There's nothing to fear from midcareer change

   Nancy Irwin was in her early 40s when she changed her career from stand-up comedy to psychotherapy. Having made such a dramatic turnaround, she thought to herself, "If I can do it, anybody can." So she collected dozens of examples of people who also made major life changes after age 40, including many who switched careers. She documented their lives in "You-Turn: Changing Direction in Midlife."

   Question: What are some of the professional changes featured in your book?

   Answer: I have a man who was a Ph.D. theater critic, who went to medical school at Brown University at age 40. He's now a psychiatrist. I have a Harvard lawyer who is the head of UCLA law department who is now a new-age healer (he does both). I have a woman who was a big-city corporate designer, and when her father passed away, she took over his small-town knitting company, saving the jobs and lives of numerous elderly employees.

   Q: What do you need to have inside yourself to make such a professional change?

   A: You need a wonderful support system, positive people surrounding you. You need to take stock of all of your experience and skills and know that everything is transferable. Everything can be turned into something else. You can make up something that has never existed before.

   A man who was a culinary institute catering director started a nonprofit, rehabbing used cars for low-income people. That never existed before.

   You want to look at all of your hobbies and untapped skills. You never know what you can turn them into.

   Q: What usually precipitates these changes?

   A: My book is divided into two sections. Change by default - they were dumped, they were fired, or they had a disease or injury. And then the other ones were change by choice. People who knew something was missing and wanted more. You want to just take a deep breath and take a positive look at where you can go. It's an opportunity to look forward, not think you're stuck, which is what most baby boomers were trained to believe. We can change any aspect of our life. I have a 79-year-old who is in law school.

   Q: What distinguishes change after 40?

   A: The baby boomers were trained to fear change; security was the be-all, end-all. I'm training people to realize that the greatest security is when you can deal with anything life presents you. It's not natural to be afraid of career change.

   Q: How can a person prepare for such a change?

   A: Having money helps. You don't have to - certainly people have started businesses with five dollars - but it does help. You want to take care of your health. You want to eat right, work out, get enough sleep, all of those things. Watch your alcohol intake, get massages, really nurture, and know that what you're going through is perfectly natural and that it can be an exciting challenge.