable and expected.   Our children were the first people we informed of this idea.  They were so excited about it!  It is truly their excitement and encouragement that has kept me moving forward.  

    We spent about a year preparing for the change.  I gave notice at work.  I began to pack up the contents of our home deciding what to throw out, donate or put in storage.  We prepared the house for sale.  Jim searched boats for sale.  Over the year, Jim and I were amazed at how smoothly everything went.  We felt God’s hand at work, guiding us.  

    As I write this we have been living aboard the boat for 3 months.  I can’t believe how much I love it!  Life is simple, comfortable and easy.  We feel like we are on vacation all the time.  For now we have an 18 month plan, this summer in New England, the winter in Florida and then the next summer back on the Chesapeake, our home port.  We are considering spending more time living on the boat and traveling either the Great Loop or to the Bahamas.  But what we are both content with is making decisions as needed, we don’t have everything planned out to the nth degree, we are just going with the flow.

    Stephanie and Jim’s new home is a 50-foot Carver yacht. In the beginning, they had to learn everything they could about navigating a large craft themselves. They were nervous, excited, and a bit scared at taking on such a big adventure, but Jim knew that from his own coaching practice, the most growth occurs when you step out of your comfort zone.

    “Stephanie and I, we couldn’t run the boat ourselves, its a lot of teamwork,” Jim said.  “Pulling in and out of the marina is a two person job.  When we left the coast of New Jersey  going into New York and we saw the Statue of Liberty, we got chills. We had spent an hour in choppy water  and we were pushed out of our comfort zone in a way that we had not been pushed out of for several years.”

    I asked Jim to share the challenges they faced. “Challenges? You mean other than today, yesterday, and the day before??” Jim chuckled. “There are definitely times of challenge.  When you try to do something new– live on a boat, start a business, you sometimes become excited  about doing something fun and different, then the other side of your brain says,  ‘what if,  what if,’  what if I can’t park it, or hit someone, or run out of gas or I can’t run my business…

    “A lot of people don’t do big things because they’re unsure of what will happen,” Jim continued. “If you are thinking about doing something big–go for it. Life can be shorter than you want it to be. If you have an adventure in mind–your mind will play the “what if” game, but go for it. People near death regret the things they didn’t do–time ran out on them. Stephanie and I didn’t want to get to the end of our lives with regret, so for better or worse, we are doing it.”

    During one of the first trips on a river, the very thing that Stephanie and Jim worried about, happened. They ran aground in shallow water, right in front of a marina, with people on the dock watching. Jim turned to Stephanie and he laughed. “We hit the ground. Check it off the list. No one got hurt–there ya go!”

    What’s more, Jim explained, there are two types of people, those who run aground, and those…who lie about it.

    Jim and Stephanie work three days a week on their business and use the other four days to explore new places and things. As a business coach, Jim applies one of Zig Ziglar’s famous quotes to his business: You can get everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. Jim is all about helping others create successful dream businesses. “Passion is something that lights you up and gets you up out of bed earlier–you will work a little harder–that’s what passion does. I don’t live for the weekend. Here, every day feels like a vacation.”

     

    And every day on the water, Stephanie and Jim are grateful to see both the sunrise and sunset. Success means being able to live life on your own terms, Jim says.

    “Success doesn’t have to do with how much money you earn. It’s about living life the way you want to live.  You’re not wanting for anything–you’re content. You can make your own choices. That’s an internal level of success that people are striving for. The ultimate thing is to have time freedom–and live life on your own terms.”

     

    For more on Jim and Stephanie:

    Our Floating Home

    Dream Business Academy

    Jim Palmer, Dream Business Coach

     

  • The Gift of a Brand New Day


    Every morning when you wake up, you’ve been given the gift of a brand new day. 

    Begin with gratitude. Thankful thoughts combined with deep breaths will awaken your senses better than coffee. (I’m not a coffee drinker so my husband disagrees with me on this one.)

    My daughter and I recently experienced a silent meditation with a group of women. We greeted each other in silence, we sat for 90 minutes together in silence, we left in silence. 

    I left my hearing aids in the car for this. Meditation comes easy with this silent advantage–for I’m never distracted by any sound. 

    It’s in the stillness we find answers. In this busy, busy world, it’s often hard to slow down and just be. Yet, that’s exactly what is needed when you are in need of answers. 

    So today, you’ve got your gift sitting in your hands: a brand new day. 

    How will you choose live it? 

  • Don’t Put Off Living By Waiting for Perfection

    growing bolder with passion

    All too often, I find that the quest for perfection often gets in the way of enjoying life. People are waiting for all the ducks to be lined up, the “i” to be dotted and the “t” to be crossed, and the perfect time to arrive–before they start living what they really want.

    When I decided to take up barefoot water skiing after a 20+ year absence, I was quite overweight and very out of shape. I wanted to put it off and get in shape before heading down to Florida.

    I’m glad I didn’t. I would still be waiting today if I waited for everything to be perfect before getting back on the water.

    Because I’m still carrying extra pounds and lumpy in all the wrong places.

    Perfection is the killer of dreams. Waiting for everything or anything to be perfect means that the world never gets to see your gifts. They never get to see the beautiful, imperfectly perfect human being that you are.

     

    in-pursuit-of-passion-karen-putz-the-passion-mentor

    I left a mistake in one of my books after publishing it. I could have easily taken it down and fixed the typo.

    But I left it in there.

    I often give this book as a gift or hand it out at workshops. It’s a simple writing journal with inspirational quotes about passion. The book is a reminder to keep our focus on our joy–to do things in life that matter and to live with gratitude.

    The typo in there is a wonderful reminder to celebrate life in all it’s glorious imperfections.

    So that thing you’re putting off until everything is perfect…

    Quit waiting.