We are inviting story submissions from women and men who, after they turned 40, launched a successful, new enterprise or embarked on a completely different career where they are thriving. These days, people are living longer and through necessity often working well into their later years. There are a plethora of reasons for the burgeoning number of people who have taken the initiative to risk starting a business or creative venture or been inspired to change careers after 40. Many have faced disenfranchisement from the workplace through corporate downsizing or been passed over for a job because of age. Entrepreneurship is often the only option. Others may have woken one day with the realization that they were stuck in a job that gave them no joy. Others may have found that their pension plan does not afford them the quality of life they desire. Whatever the reason, we would love to hear your success story.

Stories selected for publication will be compiled into an anthology for presentation to publishers and the title we've chosen is indicative of the spirit we want to embrace: Second Wind Success Stories . Similar to the experience of a long-distance runner, who about halfway through often feels they have used up their energy reserves and are ready to call it quits, your words could be that refreshing, cool breeze inspiring someone to not give up on themselves. So please be generous and share your inspiration.

Your submission should be written as a first-person narrative with a minimum word count of 900 words and a maximum of 3,000 words. Please double space your contribution for readability and email a WORD attachment to success@secondwindstories.com.