Every Day Is A New Beginning
Retirement has been the most wonderful time for me. Every day is a new beginning. If you’ve looked around this website, you learn pretty quickly that I did not like my job at all. Even worse, I hated school and used to think up ways to stay home. I’m one of those people who just don’t like being told what to do. I looked forward to being able to do whatever I wanted, and I looked at every day as a new beginning. I know we’ve heard that saying before, but there is more truth in it than we realize. Retirement is a time to do new things, go to places we’ve never been before and re-visit past fantasies about different career paths we might have chosen. Did you ever want to be a writer or an artist? Retirement is a great time to give it a try. Did you ever want to go on a safari and photograph lions, giraffes, elephants or gorillas? Do it! Without the pressure to “make a living” and provide for a family, it doesn’t matter if your new venture provides any monetary reward. There is a joy in doing something you always wanted to do but never had the time, or perhaps the courage, to explore that opportunity. Surprisingly, it might take a little courage to write a novel, create a work of art or build a piece of furniture and expose it to the slings and arrows of the critics. I will tell you that there is a great sense of fulfillment in simply completing the task. I’ve written two novels that will never see the light of day, but I am very happy I completed them. I felt I got a little better with the second one and, who knows, I may attempt a third. That’s the great thing about retirement, there is no such thing as failure because you’ve already reached the stage in life where you’re doing things you want to do rather than the things people are paying you to do.
Retirement has unlimited potential if we are willing to explore the possibilities. Every day is a new beginning, and you now have the time to explore ideas and activities at your own pace. Your travel plans are no longer constrained by a work calendar, and you don’t have to make each vacation a test of endurance to make sure you cram everything in that you wanted to do. You can change your plans, extend your time and enjoy the pleasure of a location at your own pace. We live in the beautiful Hudson Valley and this time of year brings a lot of people up for the weekend to see the foliage, hunt down the best cider donuts and experience the beauty of the mountain trails. The Sunday night traffic always brings back those memories of a vacation coming to an end. Retirement is like a vacation that doesn’t come to an end, and we should be very thankful for this time and make the most of it.
When you become curious about the world, every day is a new beginning.
Of course, looking for a new beginning can also apply to bringing a sad chapter to a close. Losing a loved one or a friend can be very difficult but there is some comfort in knowing that every day is a new beginning. It can be very hard, but the promise of another day can be all that we need to get us through a difficult time. There was a line I remember from the Sound of Music that basically says where God closes a door, He opens a window and that sentiment is very helpful if we can take it to heart. A new beginning may be what’s needed no matter how hard it might be.
For retirees, I like to think of new beginnings as exciting adventures, new hobbies and interests that we can enjoy at our own pace. Retirement is the time to see all the places we ever wanted to see and explore them at a leisurely pace. Learn new topics and read about the people in history who helped build the world we have today. Are you one of those people who hated history? Well, taking the time to visit some of the ancient wonders of the world can be a way that you can make history come alive. And you can make recent events take on a new meaning as well. One visit to the beaches of Normandy will make you appreciate the sacrifices of World War II. A tour of Churchill’s underground War Rooms in London might be just what you need to change your thoughts about history being boring. History is very much alive in places like that, and you can find hundreds of historic sites in our own country like Monticello or Williamsburg. Every day is a new beginning, but it’s influenced by all the days that came before it and the more we learn, the more we appreciate the sacrifices of those who came before us.
Retirement is a great time, and we should live every day to the fullest. How about planning that next trip right now? It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!
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