Seniors - Renee Rosenberg to speak

Her first visit to Saratoga Springs was some twenty years ago when she spent the month of August with a college friend managing a gallery show of their art. In addition to her career counseling, writing, speaking engagements and coaching for the Five O’Clock Club, Renee is an accomplished studio jeweler in New York City.

Saratoga TODAY recently had the pleasure of interviewing Renee. We spoke about her philosophy, her book, Achieving the Good Life After 50 and her work as a counselor to people in career and life transition.

ST: What advice do you offer to people who are 50 years old or older and transitioning into what might be called the third phase of life?

RLR: Choice is the most important thing you have. Make a choice to be positive. Look for laughter and joy in your circumstance. You may not be able to control the situation but you can control yourself. Retirement from one job can transition into something entirely new.

ST: How did you personally arrive at this approach to life after 50?

RLR: I give a great deal of credit to my husband’s aunts, Margaret and Barbara, who are in their early eighties and live together. In my book, Achieving the Good Life After 50, I lay out their nine rules for life. They have achieved the good life by maintaining a very positive attitude and strong family ties, continually planning activities, helping each other and engaging in physical activity. By keeping a positive attitude they don’t let things get them down. Their practical approach to finding their own way out of a depressing mood is to do something distracting and physical like washing dishes or cleaning the floor.

ST: Who are the people who come to you for counseling?

RLR: I coach a lot of lawyers, creative artists, and people over fifty, people who feel stuck in a job search, career transition or transition to retirement.

ST: Why do people get stuck when they are job searching or looking to transition from work to retirement?

RLR: Most people have been working for a long time in a particular career or job without the challenge of the searching process or creating a long-term vision for themselves. If they can discover their needs, then they can find a purpose that belongs to them.

ST: What prompted you to write this book?

RLR: As I say in my book, “What a shock to experience first-hand the truth that intellectually understanding an issue is not the same as having a personal solution. I too needed to accept the changes brought on by retirement and work through the steps of the transition process in my own way, just as I had taught my clients to do. I wrote this book to provide a road map for this journey.”

ST: How did you become an accomplished and entertaining speaker?

RLR: I made a transition. I changed the voice in my head that said be seen and not heard, be quiet and smile. Now the voice is my voice, laugh, bring laughter and joy, lighten up and have fun while working.

ST: I have read your book, It definitely speaks to me and I am looking forward to hearing your presentation on Nov. 14.

If you are interested in putting a focus on your retirement or looking at it in a new way or even rethinking it, consider attending the symposium on Friday, Nov. 14 featuring Renee Lee Rosenberg, MA, LMHC and presented by Saratoga Vital Aging Network. The symposium, Achieving the Good Life After 50, will be held at Skidmore College Murray Aikins Dining Hall from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. The cost is $25 and includes a copy of Rosenberg’s book and food. See page 3B.