Find Happiness in Retirement

Someone said to me the other day that I never seem to look like anything ever gets to me.  I knew he was quite mistaken about that, but I didn’t want to ruin his day.  There’s no way to know what’s going on in a person’s head and that should give you the first clue about where to find happiness in retirement.  Too often, people focus on interpreting the world around them when they really should focus on what’s going on inside and how they are processing the things taking place right in front of them and, more importantly, how they are reacting to those events.  Mastering your emotions and thoughts are the key to a life of contentment.  If you want to find happiness in retirement, start with your mind.

Now, I know there are people who are shaking their heads and saying that they’ve heard all of that positive thinking garbage before and it doesn’t really work.  I am very sure that it does work and I am living proof of how a change in your thought process can have a big impact on your life.  I’m also convinced that, if your want to find happiness in retirement, you’ll need to make this change or you’ll be watching your emotions and feelings steadily erode along with your physical condition.  No one is surprised when the body breaks down because of old age and lack of exercise, but they don’t give a second thought to how your outlook on life changes when you choose to let your mind and thoughts exist on autopilot.

You can find happiness in retirement by shutting out the world.

The scary truth is that your mind is under siege.  Everyone is bombarded with more information than ever before.  More people spend time looking at their phones than seeing what’s going on around them at any given moment in time.  People have become conditioned to looking for answers outside of themselves than paying attention to what’s going on in their mind.  They value other people’s opinions more than their own.  This may be even more common among retirees.  I’m sure people have asked “Alexa” how can I find happiness in retirement fully expecting an answer to their problems.  There’s no doubt that they will get an answer, but it will be a generic one.  The fact is that only you can answer that question.  I always suggest that you start with a blank sheet of paper and find a place to be by yourself.  Think of the happiest times in your life and what you were doing.  Think of the hobbies and activities that gave you pleasure and enjoyment.  List all of your fantasies that you thought about growing up.  Think about the places you wanted to see and all the things you ever thought about doing.  Take your time with this exercise and let everything you write down stir up some memories.  If thoughts occur to you, stay with them and think about them.  Don’t rush the process.

What you’ve done in this little exercise is to shut out the world for just a little bit.  We don’t do that often enough.  We’ll learn more about ourselves in a half hour of silent meditation than we will with a thousand searches on the internet.  The secret to what makes us happy comes from the world within us, not from this crazy world we live in.  A few minutes in front of the commercials on television will tell us that there are hundreds of products that would make our lives easier and it’s amazing that we’ve gotten this far in life without them.  The truth is that none of them will help us find happiness in retirement or any other time in our lives.  Our happiness is something that has to be customized to our own inner desires.  But we have to be careful.  We may think travel or writing or playing sports are the things that make us happy, but it is actually what happens to us as we engage in these activities that gives us the emotions and feelings we crave.  We almost become a different person and exploring that a little bit further will provide insight into our own inner being.  It’s amazing what can happen when we shut the world down for just a little while.  The world becomes simpler and simpler is always better.

Try it out for yourself.  Go as far back in your memory bank as you possibly can and capture all the events in your life that brought you happiness. Look for ways to relive them or recreate them.  This can often lead to new discoveries and new things to do.  Every individual is a magnificent creation and there is more to everyone than meets the eye.  Your world exists in your mind and when you control your mind you control your world.  When you can do that on a consistent basis, you can find happiness in retirement almost at will.  Take some time to explore your mind.  It can be the adventure of a lifetime.  Get a pad and a pen and write down everything that comes into your mind.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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