Rod’s Retirement.
I have been retired for around seven years. I’ve never had an issue with being worried, being scared, with being concerned, with being bored, with retirement.
But It Didn’t Just Happen!
I had planned for it carefully for 15 years, maybe more, before I retired. In the process, I wound back the amount of work I was doing, added extra holidays, decreased my spending and increased the amount I put in Super. When I retired, I was just 54 years of age. I had to retire because of health reasons, but that was only two years before I was actually planning to retire anyway.
The Key is…
I know that my purpose is clear to me, and that I need to immerse myself in helping others with anything I can. Research shows that helping others and volunteering has a range of health benefits, such as:
- prolonging lifespan
- improving functional ability, and
- counteracting depression
- building social connections
- boosting your confidence
- keeping your mind sharp
- lowering your stress levels
- and lots of others!
So, I give my time, and I give my skill, and I give my understanding, my tolerance, my acceptance, anything that I’ve been given by God, I try and give to others. That is totally fulfilling and purposeful, which selfishly, makes me very happy!
It took a while for me to get to this place, but now I feel at ease, and this is the start and not the end! And I’ve found that I have a purpose, and that makes me happy while making others happy.
So Why Don’t You…
Find yourself somewhere to give back. Find yourself a purpose. Find yourself a reason to be here, and with that, you’ll find self-fulfilment, and hopefully a future that you enjoy.
Rod
