“I don’t understand why anyone would have a blog anyway.”

Cheryl’s crisis of confidence came the day after we’d registered the blog name.  It wasn’t an auspicious beginning.

I had to admit she had a point.  We had little time to devote to daily blog reading ourselves. Had I just wasted the domain registration fee?

Still, when I had recently pruned my own list of blogs I subscribed to, I had kept on a fistful.  Though I didn’t read every one every time, I valued seeing their postings in my in-box.  I realized that they provided me with inspiration, entertainment, and information.  With the hope that our thoughts will provide a few people with the same, we have given the blog a reprieve from deactivation.

Lessons in Shedding the Past

• Shedders, by Heather Bolstler – The story of how 6 urban revolutionaries rewrote the manual on retirement:  Three professional couples take on the project of creating a joint retirement home and make it a reality.  Now it continues with frequent intimate reflections on life in their new “family”.  Engagingly written, it has been a personal source of inspiration about creative “retirement” in general.  The “shedding” refers to decluttering, both mental and physical.
• Married with Luggage –  Life is Short. Live your Dream:  A couple in their 40s exchanged their traditional life in the suburbs to follow a dream of traveling the world. Now they inspire and help others to follow theirs, whatever it may be.  Decluttering is also a theme here.
• RTW Expenses – How Much Does it Cost to Travel Around the World?  Written by “Married with Luggage” travelers, it provides monthly detailed reports now covering almost three years of enticingly inexpensive travel.  Great source of useful benchmarks – and an inspirational message.
• Nomadic Matt – Travel Better, Cheaper, Longer:  The 30-something author of “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day” provides a lot of practical advice on how to travel for less.  And even at twice his age, I still find lots here to inspire!
• My Lifestyle Career – Fun Ways to Work During Semi-Retirement: We realized that we both had to work beyond retirement, and wanted something productive to do.  This author made it look like fun!
• Changing Course – Helping people around the world work at what they love, follow their own road, and life life on purpose since 1995:  Another great source of inspiration from a “non job” career coach and the creator of “Profiting From Your Passions”®.
• Daring to Live Fully – Live the Length and Width of Your Life:  When I was starting my bucket list – or “life list” as author Marelisa calls it – this was one of my best sources of information and inspiration.
• Blue Zones® – Live Longer, Be Happier:  Not only does this site make living to a happy old age look enticing, it provides on-the-ground research that may help us achieve it.

I wonder if Cheryl will read this post?