At an unbelievable 66 in November of this year, Joan Land is just getting started. She’s a mother of three, a grandmother of five, has lived through immersion in a religious cult, divorce, a failed long-term engagement to a narcissist at one point, and now, she’s really ready to move beyond the strife into a new life of grace, beauty, love and happiness.
Joan says she stays young and vibrant by continuing to do things she enjoys, such as dancing, hiking and being active.
After 25 years of being a psychotherapist, work which Joan finds discouraging at times, she’s shifting to serving couples in love, through premarital counseling and presiding over marriage ceremonies.
Joan got into psychotherapy because she’s always been fascinated with psychology and philosophy, and has always had the kind of personality that causes people to seek her out for help. And, Joan loves helping, so her discouragement in her current work, often with insurance-related cases, comes from the realization in working with people that until someone wants to be helped and is really ready for change, there’s not so much that anyone else can do to help them.
But, the thing about her work that isn’t working for her is that so many
of the people she sees aren’t yet ready to be helped. They aren’t happy but many want to stay in that victim place, and Joan’s ready to help people who want to be helped and are ready for transformation. Or those who are at happy places in their lives, or seeking to get there.
People have to really find out answers for themselves or it doesn’t work.
For fun and fitness, Joan enjoys ‘Zumba Toning with weights, once a week, and regular Zumba around three times a week because she loves to dance. In fact, if Joan were independently wealthy, she would spend her time traveling, hiking, wine tasting, reading, (she’s currently reading and old favorite, Women Who Love Too Much, and dancing around the world. (And her most favorite dance of all time is the Lindy Hop. Wow! REALLY, Joan?!? You know how to Lindy Hop? That’s awesome!!
“At 65 [almost 66] I’ve become so aware of how quickly life goes by and want to live it to the fullest, always trying new things and meeting new people.”
We agree, Joan… and that mindset will help us all to stay forever young! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your story of trials, tribulations and triumphs, and know that you’re not alone in your journey to make these second half shine.
You
Thanks to my friend Joe Amoia, founder and dating and relationship coach at GPS for Love Coach, for sharing about Best Boomers with Joan and others (that’s Joan found us). If you haven’t yet read his story, please be sure to, to learn how Joe went from being a doctor to a love coach!