Baby Boomer's and Divorce Quiz

Baby Boomers and Divorce: A Bumpy Road for Many?
A national poll is launched to determine how divorced boomers are holding up.

In the 1960s and '70s we burned our bras and draft cards, marched on Washington, founded Earth Day, elevated smoking pot to cult status, and vowed never to trust anyone over the age of 30.

Today, we are dancing wildly and waving our arms in the air to the lyrics of Chubby Checker's "The Twist" at "Oldies" parties, buying gifts for the grandchildren, and planning for our retirement.

Indeed, our generation—at once commended for our commitment to social change and criticized for our perceived or real self-indulgence—has matured and, now, we're going gray and developing arthritis.

We had such an impact on American pop culture that, in 1966, Time magazine broke with tradition and choose the baby boomer generation instead of an individual as its Man of the Year. But for some the "Me" generation is just beginning to pay the price, particularly when it comes to divorce.

The boomer divorce rate is triple that of our parents' generation, according to Ken Gronbach, author of "Common Census: The Counter-Intuitive Guide to Generational Marketing."

"They got married, they got divorced and half their money goes out the window," says Suze Orman, who receives many calls from divorced boomers on her show. There are so many issues to consider: financial, children, grandchildren—the overall relationship with their former spouse.

The post-divorce relationship boomers are having with their former spouses is wide and varied.

To determine if a consensus exists about how divorced boomers are holding up, Wise Heart Coaching is collaborating as a research site participant in a national poll being conducted by the National Association of Divorced for Women and Children and the Baby Boomer [Knowledge Center].

The poll is three questions and takes but a moment to answer. And how you vote is completely anonymous!

Click each link to to vote.

1) The most challenging part of getting a divorce for me was:
http://www.polldaddy.com/p/1557595/

2) What life skills would have been helpful when going through your divorce?
(for example stress management, coping skills and/or communication skills?)
http://www.polldaddy.com/p/1504675/


3) What is your relationship now with your former spouse?
http://www.polldaddy.com/p/1504679/

Thank you for participating.

The results of the poll will be published right here on our blog June 15, 2009.

It's My Birthday!

It’s April and it’s My Birthday!

OK, we all have birthdays – but this is a special one for me – today I turned 60. I remember turning 50 and how very difficult that was for me. But 60 – well, it feels OK. I actually waited until my 60th birthday to write this because I wanted to be 60 when I wrote it. I wanted to see if I would feel anything different than what I was feeling, which has been and still is OK!

I believe that 60 is OK because I am happy – and I am happy because I made a choice to BE HAPPY! And yes, it is a choice – a choice we make everyday. I could choose to be disappointed, or sad, or old or numerous other things – but I have made a personal choice to be happy – happy with life, happy with who I am, happy with the things I am doing, happy with friends and family.

So, what happens when we make a choice to be something or to see something in a certain way? It happens! It is that simple. Our mind is a powerful tool that we can use to create happiness or sadness. If we only truly understood what a powerful tool our brain is – how are thoughts can literally create change – we would think a lot more about – dare I say – what we think.

We know that when someone is miserable, angry, or sad and they walk into the room – we can feel that energy around them. Our body and nervous system immediately respond. Now, what happens when someone enters a room filled with joy and happiness – we respond to that as well?

We really do have super powers – we have the power – each one of us – to bring joy or sadness into a room. How will you use your super powers?

And here is the fun part, if you walk into the world with joy, the more joy will come to you. Just as the reverse is true – if you walk into the world with anger, hatred, or self-pity – you will attract more of that. What do you want to attract?

In my case, I made a conscious decision about 4 years ago to change my thoughts, to change my way of looking at my life and the world. I decided to go toward the light and away from the darkness. I am not going to say that it was immediate – but I will say that like any habit, that the more I practice it – the more natural it seems – and thus the more the opposite just no longer works.

So, how do you walk out into the world? Make it a choice.

My birthday gift is that I wish each of you Blessings and more Blessing!

Judith Auslander,
Wise Heart Coaching

Big Move!

I just made a big move in my life. My first big move was to go back to school for a second masters degree. I wanted to add to my coaching with spiritual coaching and entered the Masters In Divinity program at Marylhurst University in Oregon.

I realized after one quarter it was not the direction I wanted to go - more of an in depth study of the Bible which wasn't of interest to my direction in life.

So, I left my wonderful group of students and moved onto a Masters in Interdisciplinary Studies focusing on Geriatrics and I am thinking advocacy for seniors. Since it is, I guess, time for me to consider myself one. On April 14th I turn 60 - and I guess this Baby Boomer is finally going to have to think of herself and - dare I say - middle aged!!! So, it is time to advocate for myself and all the other boomers entering this unknown arena.

As per our tradition, we will revolutionize this time as we have every other milestone. I love being a boomer - and in fact - I am not at all troubled at turning 60 - it is actually kind of cool!!!

What are you thoughts in making sudden road changes? You have your mind set on one road and suddenly - there you are on an alternate road - and the scenery on this road an unknown - groovy man!!!