Retirement shoehorn

by Stantz
(St Louis)

I will be 70 when I retire in January. Ive successfully fought lung cancer. I really need to take time with my wife to travel the US to visit relatives. She almost died two years ago.

I think I have sufficient financial reasons. They came to me with a very nice package if I left or a very difficult financial plan for next year if I didn't. Get the drift?

I took the easy way out. Depression and anxiety here we came. I dont know how to overcome except Psychiatrists, couches and drugs. Life sucks at this point. From a prince to a neurotic.

Wendy: There are no easy answers but keeping busy sure does help the mind to think about anything in life besides feeling lousy.

Travel the U.S. and get your mind to see the beautiful country we live in, visit with family, and simply enjoy life a bit. You've both had health issues.. time to enjoy life. Hopefully, you will return home renewed and re-energized

P.S. On Finances, I often wonder... When is Enough Enough? Truly we never know, it's another gamble in life, and somehow we will make it through...

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Email Address
by: Barbara

What is your email address shoehorn?

Let's become penpals!

Retired and Loving it...
Some really great Retirement advice!
by: Irwin L

I wasn't ready and was actually forced out before I was ready to retire. Found another job (not as fulfilling) and was down-sized out of that one a short 9 months later. So, we looked upon it as a sign and fully retired (although my children say I never did retire cause I still work part-time teaching and writing). That was sixteen years ago.

All was going well until 2004 when I was diagnosed with heart problems (needed 4-way by-pass surgery) and prostate cancer (also requiring surgery). During the middle of all this I suffered a gall-bladder attack and had to rush to a hospital during a hurricane to have surgery. 2004 was not a good year for me - heart surgery in June; gall-bladder surgery in August; and prostate surgery in October. The side effects from the prostate surgery caused me to want to hang it all up, become a recluse and just stay indoors and it took me one whole year of "pity me" mode before I decided that was not the way I wanted to go out.

Since then we have taken up line dancing - perform for residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, VA hospitals and even performed at the Plant City Strawberry Festival in Florida as well as the Florida State Fair.

Plus I teach insurance to young professionals trying to earn their CPCU (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter) designation. I am also an assistant editor of a newsletter for our retired CPCUs. You are as young as you want to be and can really do anything you put your mind to doing.

Next month I turn 71 and am still active writing, I write and teach insurance curriculum, we (my wife and I) both teach and perform line-dancing, plus we travel (our three children live at different ends of the country). Actually I am hoping to plan another road trip across this great country of ours in 2012.

Don't give up the ship. Life can be so much fun now that we don't have a 9-5 schedule to follow.

In addition to all that mentioned above, I am seriously thinking about talking more to Wendy about starting my own website if for no other reason than to keep my mind active and earn a few bucks on the side so that we can continue living the life we are.

Hang in there. Life is good!

Wendy: I hope you don't mind that I bolded a few things on your page... this is wonderful advice. Just love it!

THIS is what Retirement is all about. It's not about doing nothing -- at least, nowadays it's certainly not. It's about following your passion, finding new passions in life, helping others and paying it forward -- because you can!

p.s. Irwin, if you want to chat about websites, use the "contact me" bottom/left. If you don't want to take that on, maybe you'll write for my site... pick a topic and just write! Help other retirees with your "been there, done that" advice!

Just be Open to what comes
by: Fern

There is a great deal of support from this community and other sources. I tried a coach, I looked for someone gentle and who was willing to use an email instead of teleconference approach.

Anyone interested can search Creative Revolutions by Dawn Richerson. We discuss my ideas around what to do next and what is holding me back.

Look back at what motivated you when you were working. Why did you want to get out of bed each morning? Is there anything there you can use again, or are there thoughts that now hold you back, such as protecting resources, that no longer should be part of your life approach?

If you like to read, try some interesting or new types of books and consider joining or starting a book club. If you have limited mobility, try Facebook games with your distant friends and family. And I need neighbours!!

I tried some things I never had time to do before, such as drumming, scrapbooking, - just join everything for six months and then step back and consider what worked.

The suggestions are endless. Just be open...

Go to Mexico!!!!
by: Anonymous

I retired at age 58, sold my house and moved to Mexico ten years ago. My husband and I live here rent-free, we have free medical care, and we live in a compound of five gorgeous houses with a tropical jungle in the middle. We also have a beautiful, but annoying, kitty who rules our lives.

I am now 68 and my husband just celebrated his 74th birthday. We took everyone out to dinner and laughed and dined. I feel so blessed.

Even though we both have to hobble about on canes, we still can get about. Depression is not in our vocabulary.

Please be well and happy everyone!

With love, Kristina

Retirement Wow!
by: Paul Cunningham

Hi Stantz,

Welcome to the wonderful world of retirement! Now is the perfect time to transform yourself into the person of your dreams. If you really realize it, the possibilities for you now are quite vast. You are free to reinvent yourself into anyone you want to be. Believe it! The future is yours to enjoy!

Depression is certainly no fun. I have helped a number of people to rethink their lives and see the great opportunities just waiting for them. I am not a doctor, but there is real value in moving toward a greater future rather than looking back at the past.

I am 81 and have just finished a book titled Retirement Wow!. It might be a big help in your exciting transformation process.

I will give you a ecopy of my book for free and support you with my coaching for a while (also free).

Maybe Wendy can be the go between. I will give her my phone number and email address.

Dream big,

Paul Cunningham

Shoehorn
by: Anonymous

Hi from Australia,

Depression sure is a bumma, have you tried a new hobbie ?, I find going to a cafe with hubby for morning tea helps, no getting up to do something before you forget etc. GO for you trip, enjoy your travels and family but mostly each other.

Do you keep a diary ?, you can write all your feelings down and truley open up, take care :-}

Retirement - Depression
by: John A

Even though you're just about to turn 70, it didn't sound like you were ready to hang things up and retire. Now that you are retired, it's important to find your niche in life.

You indicated some travel may be in the future for some enjoyment. Travel can only go so far towards satisfaction in life, so you'll need to find something else.

Consider some of the following ideas: Start your own business, volunteer, hobbies, community involvement, etc. You need to stay active physically and mentally. Also, you need a sense of purpose to keep you going. Doing nothing will lead to the depression you mentioned. Drugs and going to the shrink won't help with that since you need to take the bull by the horns and do something about it. Be proactive in your life's destiny.

Take a look around Wendy's web site on retirement. You'll see what other folks have done to deal with the huge change in life retirement creates.

Many folks, including me, have started our own web site businesses to keep the mind active and to earn a little extra money to help make ends meet. Look in the right hand column of Wendy's site on the homepage and read about who she retired to the internet. Try it, you may like it!

The only thing I do know is that if you don't do anything, you won't know when you're finished.

Best Regards!