Book Nook: It's Never Too Late - Make the Next Act of Your Life the Best Act of Your Life

 When  beloved TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford stepped down as co-host of the fourth hour of TODAY with Hoda Kotb, many assumed she was winding down her career... but it turns out she’s just getting started! As Kathie Lee steps into what she’s describing as the most creative act of her life—singing, acting, writing, and directing movies—she says, “I’m not retiring; I’m refiring!”

I had a chance to review her new book,  It’s Never Too Late: Make the Next Act of Your Life the Best Act of Your Life. It was a mix of memoir, song lyrics, and advice, and definitely targets women that are in the middle of their own life changes.

The foreword is written by Dolly Parton, another amazing woman who is more multi-faceted than many people realize.  “I’ve always loved Kathie Lee, and I respect and admire her openness,” said legendary musician and cultural icon Dolly Parton. "It’s always been my belief that you never get too old to dream. I often say (and mean it) that I wake up with a new dream every day . . . well, at least one, usually more. Dreaming is easy. Making them come true is the hard part.”

I didn't know much about Kathie Lee, but I still found the book interesting. Even though I haven't watched her much on TV, throughout the book there was a sense of familiarity and comfort with the way that she writes. She is very open about potentially sensitive topics, including struggles in Hollywood and loneliness in marriage. 

She writes with positive energy too, about happier moments and lighthearted stories. Unlike a traditional memoir, though, this book frames everything in the context of nuggets of advice, looking forward and encouraging her readers to do the same.

 

“Growing older is not for the faint of heart,” says Gifford “but I truly believe that this next season of my life has the potential to be the best season in a life that, to this point, has been jam-packed with amazing opportunities and great adventures. With time and distance, and hopefully a dash of wisdom along the way, you’re able to see everything that has happened in your life with a new perspective. In your recollections of the past, a pattern emerges, and a distinct path forward eventually becomes visible.”

 

It’s a path that promises to be Gifford’s best act ever.