Retired!!!
Notes from QueenBee

 

I haven’t been around for a couple of weeks, because I was celebrating my birthday and retirement!!! I can’t wait to share my next post on where I went to celebrate the day I retired!!!!

QueenBee on Being Retired

What do you think about when you think of retirement? After years of counseling people, most feel that when they retire they will escape from a job:

• they are no longer passionate about
• where they don’t get along with their boss and/or co-workers
• where they don’t feel heard and respected
• in which they are no longer happy
• where their time and activities are regulated
• where they have little free time or vacation

No wonder these folks build up a dream of retirement where they can:

• speak their truth, without fear of censure
• express their style and interests without fear of interference
• have control of their time and activities
• travel to places near and far
• experience new things

How many times have you heard a family member or friend say, “I’ll get through this, save up, and I’ll be happy when I retire.”? But…

Do Most People Experience a Happy Retirement?

My experience as a spiritual coach tells me that many people aren’t happy after retirement. In fact, I found a great article in Money magazine that speaks on this issue. Click on the link to read, “More People Are Unhappy in Retirement than Ever Before.” What clients tell me is consistent with this article:

1. When they downsize, they don’t feel like they have enough space.
2. They don’t have enough money to travel or participate in the activities they’ve always dreamed of.
3. They spend most of their retirement dealing with age-related health issues.
4. The person they planned to share their happy retirement with died.

So, Why Put Off Living Your Truth and Being Happy?

It doesn’t make sense to put off expressing your truth and being happy. Instead of living up to people’s opinion of who you are and their expectations about how you behave, why not live your truth now? Why wait until you are 65 (or older) to let people know what your real thoughts and feelings are? We might not appreciate “that cranky old neighbor,” but we certainly know what he/she stands for. While I’m not advocating for crankiness, I do believe that the reason why you are here on the Earth now is to contribute your authentic image, thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. This is part of enriching the tapestry of life.

Why would you put off doing the things you love with the people you care for in order to build up your retirement fund or get better insurance? Yes, there are realities to deal with. But, couldn’t you dedicate one weekend or one day on a weekend a month to share what you love? Instead of waiting for stress to make you ill enough to “call in sick,” why don’t you do more self-care and “call-in well.” If you need a day away from the stress and routine, having a “Ferris Bueller Day Off” might be the ticket. Believe it or not, your projects at work won’t grind to a halt. The world won’t come to an end. Here’s how Ferris arranges his day off:

 

 

In fact, I’m going to give everyone a bit of “own work” so that you understand that you are worth this level of self-care. Have your first “retirement day” today!  Set aside some relaxation time, get with your family, cozy up on the couch with your favorite snacks, and watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. You will be glad you did!