It’s 6:25 a.m. in the morning and I’m sitting at the living room game table. As I write I’m sipping delicious, hot, steaming coffee in my favorite French mug.  Whenever I look out our floor-to-ceiling windows, I am entranced by the stunning panoramic view of Lake Michigan and the city. 

Today I’m treated to a stunning sunrise. This morning I realized something has changed significantly. The sun has moved a little south in the sky and it is rearing its head a little later than usual. It lets me know that fall is in the air. 

REMINISCENCE 

As I reminisce about the summer of 2021 and life in Elsewhere that I interpret as ‘none like any other.’ I spent this summer with my Ultimate Concierge, Sheldon Good, our pooch America. Along with a few of our wide circle of family and friends. We spent my birthday with our family in Arizona.  

My summer was not filled with the normally colorful and festive experiences of summers gone by. Instead, it was filled with alone times with deep introspection. Lots of walks with America, long hours in conversation, and series watching with my Ultimate Concierge. Last but not least, as ugly as the summer was politically, it was a summer filled with daily sunshine and the incredible beauty of nature. 

I survived and, looking back, I can say I found positive footing in a world gone completely nuts and astray. 

As I bid goodbye to summer, it is not with my usual feeling of sadness. I will miss the beautiful gardens and greenery and the long, lazy walks with America. I’ll miss the al fresco dining out with my Ultimate Concierge or friends and the long hours of sunshine. It is now time to embrace fall, everything it has to offer, and most significantly the change it brings.  

FALL IS IN THE AIR

Fall, with its brisk air and back-to-work mindset, is a time to reenergize new goals and new plans. I call fall the ‘thinking and take action’ season. It is a transitional season which makes it challenging on one hand and enlightening on the other. 

Even with the ugliness of Elsewhere surrounding us, we can privately aspire to make our dreams come true.   

I have already begun to clarify and solidify my thoughts to achieve my goals. I am processing new ideas to harvest, and so should all of you. Now is the time to make your secret objectives reality. Now is the time to take action.

This fall, I am in the midst of harvesting two real biggies. Both are life-changing measures. One is in process… a new website and some surprises from Honey Good. The other biggie is in the talking stages and will be finalized by month’s end.

What better time to put these projects into action than the fall, with its promise of growth and change? HoneyGood.com is geared up to realize its full potential. And, you dear reader, what are your pursuits this fall? What are you mulling over in your mind?

CHUTZPAH AND SPIRIT AND MAKING A PLAN

When I launched Honey Good on the advice of a woman author, I took the most unexpected journey and became a contented writer. 

What I perceived as a newfound hobby turned into an ambitious undertaking and a full-fledged business. And I began this extraordinary adventure in my 60s, with no business experience, no internet experience, no creative writing classes. But I had the most important ingredient – a love and enjoyment of what I was doing.

For the past several years I have spent every day feeling fulfilled, even with my many stressful encounters. So stressful I tease that I am going to jump out the window of the 71st floor or throw my computers out!

To shift gears after 50 is not easy but let me tell you, it is fruitful.

Looking back and forward, I had a lot of chutzpah, a huge work ethic, and a go-getter entrepreneurial spirit. This is why HoneyGood.com was born. 

The thing is, you do not have to have my make-up to succeed. You have to find your way to challenge yourself to achieve your passion which can be one of a thousand.   

This past quiet summer was a perfect time to think about change because I had plenty of hours to think!  I asked myself time and again if I should forge ahead, or stay in the same safe and contented place I have ‘lived in’ since founding Honey Good. 

I decided to forge ahead and make the fall of this year my new starting point. Ask yourself if you reached a crossroads in your life. If so, make a plan and work your plan. 

Nothing good will happen by accident.

SHAME ON ME…TAKE MY ADVICE

On a personal level, I have another biggie that has finally come front-and-center. This fall, along with input from my husband Sheldon Good, we are harvesting serious thoughts of how to spend the upcoming winters. 

Selling our home one year ago in the desert of Rancho Mirage, California was a Godsend. From the day I left my home in Honolulu, Hawaii I missed the Sea and the smell of the salt air. I do not have a single regret leaving–only that I did not leave years ago. I regret that I did not do what my heart told me to do. 

There was not a day that passed in Rancho Mirage, 180 days a year to be exact, that I did not feel like a fish out of water. I gave up months of my life in a foreign environment to please others. Shame on me. Learn from me, dear reader. 

DREAMS TURN INTO REALITY

Big dreams take time to process. You start with a dream and finalize it with reality. Right? I have come to terms with the reality of my life. 

For instance, my dream of living by the sea in Florida or an island has gone through several chapters of thoughts. Big decisions require a well-thought-out plan. 

Many people rush through the thought process. I don’t. Every major decision I make starts with an outline of thoughts and ends with a full-blown plan. This takes a lot of time.

If you rush it you are sure to fail. So be patient. 

My one-year outline went through so many thought phases before I formulated my thinking into a realistic plan. Should we buy or should we rent? Should we move the first season to the East or the West Coast of Florida or to an island in the Caribbean? Could we live in a beautiful hotel for a period? Travel for a period (if allowed) and spend time in our beautiful Chicago over the winter months?  

It took the entire summer of back and forth discussion with my Ultimate Concierge to come to our decision.

In the end, we decided we do not want to be encumbered by a condo. For us, we want our freedom to move as we choose for our trial winter in Florida. We want no strings attached. 

We are going to stay in a hotel in Palm Beach, Florida for two or three weeks at a time. It is our hope to travel to Rwanda and Tanzania. Additionally, we want to travel to a few Caribbean Islands and explore. Also, we want to spend time in Chicago. That is our plan. 

Now comes the hard work, the nitty-gritty of turning our plan into reality. That is my department. Most women are good planners. Remember a good plan requires the planner to have patience and cross her every T and dot her every I. 

FALL IS A TIME OF TRANSITION

Fall is a time to transition your thoughts into actions. Even though we are ensconced in Elsewhere we cannot allow ourselves to stop the music of life. Visit your family and take a vacation. Make a big move. Sign up for a course at a university. Plan ahead for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Hanukkah gatherings. Add new items to your wardrobe. Look for a new job or begin a new endeavor. 

We cannot let Elsewhere win. We have to fight it. It is fall, dear readers, and the time to think about big and small change. Put on your thinking caps and turn your dreams into reality.

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