It's Only Too Late If You Don't Start Now

How to Create Your Second Life at Any Age

By: Barbara Sher

Narrated by: Barbara Sher

New York Times bestselling author Barbara Sher has transformed the lives of millions with her phenomenally successful books, workshops, and television appearances. Now, in a work that explores and demystifies one of life's most challenging and bewildering passages, she shatters the myth that turns midlife into a crisis and offers a bold new strategy for creating a new life after forty.

Barbara Sher shows you how to rediscover the inspired, enthusiastic adventurer you wanted to be before you became the responsible adult you had to be. According to Sher, it's never too late to start over. In fact, midlife is the perfect time to do so, a time when dreams for the future and experiences of the past finally come together. "The second life," as Sher calls it, can be even better than the first. More important, it would have been impossible to make these crucial realizations until now. Discover:

How to make life's built-in "time limit" work for you
Which of your "regrets" can point the way to a more rewarding life
How to identify--and overcome--the illusions that stop you from living your dreams
Dozens of ways to recapture your freedom... without succumbing to "road fever," trophy-mate collecting, or other midlife maladies.

Combining step-by-step strategies with provocative exercises and motivational techniques, this extraordinary book reminds you of the dreams you abandoned along the path to adulthood, providing all the tools you will need to weave those aspirations into a richly textured, meaningful life. Beginning with the empowering notion that everyone has a future, Barbara Sher shows you how to turn each of midlife's challenges into a catalyst for dynamic change. Indeed, no matter what your age, it's only too late--to reclaim your creativity, recapture your long-lost dreams, and embark on an exciting new life--if you don't start right now!

It’s not too late for me!

I’ve spent all of this year beating myself up for the mistakes I’ve made in my past. I felt like, “Well, my life is for my children now.” I had kids at 37. But this book not only confirmed that I wasn’t going crazy, it also gave me a new hope. I am going to follow my dreams again. I’m starting a blog about my experience and shaking off leaches in my life!

Anyone 18 years and older can benefit from this

I wished I had this information when I was 18. Yes, I would have to re-read it again every decade as I would need a refresher and I would get more out of it. But I think in today's world those embarking on adulthood would be less depressed if the knew they didn't have to figure everything out up front. I am so grateful to be reading this book right now, in my late 40's. And not any later! I love her explanation about the history of how age is perceived changed over time. And the role war, the government, and movies played into it. It's refreshing, actually.
She's right, of course. Those people who stay very active in their later years tend to be much happier- and live longer.
She gives me hope with a strong dose of positivity. I like that I'm learning from her as well.
My mom passed away when she was 65 (cancer) and I can hear her saying similar things. It's nice to find an older woman who is like my mom (very unique) and willing to share her wisdom to the world. Kudos to Barbara. And I'm so happy she narrated it!

Timely & Thought Provoking

This book gives a nice prospective about approaching the second phase of one's life. It resonated with the current events happening to me now.

Must listen for mid lifers

The material here will encourage you to march to the beat of your own drum no matter what everyone else says and no matter if you are 18 or 80. Love this author, and her narration is warm and supportive.

Reads like wise advice from a good friend

This book is so full of wisdom, I plan to immediately listen to it again. I picked up this book because I'm 35 and starting to feel restless in my career, despite being "happy" with it overall. I got more than I bargained for with this book! Not only did it talk about making changes in your life's work, but also about coming to terms with changes in your appearance, self-image, and sense of value as you enter midlife. I haven't quite started dealing with those issues yet, but I'm really glad to have gotten a glimpse into some issues that may be coming and how to mentally prepare for them. It gave me a sense of hope about aging, (instead of dread) and the sense that life can get better with time.

I love that this book is practical, down-to-earth and not full of "woo-woo," fluffy, feel-good advice. Some other books in this genre venture off into pseudo-spiritual talk about purpose and calling that always rings false to me. I was afraid this might be one of those books. It's not at all. The authors advice is realistic, even a little gritty, and will make you laugh at times.

She also did a terrific job of narrating the book. I didn't notice that the author narrated until after I listened, and I was quite surprised. I came away from the book feeling like I had had a nice long conversation with a slightly older best friend who was sharing a bit of life's secrets on how life can be even better over 40.

I also gained some nice insights into myself. The author does dive into romantic love more than I expected and I was afraid the book was not going to address the area I was interested in - happiness in work/career. Don't worry, the last few chapters really get to the meat of discovering your personal dreams and making practical plans to incorporate them into your life, whether that's in your work or outside of work.

Just before this book I listened to "So Good They Can't Ignore You" by Cal Newport. These two books are very different, but compliment each other nicely. Newport's book recommends caution when "pursuing passion" but shows you what you should pursue instead (and how) if you want to be happy in your work. Sher's book balances that well by helping you figure out the very personal side of your dreams and how to overcome feelings of "it's too late" or "I'm too old." Newport's book also seems to speak more to the new college graduate, while Sher's book gives the perspective that you are in a prime position to pursue a new dream/career direction after 40. So now I can go back to the advice in Newport's book and think "hey, this is for me too."

Thank you Barbara for a beautifully written, inspiring, and helpful book! Now I plan to celebrate my 40th with friends and family with joy and not run off and hide. :)