Tell us your story. With that simple request a group of film professionals from Germany and England changed their career focus. Tired of producing films that didn't inspire them, they formed the company Tell Us Your Stories and set out to film and promote stories of people working with passion and building bridges that connect with humanity. While we were in Florence, Italy for a month, we talked with this inspiring group of young professionals about their journey. I was impressed with their leaving successful careers and taking a risk to do something they loved. How much less risky is it for those of us approaching or at the end of our careers to pursue a new kind of work that we love? Semi-retirement opens up new opportunities to explore work options that inspire us.

As we learn more about what promotes healthy aging, work after retirement is playing a greater role. Part-time or full-time, paid or not, work that we enjoy can be an important part of a fulfilling second half of life.

Many older adults work because they need the income, but many also work because they want to. According to a recent Merrill Lynch study, 62% of respondents felt the most important reason to work was "staying mentally active", while only 31% felt money was the most important reason to work.

Many boomers are working in a new field in semi-retirement. The same study reports that nearly three out of five (58 percent) working retirees transition to a different line of work in retirement.

Interested in doing work that inspires you and exploring semi-retirement? Answering the following questions can help you get started?

1. What did you dream about doing when you were younger?
2. Which skills do you most enjoy using?
3. What would be your greatest benefit of working?
4. How would you like to work: full-time or part-time, solo or with a team, inside or outside?
5. Who is a good semi-retirement role model for you?