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Podcast 2012
| Do we really need so much? So much of everything. Perhaps living with less might lead to a bit more happiness. Just what is it that will make us happy? | |
| Some folks don't know what to do with retirement. "What should I do?" is a common question I hear. Retirement calls for us to take charge of our own future. Imagination is vital. We need to reach out with our minds and reconnect with childhood abilities to fantasize and dream. | |
| A road trip has a romantic ring to it. I have always found it to be so. There is something about driving down the driveway and taking that first turn. Here are some suggestions that enhance such trips for us. | |
| We have good days and bad days. Part of moving into the retirement zone is that we have experience at both. We have learned to adjust. At least, we should have learned to adjust. | |
| Sometimes our gumption just doesn't want to function. We just can't get going. Maybe that is the time to enjoy the other side of life and just accept tranquility. Nothing wrong with that. | |
| Retirement brings new thoughts into one's mind. My wife recently asked me what I wanted done with my ashes. I laughed it off and then... | |
| When we launch into a story about our past do we remember what really happened? We all look back on occasion. We also like to tell the truth. How often does our memory bring us the truth? | |
| We don't stay a child forever. And we don't work forever. Neither one would be good or desirable. Retirement is another phase of life that calls for change. We need to make the adjustment. | |
| Rugged individualism is held in high esteem. Working with and depending on others - not so much. By the time we are retired we have experienced enough of life to know that there is much to be said for working together. | |
| When we retire there may seem to be no reason to get out of bed. "Let us then be up and doing" runs a line from one of my favorite poems. We need to create our own milestones - and that takes gumption. | |
| Grit is one of the character qualities we admire. We are not born with grit in our blood. We acquire it. Kindness, compassion, charity and love must also be learned. Where do we learn those? Will they stay with us throughout retirement? | |
| Good health will end. Life will end. We need to consider that in our decisions about what we are doing with our life on a daily basis. | |
| Aristotle believed that real friendship demanded duration. Time has a way of cementing relationships. Retirement offers us an opportunity to reconnect with people from our past. It can be one of our most enjoyable experiences. | |
| Recognition is a basic human need. We want people to acknowledge our existence. Sometimes retirement seems to come with a sense of invisibility. What to do? | |
| "Democracy requires educated citizens." So said our elementary school teachers. Do we have an obligation to stay in the harness? It isn't easy. | |
| Good neighbors make life so much better. It took the Olympic Games to get us and our neighbors together. It shouldn't be so difficult. | |
| Retirement and stories go together. Life and stories go together. We retired folks have many experiences to share. Putting them in story form may be the best way to pass on our heritage. | |
292 DNA Chasing Down Our Ancestors (No text) |
Finding information concerning our heritage is important to many retired folks. We finally have time to investigate. DNA offers a window into our identity that will enlighten and may surprise us. |
| Considering retirement brings certain aspects of life and death into clear focus. It is important to come to grips with our own tenuous grip on life when considering retirement. | |
| We are not suppose to fail but that just doesn't make any sense. The road to success is lined with failure. We need to experience it; get use to it and even welcome it. It is part of life. | |
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What is it you do where the time just disappears? Some of us have difficulty deciding what to do in retirement. It might be easier than you think to find what it is you really love. |
| Biking is an activity that gets you around, gives you exercise and is fun. How can you beat that? Retirement is a perfect time to adopt this form of mobility. It can literally take you in a new direction. | |
| We don't all retire or consider retirement for the same reason. We don't all think alike on many things. We might benefit by keeping this little fact in mind when considering retiring, or considering anything else. | |
| Riding a train from coast to coast is a romantic dream of many. Retirement is the perfect time to realize this dream. What is it like? Is it worth it? Do you really get a good view of the country? Our experience may help you decide. | |
| Boston is about American as you can get. It has a sense of time and class about it. It exudes a sense of quality and confidence. We loved our visit. But it seemed like more people could be living downtown? Somehow. | |
| There is only one New York City. We had wanted to visit for a long time and only in retirement decided that it was now or never. Visiting takes energy and our supply is not increasing. We did not rush. It is the only way to enjoy a visit. And if you can't enjoy it, why bother? | |
283 Travel: Chicago, NYC, Boston, Amtrak (part 1) |
Taking a trip requires planning and creates anticipation. Things may go wrong even before you get out the door. Adjustments are sometimes needed. |
| Transportation can be a serious problem as we move into retirement years. Getting to the store, post office, restaurant, etc. can be challenging. How do we cope with getting around as we age? | |
| 281 (173:
Deciding To Be Happy) Text |
Can we choose to be happy and have it really happen? Here is a story of one person who did just that. K. Eileen Allen has written a book entitled "I Like Being Old". Not that I'm "old" or that you are. But we can all learn something from her. Here is what I took away from her story concerning happiness. |
| Retirement offers us a chance to do things we have never been able to do. One of the big ones is to slow down and change our attitude towards what we can and cannot do. We can reassess our skills, abilities and our self-confidence. | |
| Is there such a thing as a retired state of mind? What might it be? If there is and if we bring it to the surface perhaps it will serve us well. | |
| We all have a tendency to look backward occasionally. Sometimes we romanticize that glance. We like to remember only the good. But it isn't honest nor accurate. Our attention might better be focused on appreciating the present. | |
| 277 Charlie Avril Interview | Charlie Avril lives in Knox, Indiana. His story illustrates the power of having a vision of what he wanted his life to be like during retirement. He knew what it was and he has stayed with his plan. |
| Making a life list works well for some. Considering what you want to do in life and writing it down can be good at any age. Sharing that list can make it all the more worthwhile. | |
| Heather Leach is a writer living in a hill town in the Derbyshire Dales area of England. Her retirement has included relocating and living for a year in France. Here is my first Skype to Skype interview. | |
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When do we loose the ability to dream? When does our ability to imagine a different life disappear? We need to recover this ability when we retire. This can be a magical time. |
| Retired people need vacations I told my grand-daughter. If we don't need a rest, we at least need a change. There are many benefits for retired people in getting away from the routine. | |
| 272 (097): Exercise
- for the Brain? Text |
We know our muscles, lungs and cardiovascular system needs to get some exercise. We may not connect this exercise with the best thing in the world we can do for our brain. But, it seems to be true. |
| Spring is time for new growth - rebirth. It is time for new thoughts. For the retired it is time to move our dreams from the inside to include possibilities in the great outdoors. | |
| Could it be that there is no such thing as "senior moments"? At least not nearly what we think. Or, perhaps I'm forgetting something. | |
| Being a caregiver is not a role that most retired people seek. But it is a role that many of us assume. We might want to give this some thought and ask a few questions. | |
| Retirement means we are free in many ways we have never experienced. We do not have to follow - the crowd or anyone else. Coming to this realization is necessary to reap the benefits. | |
| 267 Interview with Cliff Baakke | This is the first in what I hope will become a regular part of Retirement Talk. Interviews with people from various locales concerning their experiences with retirement: what worked and what didn't. |
| Taking time to experience life is available to the retired. All we have to do is make the effort. "Stop, look and listen" might be a great mantra for us. We may be amazed. | |
| Things change. People die. Interests evolve. We sense we need a change. Our mind goes round and round. Here is an example that might stimulate consideration of your own issues. | |
| 264 Retirement: It's About More Than Money | This is the beginning of a book that is based on all of the previous podcasts numbers 1 through 263. Chapter One deals with the question: When Should I Retire? |
| Retirement is a time of change. We have to be able to change direction and speed. When we need a little help it is understandable - and available. | |
| Retirement gives us time. Time to think and time to act. Taking care of ourselves is one thing we may consider more than we have. Taking care includes taking care of our feet. Think about it. | |
| How many crisis can we handle? Retired people have one advantage over younger people. We have had more experiences. We have lived longer. We have lived through lots of "end of the world" scenarios. | |
| Dreams don't have to end in childhood. I mean dreams about what we are going to do in life. Retirement is a great time to go to the well and look for something new. |
A resource from a listener: Best Free Online Degrees for Seniors guide is designed to assist seniors who aspire to enhance their intellect or consider starting a new career path. It features an overview of the top online degrees for seniors, emphasizing their numerous advantages, and a broad range of subjects to choose from. A friend's website: Terra Firma Designs: Fine Furniture, Stained Glass and woodworking workshops. Copyright 2010 RetirementTalk.org |
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