Last week I sent a brief note asking you to complete a survey about an online book club. Thanks to all who responded. The only consensus we had was around frequency. Most of you said gathering once a month worked best so that’s where we’ll start.
Let me set the stage with my personal Why for doing this. When exploring unknown territory—be it physical, emotional, or spiritual in nature—a reliable guide can save us from what a friend of mine calls “the stupid tax.” When we get to a certain stage, we instinctively know we don’t have a lot of time to waste. Sure, we can figure it out on our own, but we’ll be spending time in trial and error that could better be spent on experiencing joy, meaning, and purpose.
We can learn from the mistakes of others. I love the book I’ve selected because I trust this author to guide us while acknowledging his own shortcomings.
There’s something here to challenge all of us—the doers, the thinkers, the procrastinators, the perfectionists, the people-pleasers, et al. I know a few of you and hope to get to know the rest. I think this book will set us up for honest conversation by wrestling with questions that will guide our best thinking. And this is free, by the way, in case that hasn’t been clear.
Here are some details to move us forward.
· Our first book with be From Age-ing to Sage-ing: A Revolutionary Approach to Growing Older by rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Ronald S. Miller. This is the book that inspired me to start Second Rodeo. Going forward we’ll take a more democratic process to selecting our next read. There were several great suggestions from survey participants
· You can order the book here. https://amzn.to/3C4coLD You know how it works. As an Amazon Associate I’ll get a few pennies (and maybe an invitation to Jeff Bezo’s Christmas party? I’m unclear on all the perks.) But if you find a better deal out there grab it. The book’s been in print for years so used copies are readily available. If you’re not a big reader, try the audio version. Or read it aloud together with a friend or significant other.
· I’d encourage you to get in the daily habit of reading if you aren’t already. A dedicated fifteen minutes a day will have a bigger impact over time than cramming for the final. Also there is no final exam. This will be my fourth time reading the book, and each successive reading has given me more and deeper insights.
· Book discussion groups will limited to ten people, which tends to invite more active/less passive participation. If demand exceeds this limit, we’ll immediately break into two or more groups. The possibility of creating meaningful community over time is as important to me as the content. Please share with anyone you think would find this info valuable.
· For now, our online gatherings via Zoom will be the third Monday of every month at 3pm Mountain, starting on February 24. We will start with an hour. If we assess we need more time we can expand to 90 minutes. Looking at our readership, we are spread across at least six time zones so I know this may not work for everyone and for that I apologize.
· Bring your own snacks and beverages.
· No one’s taking attendance. Come when you are able If you need to miss let us know if you can. But try to stay current in the book if you can so you can jump back in next time.
· We’ll start with two chapters a month (approx. 50-60 pages) and see how that goes. The second half of the book includes a lot of reflective exercises. This is where insight really starts to accumulate. Information does not automatically lead to transformation. By doing the reflective work together with others in a similar stage of life, we’ll learn from one another as well as from Reb Zalman.
· Please register your interest by sending me a message using the button below, with your best email and in what time zone you reside. If you have even a mild interest, try it out for a couple of sessions. If it’s not for you just let me know. I’ll create a Zoom invitation and send that out prior to Feb. 24.
· We will spend a few minutes getting acquainted on every call. I’d love to see this group evolve into a community of support for anyone looking to create the next chapter of their story. I hope we can all show up—not to impress—but to engage the material and the community.
If you have specific questions, shoot me a message. I’d love to hear from you. Thanks for supporting, not only me, but some people you haven’t met yet who have many of the same questions, fears and big decisions to make as you. I can’t wait to get started!