As I write this blog, I am aware that many baby boomers may be contemplating retirement.
Last week I attended a seminar hosted by the National Speakers Association. Dr. Alan Zimmerman, who presented the seminar, shared statistics regarding death after retirement. I am sure many of you have heard that it is not uncommon for death to follow fairly closely after retirement, especially in men.
How many times have you heard the story of some person who worked most of his life, then retired and died within a few months? I don’t want that to be me.
To be honest with you, I don’t even think about retirement. It’s not that I don’t want free time; it’s that I think I would be bored to death. If I don’t have something to do, I think I will go bonkers! And I think that’s what happens — people get bored. Unfortunately for many the only thing that they have to do is work.
That’s why I don’t think of retiring. I often think about how I can earn more money and secure my finances as I get older. To be honest, securing your finances (keeping what you saved) is directly correlated to your health.
In my opinion, retirement is more difficult for males. Most men are defined by their work. They feel valued by “bringing home the bacon.” And when work is over (retirement), they feel less valuable and this feeling of lack leads or contributes to their decline.
What is one to do?
If you retire, retire into your passion. Retire into what you love. Start discovering and creating your passion now so that if and when you decide to retire, you will have something to do. Hopefully your passion will require being surrounded by people. Many studies demonstrate that people live longer when they are surrounded by others.
As boomers think about retirement, it is important to prepare by staying healthy. Stay healthy to feel and look better. Stay healthy to enjoy and keep your wealth. Stay healthy to find your passion.
Dr. Michael Kaye
www.drmichaelkaye.com
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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1 comments:
I'm not near "retirement age" but I have never aspired for leisure, I prefer a bit of struggle. I have heard the saying that work is a blessing, it gives us purpose. The key I think is to find your passion and never stop going for it even while "working". I don't see age or time, never have. It is an infinite space to do with each moment what you choose. My grandmother always used to tell me that she would never go into a "rest home", that she would die doing what she loved...and she did. I just don't believe in segmenting our lives into preconcieved ideas of when we are supposed to suddenly stop and sit back with our feet up and watch the world go on around us. I can see why many would die after retirement; sounds boring and meaningless. Like I've said though, our lives can always be filled with purpose, it is a matter of choice, and I don't know why anyone would want to aspire for less.
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