Life can start at Retirement.

By this stage, we have lived enough to start admitting that the past is past, and we have learned many things. We begin to understand that our future may be deceptive because it depends on the present, and we have to seize the opportunity to improve and not go backwards. 

Victor Hugo said, “The future goes by many names. To the weak is it the unreachable. To the frightened, the unknown. To the brave it is opportunity.”

You make decisions for yourself. 

And you are happier for it. Yes, you have family/spouse/pets, but you are no longer making decisions based on what you need to do. You are making decisions based on what is right for you.

Try to think about what you would do if you were on your terms for the rest of your life. What would make you happiest, most fulfilled? What would you pursue? It’s a good Exercise to get perspective on decisions that are right for you.

The inner critic in your head is silenced. 

You know that voice. The one saying you aren’t smart enough, pretty enough, strong enough, wealthy enough. By now you know it well enough to tell it to shut up. When you hear self-criticism and doubt, say thanks but no thanks.

You realize that everyone is just as screwed up as you.

You realize your flaws may just be assets. Bossy is getting stuff done.” Shy is a good listener. Too talkative is a thought leader. It’s all about how you use it. Everything that is a movie in your mind is a 15-second commercial in everyone else’s. You realize that people are much more interested in their own life. 

You get your silly on again. 

You learn not to take yourself too seriously. You really do dance like no one is watching. You can act like a teenager again, but not for show, it’s for smiles.

You ask. 

You know your value and you aren’t afraid to ask for what you want. You finally realize that “you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take,” and there really is nothing to lose.

You find strength. 

Nothing is the end of the world. There is always a plan B. Life is long. So just give yourself time.

Every day is Sunday and Sundays are Fundays. 

Think of your favourite thing to do. Do that all day long. Then have your favourite meal, and watch your favourite show. Every time the thought of work comes, and it will when you first retire, sit back and laugh and then replace it with thinking about what you love about the moment.

You get rid of the toxic people in your life. 

The friends you keep in your life have your back. You weed out the others. Focus on the friends that give you energy. See what you gain. You don’t Have to break up with a toxic friend officially or dramatically. Just slowly stop engaging and over time they will cease to be part of your circle.

You stop feeling guilty. 

You know your boundaries, so you don’t say yes when you mean no. 

You respect yourself, and you rock your own style. 

By you know what makes you feel good. You’re not dressing to look a part that you’re not. You’re dressing how you feel. What’s good is that you can try on different and it’s a powerful feeling. When you retire it is time to explore. Find what makes you feel great.

When you retire, you understand your limits and have experienced enough falls to know that there is always something better. So, stop settling for memories and make new ones.

When we leave work behind, we may feel tempted to relive past moments over and over. Remembering becomes more frequent the older we get, and that’s not negative. The negative is to stay back, remembering both good and bad moments and forgetting today. 

We need dreams that keep us full of hope and life. However, we can’t let dreams make us get lost in our own reality. The best is yet to come from the moment you accept that the past serves as a tool to support ourselves in the present and a future that holds our curiosity. 

When we retire, we have the wonderful ability to be repeatedly surprised. We should cherish this, as there are always new things to discover, learn, and feel on our skin.

Originally Published on https://boomersnotsenior.blogspot.com/

Royce Shook Blogger

I served as a teacher, a teacher on Call, a Department Head, a District Curriculum, Specialist, a Program Coordinator, and a Provincial Curriculum Coordinator over a forty year career. In addition, I was the Department Head for Curriculum and Instruction, as well as a professor both online and in person at the University of Phoenix (Canada) from 2000-2010.

I also worked with Special Needs students. I gave workshops on curriculum development and staff training before I fully retired