I’m the master of hanging back, often because I was too embarrassed to be out there, acting like a determined athlete, pursuing career goals and passions, or making time to squeeze my own life into my daily routine. I feel lucky to have discovered some new and some renewed passions halfway through life. This book is meant to prompt you, as author Grace Paley says, “Hey you, begin again? Again, again, you’ll see it’s easy, begin again.”

Second Acts That Change Lives: Making a Difference in the World is a collection of honest and inspiring stories that delve into the lives of a community of trailblazers  —  second act reinventors  —  who have paid attention to the stirrings to change, pondered their next move, and turned their “Oh, someday I’d love to” dreams into an adventure, an adventure that is making a profound difference in the world. What I have learned, and these stories underscore, is that, when you ask yourself, So how do I know where to go? the answer is, “Follow your heart.” Risk and reward are a package. But, you have to make the first move. And when you do, you will be surprised at how the universe moves to guide you. You will be surprised at how wanting more out of life opens the door for you to give more to life. When we surface the best parts of ourselves, somehow we make the world brighter too.

It’s not easy. This book is a wake-up call, an intervention of sorts to help prod you. The thread that weaves all of these stories together is the inspiration provided by others who have done it  —  now you can too!

Meet Marianne, 56, a librarian from Detroit, who lost her husband and soul mate and discovered solace in the