I love a list! They give me that sense of accomplishment and organize my day. When I was teaching, I used them all the time to keep track of the vast number of things I needed to do in a day. As I try to make decisions about my next steps after retiring, I often… Continue reading Beyond The Grocery List: An Antidote To Over-Thinking
Category: Emotional journey
“You Are Not Alone”
“You are not alone.” This is one of the most powerful statements I’ve ever heard. Knowing that my experience and struggles are shared by others, brings us all into a community. We share the same challenges and therefore feel less isolated. We don’t even need to talk to each other. Just knowing that we exist… Continue reading “You Are Not Alone”
From Scarcity To Abundance
It takes conscious effort for me to turn from the prevailing perspective of scarcity. It’s easy to feel afraid because of the way things are in the world today. The economy, climate change, and artificial intelligence cause most people to feel like they’re losing things that are precious to them: financial security, a healthy planet… Continue reading From Scarcity To Abundance
Love What You Do
What do you love doing so much that the words failure and success essentially become irrelevant?” ― Elizabeth Gilbert, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. I loved teaching this way. I remember being embarrassed that I was earning a paycheque when I taught my first kindergarten class. I was enjoying what I was doing so much, I… Continue reading Love What You Do
Impatient At The Crossroads
I’m that person who’s been known to stop reading half-way through a mystery novel and read the last few pages. Sometimes the suspense is too much and I need to know how it all turns out. Sitting with uncertainty is a challenge for me. I’m trying to figure out my next steps in my retirement… Continue reading Impatient At The Crossroads
First Year On The Roller Coaster
Being a guest at a retirement party feels a lot different when you’ve been retired for almost a year. There’s the nostalgia of a wonderful celebration with colleagues, the speeches and the singing tribute. For me, there was the huge high of finishing something I was proud of, and the relief of finally letting go… Continue reading First Year On The Roller Coaster
To Label Or Not To Label
Being kind to others involves letting them do their own self-discoveries. As a teacher, I was able to read my students fairly well. It would take only a few moments after meeting my class in September, to realize which kids might need extra support. It’s a skill teachers develop over time, after interacting with many… Continue reading To Label Or Not To Label
Forgive Yourself For Getting Older
When you meet a child that you haven’t seen for a while, the first thing that most people do is exclaim how much they’ve matured. “You’re so tall now! I hardly recognize you.” Imagine doing that to your aunt at your next family gathering. “You’ve aged so much! I hardly recognized you.” Laughable, right? We… Continue reading Forgive Yourself For Getting Older
Your Time, Your Values
We all have time and it’s non-renewable. It’s considered our most precious resource. I don’t want to waste something that valuable! But what does it mean to “waste time?” I’m wondering what activities are a good use of my time and what would be considered time wasted. It’s not as straight-forward as I thought. Being… Continue reading Your Time, Your Values
Who’s Pushing Me?
As a good friend reminded me, the only one pushing me is me. I’m doing the pushing. I get to choose to move along this path. No one is forcing me to take this route or travel down it at a certain speed. When I worry if I’m doing enough and making progress, I try… Continue reading Who’s Pushing Me?
Retired, And Now What? 