50 After 50: How Trying New Things Can Change Your Life

by Maria Leonard Olsen

At age 50, Maria Leonard Olsen drank her way out of my 25-year marriage. She had, against advice, put all her eggs in the motherhood basket, willfully derailing her successful law career. As teenagers, her precious children did not need her in the hands-on way they previously had. Her husband and she had grown apart because, among other things, they failed to nurture that important relationship. She was depressed and stuck. When she turned 50, she had the distinct feeling that she was on the downward slope of her life. Actuarially speaking, she was. So when she turned 50, her gift to herself was to go on a crusade to make the most of whatever time she had left. She set out to do 50 new things that were significant, at least to her. The list spanned physical challenges, adventure travel, and lifestyle changes. Each taught her something about herself and about how she wanted to lead the next years of her life to come. This work follows the work she did to accomplish those 50 new things and shows readers how to make their own action lists - whether it be joining a knitting club or hiking the Himalayas, every item has significance for each individual and speaks to her needs and desires. The list is the match to spark the fire that will light the years after 50. Readers will hear about Maria's adventures and the rewards of each. Accomplishing new things, learning new skills, deepening personal and spiritual relationships, and seeking out challenges will add the spice to a life that may feel repetitive, insignificant, or just plain boring.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help

ebook

Published June 1, 2018

About the author

Maria Leonard Olsen is a biracial woman whose parents were forbidden by law to marry in the early 1960s. She is an author, attorney, recovery mentor, writing/empowerment retreat leader, podcaster (Becoming Your Best Version) and co-host of D.C.’s Inside Out radio show on WQPW fm. Maria graduated from Boston College and the University of Virginia School of Law, served in the Clinton Administration's Justice Department and on numerous charitable boards, and has fostered newborn babies awaiting adoption.
Maria has spoken at the Pennsylvania Women’s Conference, the National March to End Rape Culture, L.A.’s Mixed Remixed Festival, FierceCon LA, The Japanese American National Museum's Family Day, the Washington Independent Review of Books, the U.S. Department of Justice's Asian American Month Celebration and as a corporate motivational speaker. Her talk has been featured on C-Span’s Book TV. Her latest book, 50 After 50--Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life, which was selected for the Press Club’s National Book Fair, has served as a vehicle to help people across the country reinvigorate their lives and become their best version. See www.MariaLeonardOlsen.com and follow her on social media at @fiftyafter50.

Reviews

[Ella Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This outstanding book is a must read for fellow travelers and anyone who wants to understand what it's like to regain a life which seems to have no direction and no joy. Maria has shown her personal strength in two ways: First, by confronting her issues and embarking on 50 new experiences ranging from hiking in countries far from home to community service focusing on women's empowerment; and second, by writing this book and sharing her personal struggles with alcohol and self doubt. This book made me laugh, and it made me cry, but most importantly, it is a story of hope and triumph.

[Lisa H · Rating 5 out of 5]

50 may be the new 40 but this is definitely one of the more painful milestone birthdays. Maria Leonard Olsen's book faces turning 50 head on, with honesty and humor. Her positive book challenged me to think what my next 50 things will be!

[Snickerdoodle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is written from a personal perspective, sharing some of her own story. Her life crashed and she's been working ever since to pull herself up and live the best version of herself. It's not earth shattering stuff, nothing you haven't heard before from many other authors and guru's, but as long as your head is in the book she has you thinking about positive change.

She knows most people won't be able to do the specific things she's done but all of us who want to, can do something. The whole book is about encouraging the reader to dream again and imagine, to push yourself out of your comfort zone, even if it's only in a small way, to reconsider preconceived notions, to enjoy being alive while there's still time to do so.

This book doesn't answer any questions but it does make you ask them of yourself. Who am I now? What do I want to do with the time I have left? Am I who I want to be? Are there things I still want to do? to accomplish? She encourages the reader to brainstorm and make lists, even if impractical ... to revisit those lists frequently, adding or revising.

The author makes it clear that you hold the keys to your own happiness, you are in charge.

[thewestchestarian · Rating 2 out of 5]

An expression exists which fits well here: "all engine, no rudder Like a hummingbird bopping from one topic to the next, the book suggest one idea how to spend your waning years after another without constraints such as context, pattern, or sensibility. For example, you could be an Uber driver, or travel the world super cheaply, or speed date, or create a website, or run a marathon, or check out dogs from your local shelter and walk them. No idea - other than, inexplicably, online dating - is a bad idea or one she suggests may not be worth your effort. Apparently, Olsen has tried all these things on top of having previously been a successful lawyer, nudging mother, raging alcoholic, and model rehab patient. After reading the voluminous details of her life before 50 (and despite the self-help sales job the book is primarily and overwhelming an autobiography), the reader imagines she would just want to take her 50's off and just go for 60 after 60. In short, read the book if you have a native interest in Olsen's memoir but not for the advice.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take time for yourself and Reframe Your Life

I took some much needed time for self care and snuggled up with 50 after 50. So many good reasons to look at your life, learn from your mistakes, and take charge of the next chapter of your life. Now that Maria has shown you the reasons to take charge, you can also learn from her excellent examples. Surely you’ll find one or three for yourself. Her book suggestions are excellent too.

[Enikő Tóth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria is a wonderful woman and writer. She shares so many valuable insights in this book and it is definitely worth to have a peak! I can only recommend others to learn about her journey, I believe so many of can relate to her struggles and find motivation in overcoming them! Maria shares some great tips and tricks on living a more meaningful and fulfilled life where we are in alignment with ourselves.

[Nicole Cutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone on the cusp of 50 this book is a true gift! While my story differs from the author I identify with much of it and feel inspired to make the second half of my life even better than the first! This book shows you that it's never too late to live your best life!

[Annie Mahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Leonard Olsen packs this book full of not just 50 amazing ideas for what to do after 50 (and frankly, it seems like she has done them all!) but also stories of her own life and her path from unhappiness to contentment. Lots there for those of us looking for ideas and for feeling connected.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess this resonated with me as I'm over 50 and at a cross roads in my life. There are lots of things within this to ponder on and although I felt it could do with some better editing overall it is readable and has some useful wisdom I can take away and maybe act on...

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very different genre from my normal read; however, it was definitely inspirational. Makes me ready to clean out, declutter, make my list and stick to it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the lists, idea of creating new adventures, and premise. Couldn’t fully relate with her recovery. Still interesting. Wish more emotion could be felt in the writing. Seemed to be missing.

[Shey Saints · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary

50 After 50 is a memoir and guide book by Maria Leonard Olsen. In this book, the author shared her life story as well as life lessons to help readers in their 50s revive their self-worth and learn new things. When she turned 50, she had gifted herself by making a list of 50 new significant things she wanted to do. She went through physical challenges, adventure travel, and lifestyle changes that taught her new skills, deepened personal and spiritual relationships, and spiced up her life.

Review

I’ve just turned 40 this year and have been feeling really old and scared of what the future may hold, with or without the pandemic. My kids are my purpose in life; I live for them. And what I fear the most is when that time comes when they no longer need me. I would probably be lost. All thanks to this book, I realized it shouldn’t be too scary to grow old because once my kids are all settled in life, that means I have accomplished my main goal. I can then set new goals for myself and restart my life.

I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. This book relieved me from my worries of getting old. It was truly exciting, enlightening, and inspiring! I highly recommend this to ALL readers and you don’t have to be 50 to read this, but I’m sure those in their 50s would be delighted to read this fascinating memoir and guide book!

[Lynne Foltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Leonard Olsen offers up this provocative new book to get all of us thinking. What are the next steps to take after the big Five-O celebration? This is especially timely in the decade after 50 when we have more of a sense of ourselves, newly found freedom and often the luxury of a better financial footing than when we were scrambling during earlier decades. She encourages stepping out of the comfort zone and shares her journey to living with more intention (finding a new home by the water), reigning in consumerism (trading in an SUV for a mini size car), practicing mindfulness (creating daily moments of gratitude), and most thrilling of all, adding adventure (trips to Nepal, Indonesia, Africa) to develop strength of character and courage. Kudos to Olsen for helping women navigate this transition into middle age and onward.
The reference list itself is a treasure. Olsen has thoughtfully considered many respected sources and the list alone is one to study.
I found myself a bit overwhelmed with considering 50 activities after 50 so I think I will start with just 5. Nonetheless, Olsen is the author who opens doors to new places so go ahead and walk through!

[Amy Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m stuck on how I feel about this book. On one hand, it inspired me to think about my OWN 50 after 50 (so much so that I actually wrote my own list). I love, love, love that! On the other hand, I forced myself to struggle my way through the first half of the book (I almost didn’t finish) where the author wrote endlessly about being an alcoholic and 12 step meetings (detail after detail after detail).

I guess I was expecting a light, self-help book where the author wrote amusing little stories about what happened when she tried her 50 new adventures ... but, instead, she wrote about why each of her 50 things were important.

This book was definitely written as an autobiography ... and while I’m glad the author was able to turn her life around, I think she could’ve condensed the first half of the book into one chapter and expanded more on describing how things went as she was crossing things off her bucket list.

I am glad I read it, though. I’ll be looking for more books with this theme but in the self-help genre.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was expecting a light, fluffy, self-help book. This is not it; the author lays out her struggles with alcoholism, sexual abuse, etc. and her steps toward regaining her life thanks in large part to AA, and her steps in establishing a new confident person with the 50 activities outside her comfort zone she has undertaken (to date). A powerful story, and the author is to be commended for her honesty. That takes guts and I wish her all the best.

[Christy Kirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This could have been a blog post

This book is less a self-help title and more the author’s recovery memoir. It’s all about how she got sober and what she’s done since like travel, yoga, meditation…you get the picture. The writing felt clumsy and amateur and the content was self-indulgent and very light. If you are over 50 looking for inspiration for your next chapter, this book isn’t it.

[Annette Becklund · Rating 5 out of 5]

We are all recovering from something. Maria Leonard Olsen speaks of her journey of recovery from several traumas as well as her alcohol addition. Maria shares her adventures and encourages readers to live every moment they have left (including fun travels on a shoestring budget). I started my 50 over 50 and my aunt started her 75 over 75! Great book!

[Cynthia Hostetler]

A lovely book with many life lessons.

[Donna Cutting · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook. I like the premise and was entertained enough - but the narrator was robotic, in my opinion, and I think I've read better books on the topic.

[Lisa Sammet]

This book will inspire you! I just finished reading 50 AFTER 50 by Maria Leonard Olsen. She fearlessly describes her life, her drinking and rehabilitation. As she worked in her recovery she learned a lot and set herself on a positive path deciding to do 50 things that interested and challenged her after she turned 50. She describes confronting many parts of her character that hindered her up to that point. Her journey and openness about her inner and outer travels make inspiring reading. Get inspired to make your own list of 50 after 50 or 60 after 60 or 70 after 70! She just spoke at my library and she is a warm, effusive, and energetic person. I highly recommend the book to get you to look at your own unfinished problems that are holding you back and then a help to a new pathway where you decide to live in the moment and challenge yourself to new experiences. Olsen's 50 things are not just for fun. She did things to help others. She did things that cost no money. There are many things we all can do, and this book wakens us to explore our own dreams.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this strong, beautiful story and have recommended it to many others. Maria's transformation into a woman with full agency over her life and her choices is truly inspiring, as she navigates a difficult life transition and finds deep faith in her own powers of renewal and regeneration. She's generous with what she's learned and makes it seem completely possible... I've even started my own list of 50 new things to try!

[Michela Di Carlo · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are so many books around telling you how you should live the second chapter of your life to the fullest. Unfortunately, most of them are quite predictable and full of stereotypes.
50 After 50' is a cut above the rest. Maria Olsen distinguishes herself from others because she doesn't want to coach you, she doesn't suggest you vague formulas to beat your midlife blues. What she writes about is what she has really experienced. Offering concrete and encouraging examples on how she overcame her own struggles, she gives us hope. Most of all, she makes us understand that only when we've really had enough can we change our destiny. No matters how many people or experts are telling you what you should do to improve your life; only when YOU decide to get out of your comfort zone the magic happens. Thank you Maria for helping us to be brave and true to ourselves.

Michela Di Carlo - Founder and Chief Editor CrunchyTales.com

[Virginia Hume · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderfully inspiring, candid, uplifting story of how the author took a gimlet-eyed look at her circumstances, courageously faced down addiction, and kick-started her life. We live longer than ever, but our life *expectations* have not kept up with our life *expectancy.* The truth is, it's never too late for a new beginning. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to push that reset button.

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than I though it would be from the stock photo cover. Although Maria Leonard Olsen and I have very different path in life, I found a lot of sensible and valuable advice in this book.

Fav quotes:

I protect my serenity as much as possible. It took me five decades to find it.

Pleasure and happiness are not the same thing. Pleasure is fleeting. Happiness or serenity is of longer duration. It sometimes is the ability to live peacefully with the inevitable discomfort that comes our way. It is a feeling of contentment and the knowledge that everything is as it should be. It is not yearning for things one does not have, but relishing what one does have.

We learn the Three C’s: We did not cause it, we cannot control it, and we cannot cure it. We cannot fix another person, but we can work on ourselves. We can learn not to react. We can make choices that are good for our own well-being. There is no person we can change except for ourselves. The acronym DETACH comes to mean Don’t Even Think About Changing Him/Her.

Talking with friends is a model of what conversation can be: safe enough to talk about what matters, concerned enough to listen, honest enough to tell the truth, and tactful enough to know when not to.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was deeply invested in this book just from reading the first few chapters. I resonated so deeply with it, which partly was due to my own personal experiences, but also because of Olsen’s fantastic ability to connect with the audience. She is genuine in expertly crafting together her pain, healing, shortcomings, and happiness into a narrative that leaves you feeling a little unsettled at times and deeply empathetic, but also joyous and inspired in large part. Her vulnerability and authenticity in her writing is not only evident, but alluring. I would recommend this book to people of all ages, but I would especially recommend it to young adults. As a young adult myself, I found that hearing from this perspective of someone in their middle age was eye-opening and fascinating. There truly is so much for young people to learn from those with more life experience, and as we take our first steps into the world, it’s wonderful to hear a raw account as to what growing up in adulthood looks like. Olsen does not hold back, but she also provides excellent commentary, reflection, and advice to her readers that ultimately creates a well-rounded and extremely fulfilling testament to the complex beauty of the human experience. Such a compelling read.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read about life in general. Many practical ideas to learn from.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspirational and uplifting book. I read it in one sitting. The author writes with uncommon candor about hitting her lowest point in life -- alcoholism, divorce, realizing her identity was wrapped up in her now-grown children -- and wants to find happiness and balance again. It's not preachy, whiny or self-pitying - the author was likable and matter-of-fact, accepting responsibility for her actions and their consequences. She resolved to get her life back on track and figure out what was most important to her, so she could live looking forward with hope rather than looking back with regret. It is a "list" book, of the 50 new things she resolved to do (some big, some small, each interesting and insightful in different ways) when she turned 50. As a result of her adventures, she became much more self-aware and reshaped her perspective on life. Her positive and enthusiastic attitude is infectious. She urges readers to take control and create their own 50 After 50 lists to chart a course for a more fulfilling future. Includes sample lists and lots of good tips and ideas to make your own list.

[Dian Seidel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an intertwined memoir and self-help guide, targeting women of a certain age. It chronicles the author’s transformation from a high-achieving, status-conscious, people-pleasing alcohol abuser to a person with a much healthier attitude and lifestyle, largely rooted in the twelve step model for dealing with addiction.

At age 50, the author decides to get her life in order by undertaking fifty new experiences. The main section of the book presents these fifty topics, first recounting her own experience then encouraging the reader to consider trying something similar. Many of the suggestions involve travel, de-cluttering, helping others, and gratitude.

Though few of the ideas are novel, the overarching concept of attempting fifty new things in one’s milestone fiftieth year will inspire readers. I loved this bit of advice, which seems applicable at any age: “Practice the pause. Look for the lesson.”

[Laura Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite childish fantasies about "what we want to be when we grow up," we never really live just one life. As we move through different decades and stages, we discover that life is not just about one set identity; it's a constant process of evolution and change, yet we're unprepared for this reality, and will often do everything we can to hold on to "the way things were" when the ground is violently shaking beneath us, forcing us to wake up to the necessity of moving out of familiar comfort zone. in 50 After 50, Maria Leonard Olsen provides a roadmap of the courage, growth, honesty and spirit of adventure required to reinvent ourselves as life circumstances demand change. Best of all she models a flexible, nimble approach to what's next. Her brave journey is an important inspiration for us all.

[Jean Couteau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Transitions can be tough. Forging ahead with a team may yield our best outcomes. Offering much more than a smorgasbord of activities, author Maria Leonard Olsen writes 50 After 50 to help us embrace heartfelt joy while launching the next chapter of our lives.
From an introspection of past life chapters, Olsen springs forward taking us on a trajectory towards renewed zest for living our dreams. Maria Olsen has done the research, picked the pearls of wisdom from those who have prevailed and opens the next chapter treasure box. Recounting her tales of 50 After 50, Olsen encourages us to grant ourselves life's fresh opportunities, new perspectives and daring adventures. We are inspired to choose that which uniquely sparkles for us and beckons us forward.