Finding Peace In Retirement

I had a very demanding job which I didn’t really like too much.  I worked for a commercial bakery which meant the place never really closed.  There were things happening every day whether it was baking the actual product, packaging it or delivering it to thousands of outlets six out of seven days.  People were on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week and I was one of those people because I worked in systems and distribution although I actually started as a delivery person about fifty years ago.  I would get calls on vacation and the middle of the night phone calls were not all that rare.  When my working days started coming to an end, finding peace in retirement was something I was determined to do.  While it’s easier to do without the demands of making a living, it does take some effort.

I have found the easiest place to start is to be thankful for everything that you have.  Finding peace in retirement is not possible if you do not take the time to stop looking at what’s going on in the world and start focusing on what’s going on in your own mind and heart.  Anyone who is living in the United States has basically hit the lottery compared to the vast majority of the world.  Our trips to Africa, the Middle East, and South America have taught us that.  Extreme poverty and a lack of education are a way of life for many people around the world, and most will spend their lives knowing nothing else.  Being grateful for what you have is the first step to finding peace in retirement or any other time in your life.

We are entering the holiday season and there is no better time for this.  Many people spend most of their time and their resources looking at what others have or are doing and don’t take the time to appreciate the special moments in their own lives without having to post them on social media.  Yes, you can call me old, but it bothers me when I see a family or a group of people sit down in a restaurant and everyone is on their own little device looking at what others are doing rather than what’s taking place right in front of them.  It seems like everyone is having a contest to see who is having the best time.  Finding peace in retirement or at any other time in your life is found in taking the time to appreciate the moment and those around you without comparing it to anyone else.  Happiness, peace and contentment come from within.

Finding peace in retirement won't come from what's going on in the world but from what's going on inside of you.

We spend much of lives constantly doing things rather than just “being”.  Someone said we are human beings not doings.  It’s possible that the more we “do”, the more we’re distracted from discovering our real inner beings.  I realize that may be a little bit of a contradiction from my usual advice because I’m a big advocate for a busy and active retirement and finding hobbies and interests that will keep us engaged and looking forward to what each day can bring.  All of that is definitely true but there’s also a reason we were put here.  We’ve been given a precious gift of life and one of the ways we can pay our creator back for the gift of our life is to try to understand how we fit into the big picture.  Who are we and why are we here?  Do I have a purpose in life and have I fulfilled it?  I think that making the effort to answer those questions is part of our journey toward finding peace in retirement.

It’s impossible to look up the stars and not have questions come to your mind about the meaning and the very wonder of life.  The question for all of us is what part do we play in that wonder?  How do we ever pay our creator back for the gift of life we’ve been given?  We can start with a sense of gratitude, find a quiet place to meditate and allow ourselves to be led further on this journey of life we are all on.  For thousands of years, great thinkers and philosophers have left us their thoughts and wisdom on this subject but, in the end, each of us has to ponder these questions on our own and make sense of this life we’ve been given.  It’s a noble thing to do and, if you do any research on the question, you’ll find there are no easy answers and only one answer that counts – yours.

Finding peace in retirement, or any other point in your life, is one of the grand undertakings of our existence.  While staying active is good and seeing the world is to be commended, it’s worth stopping once in a while to contemplate the important questions.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

Thanks for visiting.  If you like what you see here, please tell your friends.

If you think it might be fun to start your own website (it is!) please look here.

If you’d like to learn about earning a steady online income and get rid of some of the ‘’stuff” around your house, please check out this possibility.