Life Reimagined: Discovering Your New Life Possibilities

By Kenneth J. Cooper

As a volunteer at the AARP national convention in Boston two years ago, Laurie Mahoney served as a door monitor for a session and then sat in as an observer. The event opened a doorway to other volunteer work.

“That’s the first time I ever heard about Life Reimagined,” said Mahoney, 70, a retired financial services manager from Walpole.

Inspired by the book Life Reimagined: Discovering Your New Life Possibilities by Richard J. Leider and Alan M. Webber, Life Reimagined is a national AARP program whose workshops guide participants through self-reflection and decision-making about what to do next in life or for the rest of their years.

The free sessions, called Checkups, are open to all ages and are helpful for people facing big transitions.

“We take the time to check up on our cars, our finances, our dogs and our cats, and our health, but we don’t take time to give ourselves a checkup. What do we have to do now to make the future good?” said Lisa Masters, of Wakefield, a former outreach specialist for AARP Massachusetts.

A month after the 2014 convention, AARP Massachusetts started hosting two-hour Checkups around the state. Masters trained volunteers to lead the workshops. Mahoney was one of the first.

“I like the idea of encouraging people to have a full life,” said Mahoney, whose passions are outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, kayaking and skiing. “I’m a great believer in trying to help people who are a little older find something that is meaningful for them, that’s fun, that gives them sort of a purpose in life.”

A personalized GPS
The workshop is divided into two parts: a look back on a person’s life and a look ahead. The volunteer guides lead participants through an illustrated workbook, which has space for handwritten notes.

“The book is colorful—it’s very upbeat,” Masters said. “But it’s not uncommon for people to cry at a Checkup. Some people, when they start digging deep, they’re able to let go of some tough stuff.”

The Checkup lays out six steps for making a decision about what to do next: Reflect, connect, explore, choose, repack and act. “This kind of provides a personalized GPS,” said Sandy Torrisi, 66, of Boston, another volunteer guide.

One challenge for many is addressing what is stopping them from taking the next step. Some identify the barrier in workshop discussions, which may involve everyone present or small groups.

“You wouldn’t believe the level of excitement and communication that goes on with total strangers,” Masters said.

Mahoney has witnessed the benefits of people sharing their obstacles and goals. “I think that helps people to say, ‘Wow, I’m not alone in this whole thing,’ ” she said.

Some participants resolve to make changes, big or small, during the workshop. Besides choosing among volunteer opportunities, Masters said, “some people make a decision on starting a business. Some people make decisions on what hobby. Some people make decisions on if it’s time to move or not.”

Torrisi appreciates her new relationships with other guides, who lead sessions in pairs. Partnering with them reminds her of working closely with other employees as the manager of a hospital’s imaging center.

“The Life Reimagined guides have developed a little sisterhood,” Torrisi said. “I feel that’s very enriching.”

There have been 60 Checkups in the state so far, Masters said. Last year, nearly 900 people attended 44 workshops.

Interest has been particularly high at the public library in Watertown and at a senior center in Yarmouth, which have hosted multiple workshops.

Find a schedule of upcoming Checkups around the state at aarp.org/ma under the topic Upcoming Events.

To become a volunteer guide, you must first participate in a Checkup session. Then call 866-448-3621 toll-free.

Kenneth J. Cooper is a freelance writer and editor living in Dorchester, Mass.