The Dream That Changed Everything

Picture this: You're caring for someone struggling with addiction, pouring every ounce of your energy into their recovery while slowly abandoning yourself. Or perhaps you've walked through an unwanted divorce, lost your career, and find yourself hiding in shame. Maybe you're simply facing retirement and wondering if your best days are behind you.

What if I told you that these moments of deep loss might actually be the beginning of your best life?

This revelation came to author Marita Latau through an unexpected dream about her late mother. In the dream, her mother appeared not as the frail 92-year-old who had passed away, nor as the young college student she once was, but as the person she was when she was truly at her peak—living her absolute best life.

"I woke up from that dream with this strong impression that who we are in heaven is the person we were when we were our best," Marita reflects. This profound moment sparked what would become The Best Life Project, a movement helping women over 60 discover that their most fulfilling chapters might still be unwritten.

When Everything Falls Apart

Marita's journey to her best life wasn't paved with easy victories. She faced an unwanted divorce that cost her not only her marriage but her entire career as a Christian speaker and writer. The shame was so overwhelming that she literally changed her professional name to hide.

"I was a Christian speaker and writer who wrote books on relationships. My ex-husband and I even wrote a book together on marriage," she shares. "It was shameful to acknowledge that I couldn't keep my own marriage together."

Sound familiar? Whether it's addiction in the family, divorce, job loss, or simply the quiet desperation of feeling invisible as you age, isolation becomes a protective mechanism. We pull back from friends who might see our pain. We stop hosting gatherings because our lives feel too messy. We convince ourselves it's easier to handle things alone.

But here's what Marita discovered: isolation isn't protection—it's prison.

The Unexpected Path Forward

Sometimes God's direction comes through the most unlikely doors. For Marita, it was taking a job as executive director of a nonprofit organization advocating for the energy industry—about as far from Christian speaking and writing as you could imagine.

"When people saw what I was doing, they were like, 'Why are you doing that?'" she laughs. But this unexpected role allowed her to use her speaking and writing skills in an entirely new context, traveling the country addressing oil and gas events.

The lesson? Your skills, your gifts, your calling don't disappear when your circumstances change. They simply find new expression.

The Trifecta of Your Best Life

Through her journey and research, Marita identified three essential elements needed to live your best life:

• Health - You need the physical and emotional capacity to engage fully

• Time - Freedom from overwhelming obligations that consume every moment

• Resources - Enough financial stability to have choices

"If you're struggling to make the house payment and working three jobs, that's not living your best life," Marita acknowledges honestly. "That's a very hard place to be."

But here's the encouraging truth: you don't need all three elements to be perfect. You just need enough of each to take the next right step.

Building Your Merry Little Band

Perhaps the most practical wisdom Marita offers is about friendship—specifically, how to build meaningful connections when you feel completely alone.

When she moved to Texas after

remarrying, she literally cried six months into her marriage because she "didn't have enough friends to have a dinner party." Ten years later, she has so many friends she has to hold a lottery to decide who gets invited to her dinner parties.

How did she do it? Through intentional, creative connection:

Start Small and Be Alert

• Watch for people who seem alone at church, the gym, or stores

• When greeting newcomers, really listen to their stories

• Look for those "deer in headlights" expressions that signal someone feeling lost

Take Initiative

• Posted on her neighborhood NextDoor app about hosting a Christmas party for strangers

• Started greeting at church to meet first-time visitors

• Created "luncheon editions" for easier, more frequent gatherings

Be Consistent

• Established regular friend groups that meet predictably

• Followed through on invitations and promises

• Made friendship building a priority, not just something that happens naturally

For the Introverts and the Hesitant

"You're not going to meet new people sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself," Marita says gently but firmly. But that doesn't mean you have to become a social butterfly overnight.

Start with existing structures:

• Join support groups related to your specific struggles

• Volunteer for causes you care about

• Attend community clubs or hobby groups

• Say yes to invitations, even when it feels uncomfortable

The key insight? You don't have to host everything. You can start by simply showing up and helping with what others are already organizing.

The Courage to Begin Again

Perhaps the most powerful part of Marita's story is this: she didn't wait for her circumstances to be perfect to start building her best life. She began while still healing, still figuring things out, still afraid.

Your best life isn't waiting for you after you've solved all your problems. It's available to you right now, in the middle of your mess, through the simple act of opening your heart to connection and remaining open to God's unexpected directions.

Taking Your First Step

If you're reading this and feeling isolated, here are three concrete actions you can take this week:

• Reach out to one person - Text someone you haven't talked to in a while, or strike up a conversation with a neighbor

• Join something - Find one group, class, or volunteer opportunity and commit to showing up for a month

• Create space for others - Look for someone who seems lonely and extend a simple invitation for coffee

Remember, your current chapter doesn't have to be your final chapter. Sometimes the life you never planned becomes the life you never knew you wanted.

Your best life might be just one brave conversation away.

Books Mentioned By Marita Littauer:

The Praying Wives Club - https://a.co/d/ce2IxDX

Wired that Way - https://thepersonalities.com/product-category/wired-that-way

Other Resources:

The Best Life Project Blog – https://livingyourbestlife60plus.com/main/