It is the perfect day when I look at it objectively: a slower pace with space to create, and gentle surroundings. If I had imagined a perfect day in the future as I was retiring from teaching, this would be it. But humming through me, there’s a disturbing feeling of dissatisfaction that surprises me. No… Continue reading Seeking Contentment
Category: Reframe Your Thinking
Are You As Old As You Feel?
Society may feel that you are older. It was a rude awakening to have my bank automatically change the name of my account to “seniors’,” the month that I turned 60. Suddenly my age meant that I was being perceived as a senior by a major institution. I thought I’d have at least 5 more… Continue reading Are You As Old As You Feel?
Just Start Imperfectly
There’s a time to let go of a project and accept that it’s good enough for now. Since I retired and moved onto other things, there have been lots of firsts. Creating a website, writing a blog post, opening a coaching business, and creating a brand, are just some of the big firsts. With each… Continue reading Just Start Imperfectly
Fun as an antidote to difficult times
Glimmers and gratitude are great, but fun is where it’s at. Fun is changing my daily experience one small moment at a time. Fun is something that I actively seek and it brings joyful sparks to the day. It can be playing hide and seek with the dog, or putting sprinkles on my ice cream.… Continue reading Fun as an antidote to difficult times
Getting A Tattoo?
For me, part of starting down a new path has been embracing a new version of me. The new me has tattoos. It took me a while to overcome the barriers that I’d acquired, for me to get my first tattoo three years ago. When I reflected on these obstacles I realized something surprising. Those… Continue reading Getting A Tattoo?
Hold It Lightly
Midlife is a time for trying new things and with new experiences come many challenges and obstacles to work around. That’s part of the fun and frustration of learning. Generally, I love learning new skills and ideas. In the process of learning, there are obstacles that seem very important to master in order to make… Continue reading Hold It Lightly
“Mankeeping” In Midlife
Maintaining strong friendships throughout our lives is a key factor in living a happy, healthy, long life.** Creating, developing, and maintaining social connections gets harder as we get older. Once you retire, there is a huge shift because you suddenly lose daily contact with work colleagues. It’s one of the key areas that newly-retired folks… Continue reading “Mankeeping” In Midlife
Don’t Practice What You Don’t Want To Build
Practice makes us stronger. If you have a musician in your life, or if you play an instrument, you’re well aware that regular, daily practice is necessary. The internal discipline of regularly putting some of your energy into practicing your skills helps those skills stay strong and develop over time. Lately, I realize that I’ve… Continue reading Don’t Practice What You Don’t Want To Build
Can You Rest?
Can you rest? I’d never really thought about it before I retired. As a teacher, rest was simply not working on school work. When I first retired, I told myself that I was taking a year to “rest.” I think I probably meant, just not working. I did rest that first year, despite my poor… Continue reading Can You Rest?
Trusting Your Body As You Age
I don’t really trust my body. It has a habit of suddenly breaking down with no apparent warning. One day, I’m busy sitting at my desk for six hours, and the next day my back is in spasms the minute I put on a sock. Another day, I’m enjoying a long hike with the dog,… Continue reading Trusting Your Body As You Age
Retired, And Now What? 