S2 Ep35. Refire, Don’t Retire: Igniting Passion in Life’s Next Chapter with Dr. Cynthia Barnett

Welcome to a heartwarming episode of ABWilson’s Heart of the Matter, where host Aderonke Bademosi Wilson sits down with the inspiring Dr. Cynthia Barnett. Cynthia’s story is one of passion, perseverance and embracing life’s endless opportunities. From her roots growing up on the island of St. Vincent to earning a doctorate with a focus on empowering women and girls, Cynthia’s journey will uplift and motivate you.

In this episode, Cynthia opens her heart and shares her experiences with determination, like pushing through setbacks during her doctoral studies and using creative problem solving in times of hardship. She reflects honestly on her life-changing divorce and how that challenging chapter revealed strengths within her she never knew existed.

As an advocate for girls in STEM, Cynthia tells us about her nonprofit Technovation, where young girls come together to tackle real community issues with technology and develop apps that truly make a difference. The enthusiasm in those rooms is contagious, and Cynthia’s dedication to nurturing young minds shines through.

Most importantly, Cynthia invites listeners to rethink retirement as a new beginning, a time to “refire,” rediscover purpose and ignite passions. She offers encouragement and guidance on how to approach this exciting stage of life with curiosity, courage and clarity. Plus, she shares practical self-care habits, including gratitude journaling and daily walks, that keep her energized and grounded.

Throughout the episode, Cynthia’s warmth and wisdom gently remind us all that no matter our age or circumstance, it’s never too late to chase new dreams, live intentionally, and make each day a masterpiece of gratitude and joy.

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Transcript

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (00:01.436)
Welcome to another edition of ABWilson's Heart of the Matter, a podcast that uses overwhelmingly positive questions to learn about our guests, where every episode uncovers extraordinary stories of triumph, growth, and empowerment. Hi, I'm Aderonke Bademosi Wilson, and my guest on today's show is Dr. Cynthia Barnett. Cynthia is enthusiastic, determined, and eager to learn. Cynthia, welcome to the show.

Cynthia (00:35.852)
 Thank you so much for inviting me.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (00:38.622)
 And so, Cynthia, I always start by asking my guests to explain their descriptors. Tell me what enthusiastic looks like for you.

Cynthia (00:48.398)
 Enthusiastic looks like I'm always enthusiastic in anything that I do. I put a lot of passion into it and a lot of myself into it. So that's what I mean by being enthusiastic and positive.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (01:07.879)
 And determined.

Cynthia (01:09.994)
 And determined. My goodness. Determination has been the thread for my entire life. If I see something that I want to do, I put all my efforts into it. I'm very determined until it happens.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (01:25.906)
 Can you give us an example where you thought, okay, I'm gonna go do that?

Cynthia (01:31.276)
 Well, the biggest example was when I went for my doctorate. That was really stepping out of my own comfort zone. But I was so determined to finish, and I had to climb over many different obstacles to make it happen. Like, for example, to continue with the doctoral program, you have to pass a very comprehensive exam.
 And the first time I took it, I did not pass. I was devastated. But I was so determined that I asked different people, "Well, what did you do to make it happen?" Well, they had study groups. So I joined the study group and I made it happen. My determination made that happen.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (02:20.626)
 And so you talked about your PhD. Tell me about that. What's it in? What's your topic?

Cynthia (02:26.766)
 Would you repeat that?

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (02:28.008)
 What is your topic of your PhD?

Cynthia (02:31.906)
 The topic was on why are women and young girls dropping out of school?
 And I saw, interviewed many girls and guidance counselors and found out they were dropping out of school because they did not have the opportunities. First, they had to leave the regular high school to go into special classes. And so they dropped out because of that pregnancy.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (03:05.758)
 Okay, and your third descriptor, love to learn.

Cynthia (03:10.864)
 My goodness, I am a lifelong learner. Even at this point in my life, I'm still taking courses, either on self-esteem, on determination, on the internet, just to learn new things. So it's really a passion of mine. I just continue learning.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (03:34.098)
 Thank you, Cynthia. Thank you for sharing your descriptors with me. And so I'd like to learn a little bit more about you. Please share three interesting things about yourself our listeners may not know, but your friends will be surprised to learn.

Cynthia (03:49.304)
 Well, I love gardening. And I know it comes from my roots of growing up in the tiny island of St. Vincent. So I've always had a garden. And this year I had a great harvest. And one of my best, one thing I love doing is going to my garden and giving my friends some of my produce. Not only do I give it to them, I have them pick it. I have them pick their own tomatoes, pick their own zucchinis, pick their own cucumbers, and that brings a lot of joy to my heart.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (04:26.078)
 Excellent. And do you have two other things that people may not know about you?

Cynthia (04:30.476)
 Well, I love walking at six o'clock in the morning. So walking at that time gives me a wonderful opportunity to watch the sunrise. And I love bringing out my cell phone and taking pictures of watching the sunrise. And then I walk along the ocean because I live five minutes from the beach.
 So I'm walking along the ocean and I'm on the boardwalk taking pictures of the sun rising on the horizon. And it's just the most exciting moment for me.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (05:06.302)
 Excellent. And one more.

Cynthia (05:10.666)
 Okay, the other one is walking on the beach. You know, the beaches become my stomping ground. One of the things that I wanted to do when I left my previous career was to be able to walk along the beach at six o'clock in the morning. And that brings me a lot of joy to walk along the beach, to really be in nature and enjoy not just the sunset, but to hear the birds.
 It's very invigorating and helps me to start my day on a real positive note.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (05:45.596)
 How long do you generally walk for?

Cynthia (05:48.046)
 Well, I walk for about half an hour in the morning and I walk half an hour in the afternoon. So I kind of split it up. It comes up to be about between 8,000 and 10,000 steps.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (05:53.502)
 Mmm.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (06:00.237)
 And Cynthia, where do you live?

Cynthia (06:02.476)
 I live in Connecticut right along the Calf Pasture Beach Road, and that leads right into the beach, which is about, I would say, less than five minutes from my house.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (06:15.772)
 And so do you do these walks in the winter? Because I would imagine it'd be quite cool.

Cynthia (06:19.818)
 It is cold, but I'm dressed. I am so determined about my walk that I have garments for the different seasons. In the fall, I have a set of clothes. In the winter, I have another set of clothes. But in the winter, when it's so cold, I look like a mummy when I'm walking because I'm completely covered. But I'm comfortable.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (06:38.984)
 Yeah.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (06:44.082)
 Yes. Yes. Thank you for sharing. And can you tell us about a recent accomplishment or success that you're particularly proud of?

Cynthia (06:56.256)
 Well, there are two accomplishments. One is I just published my book and I actually have my book in my hand. And I am so happy for that accomplishment. That was again another work of determination. And the focus is on the... actually the book is called Refire, a Roadmap for Teachers to Rediscover Purpose and Passion in Their Retirement. So that was one accomplishment. The other accomplishment was what I have a program called Technovation. It's a nonprofit program to encourage girls to go into science, technology, engineering, and math. The girls work in teams of five or six to come up with a problem in their community. And they solve the problem with AI or apps.
And it's the most wonderful thing to see how engaged the girls are creating the apps, brainstorming, and working as a team to problem solve. It's, you know, it's electric in the room when those girls are together.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (08:18.335)
 And what led you to start that organization?

Cynthia (08:23.510)
 Well, when I left the school system many years ago, I was on a journey. And then I saw an article that said women are not going into the sciences. Well, a light bulb went off for me. Well, why don't you join that movement? So I decided to join the movement. I didn't know much about the movement, but I'm a lifelong learner.
 So I started researching and ended up going to a few conferences. And then I started. Then I decided, OK, I'm going to try this. So I approached a community college and I said, "I want to do a program for girls for hands-on science." Well, the community college gave me a room. And I invited the parents.
 Well, 50 was my plan for 50 girls, but over 100 girls showed up and I could not accommodate them. So at the end of the conference, the parents said to me, "Well, Dr. Barnett, what's next?" I had not thought about what's next. And that stimulated a whole what next for me. Since then I've had science conferences where we have over 100 girls come in to enjoy hands-on science.
 I'm working in technology, so it's been a joyful experience. Again, when those girls are working in the rooms, the room is electric. It's just amazing.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (10:04.915)
 And where does this take place? Is it in Connecticut? Is it outside of that area?

Cynthia (10:13.334)
 It's only in Connecticut. There are a few towns in Connecticut where some of the girls live, and they come to the conferences. But since, yeah, since COVID, I haven't been doing those conferences. I have been focusing more on Technovation, which is an afterschool program because the girls are there and their mentors are there. And that's been really working out wonderfully. And at the end of the season,

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (10:15.327)
 Mm-hmm.

Cynthia (10:42.218)
 It's a 12-week program. We get together and have a big celebration. And the girls present the problem they solved and how they solved it, and with what app or with AI.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (10:57.821)
 Hmm. This sounds really exciting. Is there somewhere where people can go and learn more about it? Do you have a website? Do you have social media? How can people learn more about this?

Cynthia (11:09.100)
 I do have a website and it's called Amazing Girls Science.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (11:13.727)
 Amazing Girls Science. Okay, I'll put that in the notes.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (11:24.073)
 Thank you. So please tell us about a time when you made a difference in another's life. What were the circumstances? Paint a picture for me.

Cynthia (11:35.404)
 Well, I'm thinking back about maybe 25 years ago. I had a position, a part-time position with the University of Bridgeport where they were recruiting Black and Hispanic students to become teachers. And I was the organizer of that program. So what I did was, it was particularly in Bridgeport.
 So I went to the high schools and I interviewed students from those high schools. We took in five students a year and they all had scholarships, and I held their hands for the four years. Well, one of my students who is now, he's gotten his doctorate in education. He has been a principal, and I spoke to him a few weeks ago and he said to me,
 "You know, you opened the door for me. You opened the door and here I am today." So that really made me feel good that I really made a difference in this student's life. I mean, I interviewed him when he was 17 and now he's in his early 50s. It's just absolutely amazing. I am so proud of him.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (12:58.213)
 What were the key strengths and qualities you relied on to make a difference in this person's life?

Cynthia (13:06.028)
 Well, my strengths are, again, determination, perseverance, resiliency, and persistence. Those are the strengths that have carried me through my life. Another strength is problem solving, which started a long time ago. I didn't realize it until just a few years ago when I realized how that problem solving skill started. Would you like me to share that with you?

Yeah, well, as you know, I grew up in St. Vincent. And my mom came to America to seek a better life and left her four children with her grandmother, with her mother. And I was 12 at the time, my sister 11, 10 and 8. So I was the oldest. And we wore bright blue skirts to school and white shirts.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (13:38.397)
 Yeah, please do. I'm very curious.

Cynthia (14:05.046)
 And at the end of the summer, our blue skirts were turning white because of the sun. And we got a letter from America that my mom had lost a job and she didn't have money to send. Well, I was devastated because, you know, kids are gonna laugh at me. So one night in my sadness, a voice said to me, "Why don't you get up and look at the uniforms?" So I got up and I looked at the skirts.
 And I noticed that the other side was bright blue. Now my mom was a dressmaker and I used to watch her sew. So I said, okay. So I started taking out all the stitches of the uniform with the plan to turn it inside out. There was a machine in the house, which was one of those pedal pushers. So I turned the uniform inside out and I remade the uniform. And I did the same thing for my other two sisters.
 I'm sure it was all crooked, but we went to school with bright new uniforms and nobody knew the difference. So I know that's where my problem solving skills started.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (15:16.552)
 That's incredible. That's an incredible story that you were able to just remake something that was in plain sight.

Cynthia (15:24.397)
 Yeah.

Cynthia (15:28.748)
 Yeah, yeah. And I did, I really didn't know that I had that in me, but I was not giving up. I just decided to take a chance and just do it.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (15:41.076)
 Congratulations. Congratulations.

Cynthia (15:42.286)
 Thank you.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (15:47.712)
 Can you recall a situation where you overcame a challenge that led to personal growth? What did you learn from that experience?

Cynthia (15:56.067)
 Well, the situation was my divorce. That was the most horrendous time in my entire life. I got married pretty young and my ex-husband wanted out. And we have three children, three daughters, and I was absolutely devastated because I wanted the picket fence and I wanted everything to be just perfect.
 Well, I listened to a song by Gloria Gaynor and that song carried me through. And I figured out I had to problem solve again. How am I going to take care of three young children? I have a house. And how was I going to do it? Well, the first six months, my septic tank went. The roof of my house went.
 And I had to figure out how to do all of that. So, and I have three children. So I had to figure out how am I going to support these kids. Well, one of the things that I'm pretty creative and I was doing a lot of macrame at the time. So I started teaching macrame in my house where people would come. I teach the macrame. And I worked in, love arts and crafts.
 So I worked for the Parks and Rec and I taught arts and crafts. I figured out how to do it. And so that was the most devastating time of my life, but it showed me that within me, I had the strength, which I didn't know I had, and that I could persevere, I could be resilient, and I could move on with life. And those daughters, I've got to tell you now, my oldest daughter is 57.
 My second daughter is 53 and the youngest one is 50.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (17:55.777)
 So you were able to redefine your own success as a result of what you've said was a devastating time in your life.

Cynthia (18:11.062)
 Yes, and I was able to find that strength that I had within me, a strength I didn't know I had, and it has carried me along.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (18:27.073)
 What guidance would you give to another woman in a similar circumstance, three children, having to suddenly find yourself alone and figuring it out? What guidance would you give?

Cynthia (18:42.914)
 That is such a hard question. I can't even tell you exactly how I did it. But the guidance I would give is to help that woman realize that she has the strength within her. And all she would have to do is to dig for that strength because it's there. And I would help her by providing assessments so that she can see that I am not just telling her.
 But the assessment would show her that she really does have those strengths.
 And to persevere and to reach out to other people like me who have gone through it and who will be willing to be her mentor and to hold her hand while she goes through that experience.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (19:39.873)
 Thank you for that, Ms.

Cynthia (19:43.822)
 You're welcome.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (19:48.137)
 You are listening to A.B. Wilson's Heart of the Matter podcast. Welcome back to A.B. Wilson's Heart of the Matter. My guest today is Cynthia Barnett. Cynthia, I don't know if I mentioned this previously, so let me just say this right now. You have the same name as my mom. I don't get a chance to meet a lot of Cynthias. And the Cynthias that I have met and that are in my life, I always feel a special connection with them because Cynthia isn't a common name. And so I always get really—

Cynthia (20:09.918)
 You.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (20:24.890)
 Just really warm and fuzzy when I meet other Cynthias.

Cynthia (20:30.912)
 Thank you. Just the name Cynthia makes us very special.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (20:34.279)
 It does. It really, really does. And I want to touch on this because I don't know when else we're going to have an opportunity to bring this up in our conversation. So I'm going to put it in right here. When you and I talked several weeks ago, you told me about a current job situation that you have. And I mentioned that for the first time, I felt job envy. And so tell me about your job that you're doing right now that allows you to travel and teach at the same time.

Cynthia (21:18.231)
 I think you're referring to my cruise gigs.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (21:20.543)
 Yes! Yes, I want to hear about them!

Cynthia (21:24.971)
 Well, when I left the school system, I decided I want to travel to many different places in the world, and I didn't want to pay for them. So I had been on a few cruises, and I had seen people present on cruises. And I thought to myself, gee, I would love to have a gig like that. So how am I going to make it happen? So I am.
 I contacted a cruise line. I was going on a cruise that year to celebrate my quote unquote retirement. So I contacted the cruise ship and I said to them, "Well, I am going on a cruise. I'm already booked on this cruise and I would like to make a presentation on the cruise." The only reason I want to do that is because I wanted them to hire me.
 I wanted them to see what I did and to start my cruise gigs. Well, what happened was that same year, it was the hurricane season and another lecturer didn't show up and they asked me to do another presentation. Well, I did a presentation and I made sure the cruise director came to the presentations. Well, he came to the presentation and now the rest is history.
 He introduced me to the cruise liner. So for the past 17 years, I've been traveling the world mostly free on cruise ships. And so my dream is being fulfilled where I get to do it. So how do I travel free? Well, it's a bartering arrangement. The ship
 gets an opportunity to make presentations to their guests. And I get the opportunity to get free cruises for myself and my husband. And the presentations are like about 45 minutes, and only when the ship is out in the ocean. When the ship docks, I'm just like another guest. And it's just the most wonderful way to travel. I've got to say,

Cynthia (23:50.947)
 That the work comes before you get on the ship because you got to prepare all the presentations and all the PowerPoints. Well, my background is education. I know how to prepare PowerPoints and I know how to make those presentations. And so I've been doing that for quite some time. Last December, I was on the ship for one month. And this December, I'll be on the ship for two months.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (23:53.589)
 Mm-hmm.

Cynthia (24:21.527)
 I leave on December 9th and I come back on February 9th.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (24:28.960)
 That is so exciting to me. That is a dream job. I gotta tell you, I continue, as you were describing it, continue to have job envy.

Cynthia (24:44.111)
 But it is so wonderful. People said to me, well, they asked my husband, "Well, what does he do?"
 Well, he carries the bags.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (24:52.833)
 You—

Cynthia (24:56.323)
 You gotta have somebody to help you with that.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (25:00.278)
 But living on a cruise ship for two months, I can only imagine the people that you'll meet, the opportunities that you'll have, the adventures that you will experience. I'm looking forward to hearing about your successes after each. So will two months be the longest that you've been on a cruise ship?

Cynthia (25:24.515)
 Yes, and my dream is to be on a cruise ship for four to six months, yes. With or without a gig, but that's a dream of mine, to be on a cruise ship. So I can travel to all different places, see all different things, and it just expands my own horizon.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (25:29.312)
 Really? Wow. Wow. Okay.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (25:42.241)
 Right.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (25:47.479)
 Hmm. Well, good luck. I'm sure you'll be able to do it. And if you need another bag carrier, I'm available to provide support. Cynthia, what self-care practices or strategies help you to sustain your energy and motivation while navigating your journey?

Cynthia (25:57.515)
 Wonderful, I remember that.

Cynthia (26:11.373)
 Well, one of the first things I do, first of all, I get up pretty early. 4:30, 5 o'clock, I am awake and I'm out of the bed. You know, there's a saying, "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Well, I've been going to bed early for a long time. In the summertime when it's daylight, I go to bed a little bit later. But as soon as I get out of bed, I go to my quiet room,
 and write in my gratitude journal. Being grateful for just being able to get out of bed, to get to that spot and write in my gratitude journal, which I've been writing for over 30 something years. And so I do some meditation, not long, but five-minute meditation. And then after that, I go for my walk.
 I go for my walk, that's how I start the day, on a very positive note. So once I've gone through my walk and am in tune with nature, then I'm ready. I'm energized and I'm ready to get into the day. It doesn't matter if I'm on a cruise ship, I do the same thing. It's become a habit. I do the same thing on a cruise ship. If I'm in a hotel, I do the same thing.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (27:26.496)
 Hmm.

Cynthia (27:43.895)
 It's just who I am as part of the way I live.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (27:48.322)
 And you've been writing in journals for many years. What do you do with the journals? Like, after you've completed one, what happens to it?

Cynthia (27:58.671)
 I kind of keep them and sometimes I just throw them away.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (28:02.754)
 Do you ever go back and read?

Cynthia (28:05.311)
 Once in a while, I may go back and read to see where I was maybe a year ago. I read a book recently called The Magic. And The Magic is all about gratitude. And there are many different things in The Magic that tells you what to look for instead of just writing the same thing every day. Sometimes The Magic, sometimes,
it's like they have like a 30-day journey. Sometimes it's about looking at somebody in your life that you haven't talked to in a while and just letting them know that you care about them and being grateful for them in your life. And it's not just saying I'm grateful for you. It's a great "I am grateful that you've helped me do X thing," whatever thing it was.
So it's been very specific.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (29:07.178)
 And so you write this in your journal or you tell the person?

Cynthia (29:11.181)
 I read it in my journal. Sometimes I may tell the person.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (29:12.641)
 Okay.

Cynthia (29:16.951)
 But I do, I'm very habit oriented. When I have a habit, I'm very disciplined in terms of that. And I know that discipline is a big contribution to my success.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (29:42.508)
 When you think of discipline, what does that look like? Like, you—you said, and I know one of your words is determined. In being disciplined, is it forsaking everything else and just sticking to that? Is it, you said you're habit oriented. Is it just getting into habit and chugging along no matter what? What does being disciplined look like?

Cynthia (30:09.067)
 Well, the discipline for me is getting out of bed, coming down to my quiet spot. That's the discipline. Writing in my journal. Reading books. I try to read different books, learning something new. And being very disciplined about how I live my life. And it's not the discipline where
 I may decide, okay, I'm not going to do X, Y, Z today. And that's okay. But for me, the discipline that's not negotiable is a discipline of my gratitude, and the discipline of walking every day, and the discipline of taking care of my body, eating healthy, avoiding sugar and flour.
 And you know, somebody from the West Indies, avoiding sugar and flour is a tough thing. So it's the discipline of those things that I don't negotiate with. Other things I may have a discipline about what I want to do today. Something may come up and I decide, OK, I don't want to do it. Another discipline that I have is taking a nap every day.
 My friends sometimes laugh at me. And it started when my children were in elementary school and I taught elementary school at the time. I would have to come home and take a nap because I had to, you know. So ever since then, and that's so many years ago, I still take a nap. So if I'm up at 4:30 in the morning, by one o'clock, really, my body says time to rest. And that's another discipline I have.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (31:59.972)
 Mm-mm.

Cynthia (32:03.383)
 Of taking a nap, even when I'm on a cruise. I take a nap because my body, it's time for my body to rest and I just, you know.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (32:14.531)
 Thank you.

Cynthia (32:16.431)
 Hmm.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (32:17.965)
 How might sharing your experiences of success and growth create a positive ripple effect in your family, community, the world?

Cynthia (32:27.895)
 Well, for my family, I would say my three daughters, now that they're all grown up, I see elements of what they do that stems from what they saw me do. I wasn't like telling them do this and that, but I see elements of it. I see all three of them having some form of exercise in their lives. And I never told them about it, but they've watched me.
 It's about, so, and they would say little things that I told them a long time ago that I didn't realize that I told them that they still have in their minds. So that's living by example. In other people, like people I've worked with, when I left, when I left, I don't like even saying I retired, because I call myself unrefired. But when I left the system so many years ago, sometimes they meet me and say, "I'm refired." So they heard the message. So that really makes me feel good. And to carry the message to the world about the movement that I want to create, which is about not—

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (33:43.747)
 You—

Cynthia (33:53.741)
 Retiring, but refiring your life when your career is over in this next chapter. It's the new beginning. It's a new adventure.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (34:12.144)
 What guidance would you give to somebody as they're retiring, as they're preparing to leave the workplace perhaps formally after maybe 30, 40, 50 years of work? What do you say? How do you help people to be refired?

Cynthia (34:34.253)
 Well, the first thing when people leave their position, I encourage them to have some months of not doing anything.
 Well, then after that, I help them to refire their lives in terms of looking at the strengths that they have. There's an assessment that they can do to look at what strengths they have. To make a list of all the things that they love to do. And in that list, they would find out the things that they may have left on the back burner because they couldn't concentrate on it while they were working.
 And once they have decided and looked at that list, then they pick out one or two things that would make them happy, that would spark their life. And once they have done that, then they make a list of how they are going to achieve it.
 And once they make the list of how they achieve it, then they have somebody like me holding their hand until it happens.

Cynthia (35:48.535)
 I have had clients who really wanted to write a book for so many years. It was like a burning desire to write a book. And that client decided, "Okay, I'm actually going to do it." And now she has a book that's published. And she is very happy that she actually did that. And she's in her 70s. It doesn't matter how old you are. The point is to know that
 this new chapter is a time to really take those dreams off the back burner, put them on the front burner and spark and reignite your life.
 Because another thing is research shows that when we quote-unquote retire, we have another 20, 25 years to live. So what are you going to do for 20, 25 years? I've been caught. I left the school system 20 years ago.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (36:46.284)
 Mmm.

Cynthia (36:48.207)
 What would I have been doing when I left? I quote-unquote retired pretty young. What would I have been doing for those 20-something years? And I look back to see what I've accomplished in those years. And that really makes my heart sing.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (37:03.838)
 Shifts.

Cynthia (37:03.841)
 And is an example. So when I coach other people, it's not just about talking to them. It's about being an example. I think that's the most important thing.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (37:21.641)
 So if people want to get in contact with you to either do the assessment or be coached by you, how can people find you?

Cynthia (37:31.213)
 Well, I have a website called refiredontretire.com.

Cynthia (37:38.955)
 And so that's the story. Refire your life. Don't retire.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (37:49.934)
 What exciting opportunities do you see on the horizon? How do these opportunities align with your passions and aspirations?

Cynthia (37:58.423)
 Well, the opportunities I see on the horizon are more speaking engagements, really spreading the word of change in the paradigm that retirement means slowing down, fading away. And to the new paradigm that retirement is a time of rebirth, a time of renewal, a time to truly find out who you really are and the time to ignite all those passions.
 We fire your life.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (38:40.108)
 Cynthia, what brings you joy?

Cynthia (38:43.595)
 It brings me joy just talking to you. It brings me joy to share my passion and to be in my garden, to be creative. In fact, my garden is a creative piece. It's not just grass and trees. I have created different beautiful places with rocks and stones. And so I see my garden as a canvas, and I paint the garden as a canvas. And that brings me a lot of joy to drive into my driveway and see the canvas right in front of me. That brings me a lot of joy. It also brings me joy when I visit with my adult daughters. Like I say, visit, I can't live with them.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (39:38.628)
 You—

Cynthia (39:40.813)
 What I do enjoy visiting with them, because I'd love to hear what their journey is and the things that they're doing, and talking to my granddaughter, who thinks that I'm wonderful. She thinks I'm more wonderful than my daughters think of me.
 And my daughter says, "Well, she didn't have to live with you."

Cynthia (40:07.407)
 So, and that brings me joy. It also brings me joy, my grandson who's 13. And even though his mother is not into gardening, he loves to come and watch my garden. And two years ago, I have a space in the garden that he planted my first crop of corn. I decided to try. So I called it Logan's Field. So whenever he comes, he looks at—

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (40:34.245)
 Mmm.

Cynthia (40:36.715)
 Like this summer, he came and looked at the corn and I had him pick the first harvest. And what a smile it brought to his face and a lot of joy for me watching him pick his first harvest. So those are the things that really bring me a lot of joy.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (40:54.069)
 Thank you, Cynthia. We are coming to the end of our wonderful conversation. What book recommendation or recommendations do you have? It can be a book, and I'm going to ask you to include your own book in this. It can be a book that you've read recently or something that has stayed with you over the years.

Cynthia (41:14.797)
 Well, the book that stayed with me over the years is Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman. Now, The Greatest Salesman is not just about selling things. It's about looking at your life. He talks about just act as though if you only had today to live, what would you do? If you knew that today was your last day on earth, what would you do? Another chapter that I love is that he says, "You are the greatest miracle. There's no one else like you."
You are the greatest miracle. I love that book. They are the one that I really enjoy, my own book, Refire, a Roadmap for Teachers to Rediscover Passion and Joy in Their Retirement. And you could find that book on my website also.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (42:03.333)
 And is it on Amazon? Can we get it on Amazon?

Cynthia (42:06.219)
 It is on Amazon.
 It's called Refire, which is Refire goes through the whole being of living that refired life.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (42:22.533)
 Cynthia, is there anything else? Do you have any final thoughts for us?

Cynthia (42:28.587)
 The final thought I would have is that enjoy every moment of life. Look at life as this beautiful canvas that we have been given to be grateful to be alive, just to live life as gratitude. One of the things I write in my journal is, "I live life as a thank you."
 So just to work to live up to the full potential that we have been given. Because research shows most of us only use maybe 1% or 2%. Why not work to reach at least 50% or 75%?

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (43:19.151)
 So what does living at 50 to 75% look like for you? You've done so much, but what does it look like? What does it feel like?

Cynthia (43:28.665)
 You know, there's more to be done. There's more to be done. I'm not done until it's all over. And what does it look like for me is spreading the word about living that refired life in your next chapter. That next chapter is so critical and so important. And we have come so far in life after working for so many years and maybe having a family, taking care of kids. Now it's me time to do whatever you want to do. And everybody doesn't have to do it the way I do it, but to do something and not wait for some day. Some day is today.

Cynthia (44:23.649)
 And to make their life a masterpiece. I want to make, I am working on making my life a masterpiece.
 Painting that canvas with the paintings that I want and just enjoy the moment.
 Enjoying the moment I'm having with you right now. Being present for this moment.

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (44:54.351)
 Dr. Cynthia Barnett, thank you so much. And here are some appreciation nuggets that I'm taking away from our conversation. And one of them is, and you've said this many times, and it's refired, not retired. And...

Aderonke Bademosi Wilson (45:22.263)
 No matter how old you are, you can take those dreams off the back burner and essentially get them cooking again. And you paint your garden as though it is a campus. And another one, which you just said, is you live your life as a thank you. You live your life as a thank you. And so, Cynthia, thank you. Thank you for...
 taking the time to join me on A.B. Wilson's Heart of the Matter, a podcast dedicated to asking overwhelmingly positive questions as we uncover incredible stories and wisdom of people you may know. Dr. Cynthia Barnett, thank you so much.

Cynthia (46:08.451)
 Thank you so much for having me. It's been an absolute pleasure.

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