SHiFT Resources  __________________________________________________

Here you'll find a range of resources to support you in the search for more meaning in life and work.  


SHiFT Book of Knowledge
This valuable resource is an onlne catalog of articles, listings and websites maintained by each of SHiFT's four Interest Groups: Entrepreneurship, Health and Wellness, The Arts, and Environmental Sustainability. 

Click here to visit the BOK.


Career Counselors, Coaches, and Headhunters


Employers Recruiting the Over-50 Workforce
From the Workforce50.com website: "Dedicated to serving the 50+ workforce with a passion. Job seekers can feel secure in knowing that all employers advertising on this website are truly interested in hiring those of us over 50.  We're connecting our nation's employers with today's energetic over-50 workforce." 

Free service.  Based in Colorado.


Focus On: Health and Wellness

Trauma, Recovery, and the Power of the Spirit
 One morning, a blood vessel in Jill Bolte Taylor's brain exploded. A brain scientist, she quickly realized she had a ringside seat to her own stroke. Determined to remain present, Taylor observed basic life functions shutting down one by one: motion, speech, memory, self-awareness.  She was 37 years old.
Amazed to find herself alive, Taylor spent eight years recovering her ability to think, walk and talk. Although the stroke had damaged the left side of her brain, her recovery unleashed a torrent of creative energy from the right side. She is now a national spokesperson for brain injury recovery. From her home base in Indiana, she travels the country on behalf of the Harvard Brain Bank.

This is a moving and powerful story.  Watch the Interview.


Focus On: the Environment

Cloves of Garlic for an Environmental Vampire
The term "Vampire Appliances" electronic gadgets which draw energy even when they're turned off. They just sit there.  Plugged in, sucking electricity — at a cost to you and to the environment.  According to the Energy Department, 25% of the power used by these appliances is consumed while they're not actually running.

What to do about it?  The answer to Gadget Drain might be, according to New York Times Technology Columnist David Pogue, a kind of simple and inexpensive ΓΌber gadget.  Read on ...


Appreciation and Gratitude for a Beautiful Planet
Sunset at the North Pole
Appreciation is a powerful emotion with scientifically validated results. This one emotion has been shown to positively impact our entire system — from our attitudes and immune system to our heart and mental clarity.

The bottom line: we take better care of the things we appreciate. On this Earth, we are now 6,658,000,000 strong. The more we focus on appreciation and gratitude, the more we'll value and care for our planet. 

View an exquisite slide show with music at HeartMath.


SHiFT Interest Group – Environmental Sustainability
Environmental issues touch all areas of our lives. The Environmental Sustainability Interest Group wants to assist anyone who wishes to become more knowledgeable about the issues and/or opportunities for meaningful work, paid or unpaid, in vocations focused on sustainability.

Co-Chair Jim Miller is building a body of knowledge that will be a key resource for SHiFT Members.


Focus On: Transitions, Planning, and Positive Aging
Explore New Careers
Volunteering is a great way of trying out new career pathways.  To research volunteer positions that match your skills, interests, and available time, check out these two websites: VolunteerMatch  and HandsOnTwinCities.
Third-Age Life Planning: A Holistic Approach
Last year, an assembly of the nation's leading baby boomer and retirement gurus descended on Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Fla., for a first-ever "life planning summit," of sorts.

At issue? How to best address the multitude of concerns — some might say fears — facing the nation's 78 million baby boomers on the cusp of transitioning into retirement.

A SHiFT Sponsor, SecurePath by Transamerica, has captured video clips of some of the presenters including Richard Leider, Gene Cohen, John Nelson, Ken and Mary Gergen.


On the Light Side
Get Smarter: 12 Hacks That Will Amp Up Your Brainpower
Face it: Your IQ is basically hardwired. Still, there are lots of ways to get smarter — to max out your so-called functional intelligence. Think of it as a software upgrade. Wired magazine's guide to better brainpower shows you how to boost your memory, sharpen your concentration skills, and even pop the right combination of drugs and supplements (alternatively, the articles might only make you smile — which won't make you smarter.  Just happier).