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The last few months have been bogged down with conversations about people not being able to retire. Or those who have retired, being are forced to go back to work. Certainly this blog is not to minimize the impact and fear people are feeling in their lives. But, there are opportunities to explore in a new retirement life.A lady came to me last week wanting to return to work to supplement her diminished funds. She is looking for work where she believes she's making a contribution. She wants to make a difference. Many retirees need to suppliment their retirement income, but also want to do good in the world.For people who want to start a business, many are exploring Social Enterprise, the quest to both make money and do good. This is an excellent PowerPoint to learn more, from the Social Enterprise Alliance. http://ping.fm/iHbnUI first learned about David Mills through the blogroll at Boomer Chronicles. David wrote the book 10,000 Days: A Call to Arms for the Baby Boom Generation which he discussed with us recently.Boomers are exploring ways of doing well and doing good or just plane make the world a better place to live.
Recent news articles have discussed retired electricians and plumbers who are volunteering their time to rebuild Cedar Rapids after the devastating flood of last year. This is a demonstration of retirement life at its best.
While every story needs an angle, I was intrigued NBC Nightly News took the stance of “wouldn’t you rather be fishing instead of volunteering your time?” This clearly shows a dated and most likely mythical view of retirement.
While it’s probably true these gentlemen love fishing and golf, it fails to acknowledge that fishing and golf alone make for very sad existence.
My guess is these men loved dusting off their expertise and feeling like mentors to their community. While they may not want to go back to this work on a regular basis, retirees want to feel like they are connected. Being a member of a larger community is an important aspect of that. People like challenges in their lives. What greater challenge can there be than rebuilding a community after a disaster. Finally, people of all ages want to know their lives have meaning. It’s important to have a reason to get up in the morning; to have a sense of purpose.
This story demonstrates how important it is for us to redefine retirement. No longer a stopping place, the new retirement should be a starting point for a creating and fulfilling new dreams and a bigger vision for life.
New on the RLM Website
As you know, travel remains the number one goal of new retirees. Micha Berman shares his experience working on a cruise ship. Not only can you learn about life on a cruise ship, but did you know that there are opportunities for retirees to find work on cruise liners?
My friend Marty Kaplan, director of the Osher Learning Institute at CSU Channel Island shares the Lifestyle Changes that accompany aging.
Understanding all of the financial issues can be overwhelming. Colleen King explains the difference between Term and Whole Life Insurance
Speaking of financial issues, many of us have experienced increased stress over what is going on in the world. Jeff Gero explains How to Survive These Stressful Times.
We’re always looking for new articles. Do you have information or an experience you’d like to share with the Retirement Life Community? Drop me a note.
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