The 2nd Act: How To Create the Life That You Love

Welcome to “The 2^nd Act” in my life.  As the curtains roll down on “The 2^nd Act,” this is the time for me to create the type of life that I love and appreciate.  Not that I have not had a good life so far – it is simply time to do the things that I truly love and enjoy.

To me life is like a play with 3 acts.  The 3rd Act which I have yet to reach is about fully preparing for my "Golden Years." The 1st Act was long - it was hard but I made it. 

I had to work through many difficulties and issues but I count my blessings every day to see my family, especially my daughters bloom into the type of ethical and strong women that I can be proud of.

As I said in my last blog post, if I was still in the workplace, I would have been retiring this year. So now more than ever, I am creating the life that I love as I go into “The 2^nd Act” of my life.

In “The 2^nd Act” -- it’s about doing the things that I love foremost to me.  It’s time to appreciate the little things in life such as the wind blowing against my face; being able to get on a plane and fly across the country to say hello to a friend I haven’t seen in a couple of years; or getting in my car and driving down to Florida just to smell the ocean. 

The 2^nd Act means setting very few alarm clocks.  Some days it means rising at the break of dawn and going to bed when the sun goes down – it just means “calling the shots” in a well-deserved life.

It means getting back to basics and living a natural and holistic lifestyle while I cut out all the toxic things in my life.  For me it wasn’t such a hard reach especially after seeing several friends and acquaintances succumb to a toxic world of illnesses and diseases that could have been prevented.

My 2^nd Act means getting back to my first love which is “writing.” However, for years photography was my passion and hobby.  I grew up in a household where my family often took pictures of everyone and how I longed to be the one looking through the lens of a camera.

Photography was a way of looking back on my life and recording it.  It kept me focused on all my dreams and desires.  Even though I took mostly pictures of people over the years and have tons of memories – I thought seriously at one time about becoming a “landscape photographer.”

Even after loving photography for many years, I still had another love and that was for “greeting cards.”  My co-workers even had a nickname for me “Ms. Hallmark.” No matter the occasion – birthday, goodbye, marriage, sickness, death…I always had a stack of greeting cards to share with everyone in the office.

Even though I loved photography and even after taking a couple of classes, I eventually realized that I could change the world by writing a series of non-fiction empowerment books.  In 2001, I wrote my first book “Flying While Black: A Whistleblower’s Story” and that is when I realized I was destined to be a “writer.”

The 2^nd Act means seeing myself in the mirror and being true to myself --while I am true to others. This is why I created a line of action-oriented self-help and reference books that solves many of the problems in the community.  The books are located at www.AngelsPress.com.

What does your 1^st and 2^nd Act mean to you?  Everyone should look at what is happening in the world -- all the turmoil today and count their blessings and realize they still have a chance to create the type of life they love.  If you are still breathing then it’s not too late.  Despite what other people tell you –it’s never too late!

• When you are 30 years old you have 80% of your productive life left ahead of you.
• When you are 40 years old you have 60% of your productive life left ahead of you.
• When you are 50 years old you have 40% of your productive life left ahead of you.

What you need to realize is the reason the world is turned upside down right now is so you can figure out your place in it.   What can make you happy at this point in your life? 

Are you in the right relationship - living in the right city - working in the right career?  What career would you have been in if you weren't in your current career?

At some time in our lives, we are going to have a desire to change careers.  Many people change careers for reasons such as more money, more time with family, because of the failing economy.  No matter what the reason, it’s possible to create the type of life that you love.

Creating the type of life that you love can simply mean getting back to basics and starting from scratch again. The goal is to be true to “yourself” – don’t waste your time – or your life. 

If everyone got back to their first love and did the things that they really enjoyed doing with their life -- it would be such a better world.  People would be more happy and healthy which brings a greater sense of well-being.  Are you up for the challenge?

“Team Cathy” aka “Project Me”

Don't you just love this time of the year when it cools off and the leaves turn brown and falls off the trees...October was a beautiful month for me.  On the 6^th –it was my birthday.  It was also the “13^th Year Anniversary” of my empowerment e-newsletter and I am preparing to re-release my story in not --one -- but two books. 

Since I had so much to celebrate, I also took some time out to meditate and think about my life and the direction that I was headed in.

One of my new goals will be to build a new audience who will enjoy reading my line of empowerment books.

I named this blog “Team Cathy” and “Project Me”…because I clearly realize for the first time in my life…it’s time for me… 

As I watched Oprah's interview on Facebook.com a few weeks ago, after ending her 25 year show on T.V., she said she was torn between "Relaxing" or "Starting Her Own Network -- Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN)."

I guess you can say I felt the same way.  After spending a majority of my time running an empowerment company (6 years) with a large weekly --then bi-weekly national and international e-newsletter for over 13 years, I opted to close it down –the e-newsletter not my business.

I am announcing that I am no longer in the news business but instead I will continue in the empowerment business...It’s been extremely hard not to pick up the articles  or stories on worldwide events and send them throughout the internet.  But that’s where “self-discipline” and “will power” comes in.

To help you live even a more purposeful life, I ask each of you who followed me for years in my e-newsletter to follow me on my new journey (Team Cathy) by continuing to sign up your family members, friends, neighbors and colleagues to my blog at http://CathyHudson-Harris.blogspot.com and my company’s mailing list at www.AngelsPress.com while you support all the new releases of my books and articles.

Like Oprah I was torn between "Relaxing" and "Continuing to Build My Business."   Some people might say I just needed a vacation…or rest…maybe…but when you know things are not working in your life…it’s time to move into another direction. 

I initially created the e-newsletter to expose the U.S. Customs Service which led to me becoming a nationally recognized federal whistleblower in Oct. 1999 (www.TheCathyHarrisStory.com).  Other reasons I started the e-newsletter was to bring people together with like causes and passions.  After starting my business 6 years ago the e-newsletter helped me market my business.  Because I achieved those things, I felt it was just time to move on.

As I take some time away from my business, I realized the natural sync of things should be SELF, FAMILY, and COMMUNITY.  But did I lose myself by trying to help others by publishing this free e-newsletter for so long…maybe…maybe not… But one thing I know for sure, I have lost too many friends to illnesses and diseases simply because they put the community before themselves and their families.  I “won't” and “can't” make that same mistake!

If I had stayed in the workplace in 2005 and not retired at the age of 48 after winning my workplace lawsuit, I would have been retiring this year, 2011, which made it extremely important for me to sit back and reevaluate my life this year.  

I will never forget the day after I retired.  A year earlier I had started to read books on how to build my business and because of my passion for the community, I jumped knee deep into my empowerment business, Angels Press (www.AngelsPress.com). 

I could have easily published my books “The Cathy Harris Story: A Whistleblower’s Victorious Journey to Justice” (www.TheCathyHarrisStory.com) and “The Failure of Homeland In-Security: Dirty Little Secrets from An Insider” -- through my own company but since I had recently left the workplace, the books were still too painful to complete.  

Because of my love for the community I presented to them "How To Take Control of Your Own Life” (www.AngelsPress.com) a 3-part empowerment book series to help everyone take control of their own lives.   So no one should ever doubt my love for the community!

I grew up loving to read.  Back then I read mostly magazines -- Cosmopolitan, Glamour, Shape, Prevention, Ebony, Jet, etc.  Somehow I knew I also had what it took to write these content-rich articles that appeared in these magazines.  I did not get started reading non-fiction books until about 15 years ago.  Because non-fiction books have the power to save you time, money and improve your life, I knew I too wanted to write these types of books.  

My first non-fiction book came out in 2001, “Flying While Black: A Whistleblower’s Story” through another publishing company.   It was so therapeutic for me to write that book because of the issues I was facing in the workplace.  My two upcoming books “The Cathy Harris Story” and “The Failure of Homeland In-Security” which tell my story are actually revised and updated versions of “Flying While Black.” 

I will never forget how being able to articulate myself in writing literally helped me challenge my managers and supervisors in the workplace when I went through 10 years of workplace abuse.  The fact that I was able to document my entire 10 EEO complaints including a Sexual Harassment and Whistleblower case is what made me successful.

Everyone has a book inside of them but for me…it was always about moving into the universe and helping others through my writings.  When I get to the end of my life I want to be remembered for my writings…my books and articles which has the power to educate, inform and empower many on how to take control of their own lives --because after all “The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword!”

As I continue to run my company, Angels Press, (www.AngelsPress.com), you can still find me posting on my empowerment blogs -- “Health Blog” http://nongmohealthmovement.blogspot.com  “Business Blog” http://theethicalblackbusinesscoach.blogspot.com and “Workplace Blog” at http://cathyharris-workplace.blogspot.com. 

You can also find me on twitter.com, facebook.com, linkedin.com, yahoogroups.com, ning.com or email info@angelspress.com or info@cathyharrisspeaks.com.

Most of all don’t forget to look for and read my line of empowerment books at www.AngelsPress.com and seminars and workshops at www.CathyHarrisSpeaks.com.

As I have had time to think about the next journey of my life, I do want to thank everyone for wishing me well in my future endeavors...

As I watch Oprah’s new shows and plan the next phase of my life, I am so glad she decided to move forward with her network.  It is absolutely awesome!  Hopefully, my next endeavors will be just as empowering as hers.  Stay tuned!