Living Your “Act Two”

On a Celebrity Cruise ship during a sea day, I went to a speaker’s presentation. The subject was about making the most of your “Act Two.” You know, Act Two, the second part of your life, where you do the things you always wanted to do.

The speaker shared his story of how he began a journey in his own Act Two and became a comedian. His story is interesting. He always loved making people laugh in school and his secret dream was to be a comedian. But then the real world caught up with him, as it does for all of us, and the dream seemed lost forever.

So how did he come to talk about Act Two, at age 71?

At age 61, his wife’s boss invited them to his comedy course graduation in Sarasota, Florida. This sparked life to his almost lost dream and with the support of his wife, he took the comedy course himself. This led him to emcee at the local comedy club, then doing shows at comedy clubs, and even to being interviewed by the Wall Street Journal and AARP.

Wow, what a series of events. It doesn’t stop there either. When I spoke with him on the ship, he said he and his wife were having the time of their lives doing the Celebrity Beyond the Podium Series as well as his featured comedy show. Many cruises later they have been to a good many parts of the world and have met so many interesting people, sharing how to make the best of their Act Two. He said he would send me his book he was working on when it was released.

Last week I received Gid Pool’s book Act Two & Beyond. Inside the cover he wrote:

To Robert – Make each day more spectacular than the last!! – Gid Pool.

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I just finished the book and relate to a lot of it. Gid reminds me of my brother Frank, always the kidder and making people laugh. But the book is not about comedy. It’s about not being constricted by what you have done with your life, but instead being motivated by what you want to do.

There are many people who have become famous and successful because of their own Act Two, but the book is not about that either. It’s about how to rekindle your dreams and have an amazing life of your own.

Gid shares an amazing story and you can feel the excitement of his journey and this helps you recognize the possibilities everyone has. You don’t have to be rich to have an amazing Act Two.

Starting something new and not knowing where it’s going can be a little scary. That’s part of the excitement. But your journey may take you further than you ever thought possible. It did for Gid.

Gid said once determined to start his Act Two, the roller coaster of events fell into place, seemingly guided by his muse. Trust in what you are doing and by all means have a good time. This may be the time of your life!