Oath to Myself on the Last Stage of Getting Old
As I reflect on the final stage of aging - when my body begins its more rapid decline toward death - I find myself hoping that I will handle it with grace, love and dignity. I thought, "Perhaps I should make an oath to myself, a promise to do it as well as I possibly can. Then I realized these were really prayers. So here are the prayer/promises that came deep from my heart of hearts. May … [Read more...]
You are An Elder – Be One!
So many of us older folks wish vaguely for a new role in the would, but easily stymied by the culture's loss of interest in our fading voices, and full of self-doubt, we go back to the TV remote or golf course and miss another opportunity. Like Peggy Lee, we ask, "Is this all there is?" and, hearing no reply, look for distraction and wonder when someone else will show us the way. The path we are … [Read more...]
Role Models for New Retirees
We know the value of role models and mentors when we’re younger. I’d like to propose there is great value in those important people as we transition into retirement. Very few people have a realistic concept of what retirement is truly like until they’re there. Many people incorrectly see retirement as a time to only take it easy. While changing the pace of activities is important, just … [Read more...]
Have You Calculated Your Retirement Spending?
The financial industry has traditionally focused on retirement income to evaluate the probability of one not outliving their money. As the economy stalled with many baby boomers reach retirement age with less than an ideal retirement savings. The focus has shifted to calculating and controlling retirement spending. The first question is do you have a spending budget? Do you know how much money … [Read more...]
Good Life Recipe in Retirement
Is there a good life recipe in retirement? Baby boomers are often thought of as a homogeneous group. In fact, we are a pretty diverse group of 77 million individuals. MetLife Mature Market Institute (MMI) partnered with educator and life coach, Richard Leider to see if they could establish criteria for the good life in retirement. They established thirteen activities within four core components … [Read more...]
What are Your Retirement Goals?
Many people get confused about having retirement goals. Wanting freedom they often forget that a retirement provides an opportunity 'to' as well as 'from.' I started watercolor painting almost fifteen years ago. Painting is a wonderful avocation for me. I love studying the work of the masters and learning to see differently. I have enjoyed the camaraderie of other artists. Occasionally someone … [Read more...]
Rest of Your Life Goals
Ed Note: I was reading through old articles, I found this one from an interview with Thomas Leonard about the rest of your life goals and thought you might enjoy doing the exercise. It will definitely give you something to think about. Interview with Thomas Leonard "As we all get older, I believe it becomes easier to look at the rest of our lives instead of just the next 12 months. It … [Read more...]
Do You Want to Change Your Life?
Adapted from: ©Amazing Grays – A Womans Guide to Making the Next 50 the BEST 50 (Regardless of your hair color!), By Maggie Rose Crane Do you want to change your life? As we age and move into new possibilities, it’s important to know what we value – now. Otherwise, we keep on doing what we’ve always done – and then wonder why we aren’t feeling the same levels of … [Read more...]
Don’t Retire From Something, but Retire to Something
A client made a generous, voluntary early retirement incentive to about 200 employees. He was shocked at how few accepted the offer. In order to find out why the offer didn’t appeal to most of the employees, a survey was conducted. The results indicated that these people were concerned about not having a life to retire to. They didn’t perceive that they had alternatives for the future and … [Read more...]
Documenting Final Wishes Important Beginning to Retirement Life
End of Life Planning (no matter what your health issues or age) is addressing the topic of documenting your final wishes. It isn’t just for the elderly or ill. This is something we, as smart individuals, should look into ahead of time and be well educated on. Otherwise, we fall into the trap of denial and are forced to handle such matters at a time when we are not necessarily thinking … [Read more...]