A friendly smile as I walked down the hall, and sharing frustrations with a co-worker while un-jamming the photocopier, are two of the daily interactions that disappeared when I retired. At the time they seemed fairly insignificant to my overall wellbeing. How could venting to a colleague about the construction that delayed our commute, support… Continue reading Cultivating Three Spaces For Your Wellbeing
Tag: retired
Reclaiming The Word Retire
It’s not a new idea. For more than a decade people have shunned using the word “retire.”* It creates a visceral gut-punch response from active, and engaged folks who find themselves at that point in their lives where they’re leaving full-time careers. We know that we’ve technically retired from our jobs, but don’t call us… Continue reading Reclaiming The Word Retire
“Put yourself in a position where you can never be lonely.”
“Put yourself in a position where you can never be lonely.” I keep returning to these words, spoken to me in a conversation by a woman I’d just met. “Put yourself in a position where you can never be lonely.” Regularly Reach Out With Texts It’s a hopeful statement that empowers each of us. We… Continue reading “Put yourself in a position where you can never be lonely.”
Who Are You?
NOTE: Written below are the raw reactions that I had years ago, when I was newly retired from teaching. If you’ve recently retired, perhaps you can relate. Originally published January, 2023. Suddenly I’m not me anymore and it’s jarring. All my adult life I’ve been a teacher. It’s who I was. But what is a… Continue reading Who Are You?
Brain Foggy November
Lately, the fog seems to roll in mid-afternoon and stay for the rest of the day. My will to focus and plan clouds over, and I settle for doing repetitive tasks that take little concentration. I want to expand my window of energy, or at least, re-charge it when it flags. I have things to… Continue reading Brain Foggy November
Who Inspires You?
Older women who are living their lives authentically without a worry about cultural norms or fashions, are inspiring to me. They are folks who have designed their life to suit them, not their partners or children or society. Some start businesses, some sell their homes and travel, some learn new skills, and others continue to… Continue reading Who Inspires You?
Are You Successful?
Re-thinking Success And Self-Worth How do we measure success these days when it’s not as easy to identify using wages or position? I didn’t realize until recently that I was measuring my success in numbers, trying to quantify it. I also didn’t acknowledge how much my self-worth was connected to my measure of success. … Continue reading Are You Successful?
How are you enjoying retirement?
This post was originally published 2023/01/12 when I first began writing about what’s next after retiring in midlife. How are you enjoying retirement? It’s a frequently asked question from my still-working colleagues and friends as they greet me. That is a loaded question. They mean well, I know. They probably really wish that they were… Continue reading How are you enjoying retirement?
A Very Good Place To Start
For creative people, for life-long learners, and for those eager to discover what they’re capable of after retiring in midlife, this is a very good place to start. Julia Cameron’s, It’s Never Too Late To Begin Again was recommended to me when I first retired and it gave me direction and opened possibilities to me… Continue reading A Very Good Place To Start
The World Will Fill Your Time
The other day I heard these words, “The world will fill your time.” As the summer winds to an end, I find myself realizing the truth of this statement. My sunny summer days are filled. I drift from one thing to another and suddenly it’s bedtime again. I have no trouble filling my time with… Continue reading The World Will Fill Your Time