Apr 15, 2024
There are special moments in life when we experience a profound sense of awe at the planet we inhabit—such as the recent solar eclipse, when communities across America gathered in public spaces to gaze at the sky in wonder. Indeed, as we mark this year’s Earth Month, we need to blend our concerns over climate change and environmental sustainability with a rekindled sense of awe at our lives and our place in nature. In today’s episode, we talk with Martha Blackwelder, a creative entrepreneur who founded Unexpected Adventures NYC, an educational company offering creative team-building events, including “Awe Walks” in Manhattan’s Central Park to encourage people to get outside in nature and find more moments of joy, aliveness, and awe. Martha, a widely recognized Asian art historian, is endlessly curious about the connections between art, culture and nature, and is passionate about inspiring others to slow down, reengage their senses and reclaim their own vitality for life.
Thanks to advances in medicine and health, most of us are just at half-life when we reach our mid-40s, with many potentially productive years ahead. But there’s no road map to prepare us for this period. That’s where 45 Forward comes in. My show provides you with strategies to shift the traditional waiting-for-retirement model to a journey of compelling life chapters. Each show tackles an aspect of health, finance, family and friends, housing, work and personal pursuits as part of an integrated plan. Experts discuss topics like revitalizing relationships, creating mini-retirements, managing the maze of technology, finding your next homestead and caring for aging parents. The show instills confidence, and hopefully some comfort, amid the stresses permeating today’s society. Fear of the future is not knowing how to prepare for it. 45 Forward does not proffer prefabricated answers, but helps you shape your life amid the daily anxieties of our time.