Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Act if needed

The very feelings you're now feeling, - the good, the bad, and the confused - are in large part why you life in this life: your job is to simply feel them, recognize them and if needed act on them

Monday, November 28, 2016

Expect the unexpected

No one knows how their retirement will play out until they begin living it. Expect the unexpected. When I retired I struggled with the concept of not having to work, I suffered from the I was an Important Person and it took a while to realize that being an important person was not defined by the role played when working, but was defined by what you do and think.

Retirement has been filled with many adventures, I have travelled many times to Australia, played golf (badly--but with a great group of friends)  throughout my home province, volunteered on a  wonderful charity that helps thousands of people each year. I started two online stores, and have continued this blog longer than I though I might. I have started a garden and in the second season had a better crop than my first year. I have struggled with almost losing my wife of 46 years to  a brain injury and as a result developed a sense of family. I have lost about a dozen friends and relatives to death and have started to mentally prepare for that eventuality.

Expect the unexpected, is the key to having a successful retirement and changing your own expectations about what life will be like after retirement. The old saying go with the flow, springs to mind I move into the winter season here and wait for my daughter and our extended family to arrive from Australia for the Xmas holidays. 

Life has been good since I retired and realized that I was in control of what and when I did stuff. I still volunteer and give one workshop a week on issues of concern to Seniors and have met some wonderful people through this process.  I suggest that planning for retirement means planning for fun, excitement and the unexpected and just sit back and enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts. Thanks to Love Being Retired for the ideas for this post

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Did you ever notice

Did you ever notice  that whenever you see people in love, they literally glow? You probably did at  one point in your life and you may even remember the glow today. 

But did you know that the glowing is actually made up of zillions of minute sparkles?

That these sparkles receive as much energy as they create? 

Because of this energy exchange you completely stop aging and look younger? 

Abundance is immediately drawn to you? 
Healing powers fill you? 

Muscles are strengthened, pounds are shed, and your vision improves? 
Lingering questions are answered? 

New friends are summoned? 
Old friends are poked? 
Problems are solved? 
And maple syrup tastes more maple-y? 

All when you feel love. 

It's true, 

Saturday, November 26, 2016

Boomers bounce back

In 2011, the first of the Boomer Generation reached the grand old age of 65 and in 2016 we hit 70. 

Boomers have been an energetic, creative, ambitious and restless generation and now with the financial downturn, created in great part by this energetic, creative, ambitious and restless group, it appears that many of the Boomers will have to continue being energetic, creative, ambitious and restless for many years longer than they may have anticipated. Many of us are enjoying full retirement, but many of us are still working part time and contributing to the economy, because Boomers Bounce Back!

Given the tools, we have risen to the challenge of our new career of retirement. Over the last five years, the majority of Boomer have solved his/her own retirement finances and continue to contribute significantly to improving the economy. The fear was that we would become reliant on government handouts, while that has not happened to the majority of Boomers. We continue to stimulate the economy with their own success.

One of the ways we have done this is through our creativity and problem-solving abilities Here is an interesting thought: Step back and imagine yourself looking down upon the World from several thousand feet.

On the surface of the planet, you see over billions of little humans all over the globe, all scrabbling around trying to make a living, and you are trying to compete with everyone of them. As you draw up your plan, factor in originality and creativity, think about the following:
·       What can you create that will separate you from the other billions of humans?
·       What can you conceive that will allow you to be the ant that will glow and be visible from several thousand feet?
·       What can you imagine that will separate you from the crowd?
·       What can you create that others will want or need or will help them?

Boomers have always been able to find a new niche, study it and then fill it and we will continue to do this albeit a bit slower  than we did when we were younger, but with the same passion.