For more than 30 years, countless individuals have welcomed her into their homes through television to hear her deliver critical information and tell stories that made an impact on daily life, and recently, the legendary broadcast journalist Jane Pauley made her way literally into the home of senior residents at The Stayton at Museum Way, Fort Worth’s resort-style retirement community. Pauley was the guest speaker of The Stayton’s Red Carpet Speaker Series^™ program and came to discuss her impressive career in broadcast journalism, her personal background and her New York Times best-selling books in a unique conversation-style presentation exclusively for the residents and invited guests of the community.

She talked about co-hosting the TODAY Show, anchoring on Dateline NBC for more than a decade and now loving where she is currently – a contributor on CBS Sunday Morning. Yet Pauley believes she actually came into her most important advocacy role through the writing of her books, which would not have happened without the support of her family and especially her husband Garry. His encouragement helped Pauley realize she “had a story to tell” and led her to write her first book, Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue, in which she chronicles being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 50 and how she has not let that define her or control her throughout life.

The description Pauley gave of her second, more recent, book, Your Life Calling: Reimagining the Rest of Your Life, resonated very well with those in the audience. In that book, Pauley delivers an empowering message to people over 50 encouraging them to undertake enriching new pursuits as they age and to realize their full potential.

“Just as Jane Pauley discussed in her presentation, people are living much longer today and therefore have remarkably different perspectives and expectations than previous generations of older adults did,” said Scott Polzin, executive director of The Stayton. “Those who are 50+ today view being ‘middle-aged’ as simply a time period when they’re not young but more importantly, not yet old and are realizing they have a lot more life to live and enjoy. We urge all of our residents here to embrace that mindset as well and are dedicated to helping them branch out of their comfort zones, broaden their perspectives and have new experiences at every opportunity.”

Pauley concluded with Q&A from the audience and spent time afterward signing copies of her books for those in attendance.

Photo Credit: Bruce Maxwell Photography