Summer Surprises Revealed

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We are halfway through THE YEAR.

The year of our unprecedented comeback. The year facemasks came off, although I still carry one with me just in case. I fished it out the other day from the bottom of my purse because I had to mask up to enter the Breast Center at Parker Adventist Hospital for my annual mammogram.

Guess what. My mask has become a hair magnet! Which is okay—at least I’ve got hair collecting at the bottom of my purse as opposed to seven summers ago when I spent the summer bald from chemo.

By the way, I passed my mammogram with flying colors. Woo-hoo! No sweeter words were ever dictated than these:

Summer 2022? We are where we are. Expensive airplane flights, expensive gasoline, stock market back in the crapper. Recession, inflation, deflation, stagflation, a raccoon family has made our backyard their home, and Rene and I have moved to the basement of our house to escape the heat.

We have been down this road before, but this year feels different. I have morphed into a prodigy pivoter. No, I’m not talking about the type of pivots that water fields of crops. Rather, I have mastered the ability to implement changes on the fly, applying finesse, adaptability, creativity, patience, and at times, parenting skills.

Drum Roll, Please….

Here’s big life change and summer surprise number one: I am no longer working a corporate job. Yep, I am 100% planning and jamming on my next career chapter!

What’s my focus? Discovering, educating, and sharing the unlikely gifts that result from addressing adversity head-on and channeling challenges into impact. I believe there are unlikely gifts in every circumstance. But they need to be handled with intention.

And how will I earn a living doing this? In less than a month, I have discovered some surprisingly creative ways. They include serving as a patient advisor, participating in focus groups, writing editorials and articles for busy senior executives, creating community partnerships (sponsorships) for my messaging, and receiving speaking fees when I give motivational talks.

All the content I produce will be under the umbrella of Unlikely Gift Productions. Unlikely Gifts will be a recurring theme in most all I do.

Beginning August 14, you’ll be hearing from me twice a month via email.

You’ll receive a mid-month Sunday morning email newsletter titled Unlikely Gifts Insider, consisting of snippets of info on a variety of topics ranging from mental health wellbeing for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers to upcoming events to recommendations.

On the last Sunday morning of each month, you’ll continue to receive my monthly blog, Middle-age Moxie, featuring original stories and content from me.

The monthly Unlikely Gifts Podcast with Diane M. Simard will debut on Sunday, September 11. We began recording episodes in early June, so we’re well on our way. Bonus tease: My producer/sidekick’s name is Larry King…same name, different guy. He’s tons of fun!

There’s more projects in the concept stage, but I’ll share those deets in future editions of the Unlikely Gifts Insider.