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Who Are You Calling “Old”–Twenty Insights You Need to Know about Aging
Retirement requires us to go through a major “life reset” in a relatively short period of time; or, ready or not here I come. It also requires us to confront, negotiate with and ultimately accept our “aging selves” as our new life partner. How others see us; or, as we believe they see us is unimportant because what truly matters is how we “see ourselves in the mirror of life.” I call this “our inner aging belief system.” We need to look inside our “physical shell” and see ourselves, not how others might see us through their “personal life prisms;” but, as we believe ourselves to be. We must define ourselves and not let others do it for us. If we believe we are getting older because we see wrinkles where there were non before then, indeed, we will feel old and unattractive and act that way. If we worry over every lost or gray hair or ache and pain we will think old and act old; and, then like all self-fulfilling prophesies indeed become old–whatever our chronological age. While growing old is inevitable, and the preferred option, thinking “old” is optional. Aging is not a “DISEASE” it is a process moving slowly in some and more rapidly in others. We cannot STOP the aging process; but, we can slow it down. Each age and stage of life brings different experiences, opportunities and emotional challenges–some pass almost unnoticed yet others are emblazoned in our memories. We earned the right to “age,” hopefully gracefully and to retire and take comfort in friends and family; and, use these new freedoms to pursue...
Retirement:Letting Go Moving Forward
We all have this somewhat “idealized” vision of what retirement could be like for us. We’ve worked for 40 years more or less; we saved and we dreamed and counted the years and then the days. It’s our time in the sun, so we think and believe. The reality is somewhat different as we leave work for the last time after the retirement party, the slaps on the back and the “we’ll get together for lunch” promises. Some or most of us, have saved enough to fund our retirements so money isn’t a worry; but there, is still an uneasiness about what retirement will be like for us. Yes, you will take those trips and maybe even buy that convertible you always promised yourself. But there is an uneasiness as we contemplate this new reality and our retirement futures. We suddenly feel disconnected and set adrift because work was who we were and what we did. You are not alone in those feelings because we need to adjust to this new world, a world “without work.” It takes a bit of time to get into our new “life rhythm” called retirement. Some of us, sadly, choose never to retire or to face a life without structure and purpose, so they think and truly believe. They will work until the drop; or, are incapacitated; or, when their organization throws a surprise retirement party at which point the reluctant retiree might get the message. We are all somewhat concerned about the “unknown” and retirement is one of those “unknowns–or what will life after work be like for us. Will we be bored to tears; or, will...
The Retirement Transition: Easy for Some Difficult for Others!
Redefining the Retirement Experience, Dr. Rick identifies why some retirement’s thrive while others descend into dull routine by providing a roadmap for seamlessly moving from work to retirement by providing answers to these three pivotal questions: (1) How will I know when I am really ready to retire and retirement is ready for me? (2) what are we going to do with the rest of our lives? and, (3) will we run out of money before running our of life?
