Podcast by Tara (Conti) Bansal and Christina (Conti) Donovan
Podcast by Tara (Conti) Bansal and Christina (Conti) Donovan
06 November 2024
We are thrilled to share our conversation with our sister-in-law, Mary Carolyn Conti. A true artist in every sense of the word, Mary Carolyn is a writer, singer, photographer and theater producer extraordinaire. And her joy and excitement about her middlescence years are downright palpable and, as a result, a bit contagious too. It is impossible not to get caught up in her energy and optimism as she talks about her plans and goals for her next phase.
In today’s episode we discuss with her:
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22 October 2024
Last season we interviewed our sister-in-law, Anne Mielke Conti, in the episode “Taking the Leap” about her momentous life change of leaving her corporate job to be at home. We promised at the end of that episode to touch base with Anne again in the future to see where her “leap” had taken her. Today, we fulfill that promise by talking with Anne about the good, the bad, and much in between, that has occurred for her and her family in the last 16 months.
In “Being Able to Say Yes”, Anne recognizes how fortunate she is to have the opportunity and choice to make this change. As the title of this episode implies, this has been a positive change for her and her family and Anne emphasizes throughout our interview, “this is what is right for right now”. Anne imparts wisdom and insight into both the practicalities of everyday life as well as adjusting to a significant change.
In this episode we discuss the following with Anne:
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08 October 2024
Season #2 of Messy Middlescence begins with a heavy and difficult topic: grief. It may seem like an odd choice for a season opener but Tina’s family and community experienced an unexpected and tragic loss just a few weeks ago. It was a personal reminder that these middlescence years are often full of painful and sorrowful events. We may encounter the loss of — not just older family members — but of friends, neighbors or colleagues. It caused us to think deeply and personally about how do we get through difficult times of grief and loss? How do we help people we care about who have suffered a devastating loss?
This past January, a guest essay was published in The New York Times titled, “Train Yourself to Always Show Up” by Rabbi Sharon Brous. This essay, which is excerpted from her book, The Amen Effect, made a profound impression on both Tara and Tina. It was an article and topic they had planned to discuss in the future, and in light of the recent personal circumstances, the timing felt right to begin the season with these topics.
In this episode, Tina and Tara discuss and explore the beautiful words and ideas from Rabbi Brous’s article, which can act as a guiding light for those in middlescence.
These include:
This episode is the first of several that will attempt to tackle these difficult and painful topics.
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11 July 2024
In the final episode of their debut season of Messy Middlescence, Tara and Tina conclude the Timeless Happiness series they have presented for the past few episodes.
Here they return to the “5 Essential Elements of Well Being” and focus on the ones that have not been explored in the previous episodes: Health (physical and mental); Social Relationships, and Community Engagement. Tara defines each of these remaining categories and discusses the possible and various ways to achieve them.
Tara reiterates the need to just start thinking about these – not just from a retirement planning perspective – but for anyone seeking a change in their life for the better.
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26 June 2024
If you are a regular Messy Middlescence listener – you have by now met many members of the extended Conti family. In this episode you will meet Tina and Tara’s father, Al Conti.
Al went through middlescence some time ago (he is 81) but Tara and Tina found they often referred to their father as they discussed retirement – particularly in the previous Timeless Happiness episodes. They realized that their parents exemplify many of the lessons Tara shares and discusses in her Timeless Happiness classes.
By focusing on Al’s retirement story (their mother declined to be interviewed), many of the challenges and joys of retirement that have been theoretically discussed in the Timeless Happiness episodes are brought to life.
Al shares his wisdom and experiences to detail a retirement journey that, while still ongoing, has successfully moved through the different phases of retirement and overcome many of the typical issues. Through careful planning AND being open to some unexpected occurrences, Al and Tori created a retirement that fulfilled some of their lifelong dreams, reflects their values, and makes them happy.
Tina and Tara discuss with Al:
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12 June 2024
Tara puts on her “financial planner” hat once again but this time to discuss the “numbers” side of retirement planning in hopes of alleviating some of the mystery and anxiety that often surround this topic.
Tara outlines the challenges and uncertainties that can affect financial retirement planning including longevity, inflation, market volatility and unexpected life events. She gives special attention to concerns around inflation and social security.
Together, Tara and Tina explore concepts such as net worth statements, retirement projections, and budget tracking. They stress the importance of using a financial advisor and how to find one you trust.
They continue to focus on how to spend money in ways that bring happiness and peace of mind. Whether you are just starting your retirement planning or fine-tuning existing plans, this episode hopefully will provide you with the tools, information and resources you need to be financially ready for retirement.
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