“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.”

George Eliot (1819–1880), the distinguished English Victorian novelist, launched a thousand refrigerator magnets with that keen observation.

It still has legs.

In October 2014, the newspaper at which I’d been a writer and editor for 30-odd years told me, in effect, “Hey, it’s been swell—don’t let the door hit you on your way out.” Downsizing was standard operation procedure, so it wasn’t like I was the first to see pink. But I wasn’t into rationalizing just then. My reaction was something like, “(Fill in the blank)! What the (fill in the blank) am I supposed to do now?”

George Eliot didn’t cross my mind.

Instead, I filled out applications and sent in résumés to keep the unemployment checks coming. I was grateful, but I hated it—and I wasn’t feeling real great about myself, either. I rarely went out. I started some bad habits. I couldn’t sleep, and I knew why: It was the crushing realization that the job openings I’d feigned interest in promised more of the same keep-a-low-profile, just-do-the-work, can’t-get-no-satisfaction routine that had been my work life for longer than I still want to admit.

I thought about George Eliot when the PETA Foundation asked if I’d be interested in joining the writing staff. A job devoted to helping animals? I’m guardian to two dogs, two cats, a snake, a lizard, and a clamorous cockatiel. Check. Joining a dedicated, welcoming team that shares the same selfless purpose? Check. Besides, that’s not “work”—that’s reinventing yourself. And it’s never too late for that, especially now that the job market is so open to people with experience and passion.

That’s especially true at PETA, where compassionate and talented people of all ages can put their skills to work speaking up for animals. Thinking about an encore career in animal rights? You can find a list of openings here. The next steps are simple: Find the perfect fit and apply right now.

Some days, I might write a blog post about a record-setting month for PETA’s mobile spay/neuter clinics or a letter urging a retailer to stop selling products made of angora wool. On other days, I might be writing op-eds about the abuse that goes on at dog shows or the cruelty that is routine at Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. I’ve written for PETA’s affiliates in the U.K., France, Asia, and Australia.

Every day is something new, another way to help. That’s just one reason I’m so eager to get to work each morning. Here’s another: One of the cats whose office I share just rubbed faces with me on her way across my desk.

I’ve been reinvigorated in ways I never could have imagined at this point in my life. My blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight are down (thanks in large part, no doubt, to my decision to go vegan), and there are no more sleepless nights. I attribute that to the clear conscience that comes from doing the right thing.

So yeah, George Eliot was absolutely right. Corporate serfdom is in my rearview mirror. I’ve rediscovered something good about myself, and there’s no looking back—which brings to mind something that Mark Twain (1835-1910) once said: “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”