Ageless Passions by Karen Putz

Tag: today show

  • What an ‘Old Lady’ Taught Me About Life

    At the age of 44, I thought I was old.

    I felt old.

    I wasn’t looking forward to the years ahead. Aches. Pains. Wrinkles. Medicines. It seemed like everyone around me was slowing down and just going through the motions of each day, coasting until they could reach retirement. And for some, retirement simply meant they could watch their television programs anytime they wanted to.

    So there I sat on my 44th birthday with tears running down my face, thinking that the best years of life had passed me by. I missed the carefree days of my youth spent gliding across the water on the soles of my feet. I had tried barefoot water skiing the day before my birthday, with dismal results. My feet, I reasoned, were truly hung up to dry.

    Until an “Old Lady” changed my life.

    My husband sent me a link to a TODAY Show segment featuring Judy Myers, a 66-year-old competitive barefoot water skier. I sat there and watched the TODAY Show over and over. The passion that I saw on Judy’s face reminded me of the feelings I had when I was a teen. I loved barefoot water skiing.

    judy and karen

    I got in touch with Judy and she invited me to Florida to learn how to barefoot water ski again. In the process, I gained a mentor and a friend. Judy taught me some great lessons that apply to life; lessons that I put together in a new book, Outside the Wake, How an “Old Lady” Taught Me to Live.

    Outside_the_Wake

    At the age of 44, I thought life was a downward slide of life becoming less and less, and I was afraid that the best years of life were behind me.

    Judy taught me the opposite: the best years of life can be whatever you want them to be. You don’t have to accept growing older–you can choose to grow BOLDER instead.

    Grab a copy and find out for yourself: Outside the Wake

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  • Reinventing Yourself at Any Age

    boomers reinvented

    “All our life experiences are building blocks to the next opportunity, to the next path, to the next journey, and it’s up to us to take that and go in that direction.”

     ~Karen Putz

    I’m turning 50 this year and I am so looking forward to celebrating that milestone.

    But at the age of 44, I felt quite the opposite about life. I was NOT looking forward to the years ahead. Life had become ho-hum and I wasn’t thrilled with approaching mid-life. Instead, I was looking back with regret, wishing I had done this or that. I had the feeling that the best years of my life were over and done with–and that aging was a downhill process.

    karen and judyMeeting 66-year old Judy Myers turned all of that around for me. I first saw her on the TODAY show which featured her story of taking up an extreme sport at the age of 53. Judy was older than me and truly living life to the fullest. We both shared a love for barefoot water skiing, and she brought me back to the sport I loved as a teen. Our story has been shown on PBS and CNN:

    A Mom Who Walks on Water

    Making a Splash on Water

    In the last five years, I’ve reinvented myself over and over by trying new things and experiencing new paths. In fact, I love helping others to the same–to unwrap their passions and start living life wide open.

    karen love

    Over at Boomers Reinvented, LeAura Anderson is on a mission to encourage the Boomer generation and beyond to reinvent themselves and live their best life.  I shared my own reinvention in an interview with LeAura in which we talk about passion:

    Life Wide Open (Captioned)

    If the first half of your life journey hasn’t quite been the life you wanted, you can simply start reinventing yourself right now and pivot in a new direction. Learn new skills or try something you’ve always wanted to do. Connect with a mentor and receive guidance. Experience something you’ve been putting off for “Someday.”

    Life begins now. Don’t put it off. Reinvent yourself.