7 days until 60

My goal in starting this blog almost a year ago was to prepare myself for turning 60.  Well, that's exactly what is happening next Tuesday.

I started blogging as a kind of self-therapy, and it actually kind of worked.  I found myself working on things within myself that were no longer so comfortable to blog.  So I kept working, but kept it to myself.  That's why it's been a long time since there has been a blog entry from me.

But now it's 7 days away, so I'm going to write 7 entries in 7 days.  Starting today.  Given the narcissistic nature of the purpose of this blog, there will be 7 new blogs about me, me, big beautiful me.

Here are some things I have learned about myself this year:

1. I am really enjoying my job in public relations.  I've found that when I joined Arbonne, I received great training in network marketing that translated very well into educational marketing.  It's really just about relationships, and I love relationships.  I have so much to learn, I fight to be consistent in my efforts and I only get done half of what I plan to do; but I love talking about my school.
2. I don't handle criticism very well.  I've had more criticism this year than ever before and it was pointed and personal.  I worked very hard to keep my responses truthful and professional and it all worked out to the good in the end, but in the process I felt very vulnerable and distrustful of others.  it took me quite some time to get over it, and that's the part that surprised me because I usually have pretty good bounce-back.
3. I've learned to make myself waste time.  It's too easy to be driven and feel like every moment needs to count for all time and eternity, but pretty soon my ability to be effective is frittered away.  I have been leaving town on my days off as much at possible, relaxing after dinner on week days, and working on having people over more frequently.  I don't know if I'm more effective, but I do find I handle things better and feel more creative.

I'm doing less than I was last year in music commitments - no church choir, not on the worship schedule, not teaching any music courses.  But I have added some very satisfying activities: local chapter of the Registered Music Teachers Association, joined the Valley Festival Singers in Abbotsford with Dave, started teaching some private piano lessons again and I've trained as a barista at our church espresso cafe.

Tomorrow let's talk some more.

time to become a financial grownup

If one is going to be sixty, possibly one should start thinking more seriously about one's finances.  The power of denial is about to be broken!

We had some questions about the Canada Pension Plan because the rules are changing Jan. 1 2012.  Because my birthday is Dec. 27 I could legally retire at 60 3 days before the rules change.  Last year we really tried to figure this out, we asked several people and could not seem to get a straight answer.  The website was daunting.  So this year, with all this talk of change, I was really praying for a breakthrough when a lady from Welcome Wagon visited me at work, made her presentation and ended with "the last sponsor is my husband, who is a financial planner".  I had sandwiched this woman into a busy day in a busy week but that made the Holy Spirit light bulb go off in my head, so I told her if her husband could explain the CPP changes we would meet with him.

Of course he phoned with answers available, so now I had to put on my big girl pants and go see him.  I know we look like morons on paper, and now I was to be undone publicly.  I feared a fear and it came upon me!

I won't bore you with all the details, but here's what I learned: it's all about tax planning. Does everyone know this, and I am once again bringing up the rear?   I realized I don't even know how much we pay in taxes.  But that is about to change and there is nothing here I can't learn, even if it's my least favorite thing in the universe.

One day I was driving in a beautiful neighbourhood in Portland past gorgeous historical houses and I asked right out loud "what do you have to do to live in a house like that?"  I knew that there were a lot of professionals and money industry people there, but I realized that I am just as smart as any of them and I know how to work hard.  If my family had been in insurance or real estate or similar business I would have thrived in that environment; I probably would have done very well and could be living in one of those lovely homes.

But God knew what I needed and I was marked for ministry from an early age.  And now I live in a lovely historical home at peace with my family - priceless.  I have to trust that I'm smart enough to figure out what I need to learn to put our money in order for this season of life as well.  What a 60 project that is!