Retirement Talk for Boomers, Seniors, and Retirees

Life ends for all of us. We all want to die without pain if we can. Medical Directives allow our best chance to do that. Our view of death is usually formed via television. It is so very misleading. What to do?

We want to know about our parents history. We want to know about our grandparents history. We need to share our stories with younger members of the family. It does them good and it also helps us review our own lives. Now is the time.

We don't want to look back on our lives with the classic, "Would've, Could've, Should've" thought taking up residence in our minds. And we certainly don't want to go into retirement and create even more.

Sometimes we just find ourselves stuck one way or the other. We just can't get on with our life. Retirement can become that way without some effort and thought. We need to engage the mind before we become stuck.

Reading allows the mind to wander uninhibited. It allows us expand our view of everything in the universe. Retirement allows us the good fortune to maximize this pleasure. We need to be aware of it to appreciate it.

Regrets accumulate as we move through life. We have all uttered the words , "If I could just do that over". Retirement brings time to either deal with the regrets in a positive fashion or get buried by them. Time to give it a little thought.

We know that we have limits in life. Sometimes we don't know what those limits are and when they may no longer be valid. Retirement life brings some new limits into our life. Being aware of these limits removes frustration and allows us to move smoothly through the remainder of our life.

In retirement we are as free as we have ever been to become the person we have always dreamed of being. We can examine the life we have led and the life we would like to create. We may bring this unique opportunity into our conscious mind and act upon it. (Part 2)

We all get a bit careless at times. When we move into retirement it is time we need to consider this carefully when it comes to falling. We might be okay to fall in love again but just plain falling requires our utmost attention. We need to take it up a level.

I swore I would never get on a bus with a bunch of older people. Then I did. Here is the story. It is also a story about Lifelong Learning as presented through a university. Something I thought I would never do either. Then I did.

We can always change. Retirement brings us the opportunity to realize that in a big way. We just have to want it. We must rid ourselves of the old adage, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks." That is just not true.

Retirement offers us a chance to consider life more closely than when we are busy with work. One thing most of us find that it takes a little less to make us happy. We can jettison lots of ideas and stuff. Happiness doesn't come from just having more.

Entering retirement is like entering a new land. We can play it safe and stay where everyone else does. Or, we can use our imagination and venture out into the areas we have never explored. The choice is ours.

Taking a road trip seems to be high on the list of most of us whether we are retired or not. Here is a short podcast of the methods and habits that have proven valuable to us on several such ventures. A good road trip involves more than just driving down the road. It takes some thought.

One thing about getting older: we have all experienced winning and loosing at one thing or another. That is a good thing, Because we are not done. We learn to roll with the punch, get better prepared for the next sequence and know that the wheel will turn.

Retirement is a perfect time to venture into some experiences for which we never had time. Meditation seems to be all the rage right now. Of course it has been around for centuries. I never thought it was for me but a recent exploration has proven most worthwhile. We, my wife and I, sleep better.

Age has a way with each of us. We have our day. Then we need to let go gracefully. Not easy but important. Retirement is a time for letting go. We can then move on: one way or another.

Rugged individualism is embedded into our culture. We want the individual to succeed. We also want our government to succeed. Our government demands that we cooperate with each other. The word "We" becomes most important.

Sometimes we meet people who make their mark in our mind. Golden was one such for me. He lived life with vigor. We might all do as well.

Milestones indicate where we are in life and where we might go. They are important to consider in retirement. We may have to make them on our own. To do so requires some gumption.

We all know how important it is to see a job through to the end. By the time we retire we should have learned the importance of perseverance and a passion for what we are doing. Challenges in retirement call for the same qualities. We need to stay with it. It calls for grit.

We don't know how much time we have left to live. Or how much time we have left where we can physically and mentally do almost anything we want. Age is continuously taking steps. How does this influence our daily choices?

Catching up with old friends, co-workers, or old students is a most enjoyable experience. For me, it has been well worth the time and effort. Retirement offers time to slow down just a bit and reach far and wide.

A sense of having value in life is a basic need. We all want to be accepted as contributing to the general well being. Retirement provides a real test as to just how mature we have become. Our mind must be in shape.

When it comes to politics, we are all involved one way or the other. Right up until our dying day politics has a way of reaching out and being part of our lives. Some of us get involved with an idea to effect change and others of us just tolerate the relationship. We have to choose.