Don’t wait until you aren’t scared. You’ll be dead. Most of us are scared all the time! Change does not require fearlessness, but it does require courage. Courage is not being fearless – it’s doing what is right in the face of fear. Without fear, there’d be no courage.
Dr. Nancy Irwin from her book, You Turn
Dr. Irwin doesn’t waste any time in her book You Turn to let you know getting to where you want to go is already within you. The problem is that most of us are too darn scared to move, change and take advantage of opportunities that come our way. The thing is, as she explains in the quote above, many of us are fighting our fears and hoping, praying that a day will come when we are not so darned scared anymore. That day may never come, because, fear is what it is and is a part of human nature.
The problem comes when fear takes control and turns into panic and builds into more robust terror. The only way to fight this fear often seems that we need to stay right where we are, in the known and not dare step forward into anything which may be unknown.
I very much enjoyed You Turn which has a hearty, inspiring forward by Dr. Nancy Irwin, who has been there and done that – changing her life in mid stream, overcoming inner fears and the fear of the unknown, what ifs, maybe’s and possible colossal failure, embarrassment, you name it. She was a stage comedian then decided to go to school again and pursue a doctorate in psychology. Comedian to doctorate in psychology, yes, you read that right!
You Turn is a collection of over 40 stories from people over 40 years of age who changed direction in mid-life. It’s the perfect book for anyone contemplating change or unhappy with their current place. However, I strongly urge anyone above the age of 16 to read this book at least once. It’s never too early and it is never too late to become not only inspired but, trustful, for what we really want, change directions and make a You Turn! You may even realize that where you currently are is the right place and you can change your direction where you are, in what you are currently doing, if you are stuck or, in a valley.
Just a little tidbit of information to add: Napoleon Hill noted in his book Think and Grow Rich that it is usually in a person’s 40’s that many hit their stride and come into their own, which stands to reason that Dr. Nancy Irwin is spot on that mid-life isn’t the time to slow down and get comfortable, it’s time to turn it on, turn it up, make a You Turn and blaze your path to your success and what success means to you!
~Bryan
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Wow! This book sounds perfect for me! I am in my middle 40’s and last year my life took an unexpected “U turn”. What I have learned is that we are NEVER too old to try something new, to reignite our earlier passions and to totally change the directions of our lives. What is very interesting is that if this unexpected “U turn” never happened, I may never have had the wonderful opportunities to grow as an individual. By accepting change, we allow ourselves to leave our comfort zone to be stretched into the person that we were truly meant to be!!! This book sounds wonderful and I need to read it!
This morning, just reading Bryan’s review and the TV clip of Dr. Irwin’s “mid-life sanity” experience have really encouraged me! I want to read this book as I need the affirmations it will provide in my ongoing search for what I want to do (when I grow up–which is a daily journey with my ADDed unemployment) I was just screwing up the courage to email my latest job interviewer for a dream job when this book review showed up in my email, thank you for the notice, Bryan and your comment, Dana. It was a reality check and validation that today is the day, now is the time to face my future confidantly and calmly.
I enjoyed the review Bryan. This is a book I will definitely read. I agree that hitting our 40’s is often when people make changes. My daughter has seen me change from a career in nursing to a consultant where I can use my previous skills. In between I had other jobs such as teaching and disability management consultant where I prepared health and safety programs for large companies. Some in the states as well. These changes started in my late 30’s and ‘m in my 50’s. This time also included going back to school part-time to earn a degree in adult education, diploma in occupational health, and various certificates. (I wonder, this makes a case for ADD?) I hope my daughter will see that it is ok to make changes and that she should do what is most important to her.