Retirement Keeps Getting Better

I still have nightmares about work.  I’m late for a meeting.  I’m called on to make a presentation I wasn’t prepared to make.  I forgot where I parked my car.  I wake up and find out it was all a dream, and I can go back to sleep.  I have a big smile, and I think about how I will wake up with no alarm clock, decide when I want to get out of bed and relax with my morning coffee with no hour-long commute to make on a crowded “expressway”.  Retirement keeps getting better.  The more I learn to appreciate the small things in life, the more I realize how lucky I am to have made it to this stage in life.  We hear about someone almost every week who has died suddenly or learned about a health problem that is going to require extensive medical care.  I truly believe that when you look at the little things in life to be grateful for, you almost double your happiness.

Trust me when I tell you that I am not living in a Pollyanna world.  There are serious problems in the world and there are some very negative people inhabiting our planet who travel with their own portable cloud.  They’ll rain on your sunny day if you let them.  I have become resolved not to let them.  I have lived the past seven years knowing that retirement keeps getting better. It’s an absolute fact and when you learn to live with that belief you will notice a change in your disposition and other people will notice it too.  A positive outlook in life can become contagious and it’s a disease you want to catch and spread.

I am very aware of how much negativity is out there in this world but I’m also aware that we can reject it and change it.  Anyone who is fortunate enough to live in this country (and some of the other advanced nations in this world) has basically won the lottery of life.  Look at the extreme poverty in some countries or look at the children in the war-torn areas of the world.  Those children are totally blameless for their situation.  When you take a moment that you might have been into a situation like that, you realize how fortunate you are.  It’s a wonderful exercise to do once in a while.  It gives you a better idea of how wonderful life is and why retirement keeps getting better.

Retirement keeps getting better when you're busy and active.  But not too busy!

When I worked for Corporate America, I could not wait for the weekend.  The group of people I supervised celebrated Friday with me, and I always listened to their plans for the weekend.  I always asked them if they had their next vacation planned and, if they didn’t, I told them don’t let too much more time go by before they came up with a plan.  I used to tell them that time away from work should be enjoyed to the fullest and I gave them a friendly reminder to save for retirement.  Even today I get friendly little notes from a few of them thanking me for that advice.  When they ask how I’m doing I tell them that retirement keeps getting better every day.

You’ve got to take control of your own little world and keep the negative people out of it at all costs.  Learn to appreciate everything in life and you’ll find there’s a lot more to appreciate than you ever thought.  Retirement is the greatest opportunity I’ve ever had to do exactly what I want.  That’s probably true for you as well so make sure you make every day count.  Every day should have a purpose.  Think of retirement as a bunch of vacation days.  When you were working, would you ever give one of your vacation days back?  When you waste a day in retirement, it’s almost like giving back a day.  This doesn’t mean you have to pack every day with non-stop activities.  No, retirement is meant to be savored and filled with an appreciation for what you’re doing at each moment.  When you learn to make even the smallest events special, retirement keeps getting better.  How do you do that?  By treating life like a fine wine and savoring every sip while you notice the flavors and color and appreciate all the time and care that went into producing it.  Don’t just drink the wine.  Experience it with wonderful music in the background while you watch the sunset with someone you love.

When you learn to appreciate all of the quiet moments that make life special, you’ll become an ambassador for retirement and teach others to make the most of every day.  When you do that, you become a firm believer that retirement keeps getting better.  Go and make the most of the day that you’ve been given.  It’s time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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