Is Retirement The End of the Road?

Do you think life itself ends when you stop working?

Retirement is a nebulous juncture in life generally meaning that you have stopped working. 

Work occupies the major chunk of our lives that it may feel like life itself has cried halt.

But it does not have to.

In fact, life may take on a completely different flavor.

And I dare say, even a better flavor!

How better?

Well, not always, but often we have gotten into the rut of work.

So much that it degenerates into drudgery after some time.

You are going through the motions.

There is no fire in the belly any more.

And then you retire.

Suddenly, life presents a new lease of tenure.

Where your heart can at last gain ascendancy over your head.

A New Beginning

You could call it a New Beginning.

You can indulge in everything that you always wanted to, but could not.

This is true liberation.

I created the Voyages of Discovery Blog to harness that liberating feeling.

This is why I chose "Discover the Magic of Adventure" as its tagline.

You are discovering more and more of yourself.

Like Never Before.

That is a fascinating journey.

You are not shackled by work pressures any more.

Every day is a weekend!

Pump Energy into Yourself

But the new beginning will only have meaning if we dive into it wholeheartedly.

Don't get me wrong.

Just doing nothing every day after retirement is not a bad thing.

You could call it relaxation.

But life has given you another golden chance.

At what, you want to know?

Well, to discover yourself!

All over again.

Were you great at something (we all are!) in childhood?

But the work phase robbed you of the opportunity to exercise that talent.

Now, however, is your moment.

You can claim that talent back.

Have you heard of that individual who became a Grand Prix motor racing driver at 79?

Anything is possible if you set your heart on it.

Energize yourself in any pursuit that was hijacked by work life.

Sketched when you were in school?

Grab the pencil (Apple Pencil is also good!!) again.

Fond of painting in school?

Get out the easel.

Helped at an orphanage while in school?

Volunteer to help at your local charity.

There are as many opportunities as your imagination.

Joy Like No Other

You will experience joy like never before once you get going.

Joy is simply anything that makes you feel good about yourself.

You need to get back to feeling good about yourself.

Particularly, after having trudged through the stresses of work life.

Just being unshackled from pressure is a joy without parallel.

Remember that now adventure is how you define it.

You are the creator and no one else has claim to that.

Pursue Sky Diving as a viscerally exciting physical activity.

Or Play Bridge at home in solitude.

it is your choice and therein lies the joy.

You are doing it because you Want To.

Not something you Have To.

Personal Example

I will give you a personal example.

You will certainly have your own flavor of the example.

When I was in school, I used to regularly win handwriting prizes.

As I grew into adulthood the digital juggernaut took over.

Handwriting was replaced by typing into a keyboard.

On your computer, tablet, smartphone.

Everywhere!

If you asked me recently to handwrite a full sentence, that scrawl would meander like a mountain road's hairpin bends.

I had indeed lost that vital skill.

Or had I?

I was determined to restore that skill.

So, I started practising handwriting on my iPad with the Apple Pencil.

I have been keeping a personal journal for more than 20 years.

My goal was to handwrite my personal journal replacing the typing onto the keyboard of my smartphone.

After about 10 months of this, my handwriting is beginning to be decipherable.

Mind you, it is nowhere near where it was.

But, Rome was not built in a day.

Moreover, the joy I get seeing my imperfect but handwritten journal entry is incredible.

Is it the greatest adventure there is?

No, but I am discovering more of myself.

Try it, you will discover yourself yet again.

Remember, this blog is all about voyages of discovery.

How Do You Go About It?

So, how do you actually get into that zone of joy?

Well, do some introspection.

Think back to your childhood.

What were some activities that you loved participating in?

Why did you love those activities?

How can you revive those memories?

Activate nostalgia.

Nostalgia is a powerful influence.

Attempt to get into that flow state.

The key thing to realize is that you are the boss.

It's your thing.

It's so personal to you that even your closest of family cannot lay claim to it.

Some Adventure Thoughts

As I said earlier, the goal of this blog is to kindle the spirit of adventure in you.

Any kind of adventure.

Physical, mental, spiritual and so on.

Two areas that are possible are wildlife and nature.

Sport or games could also be possibilities.

I will share with you my own example so that you can use that to discover yourself.

Wildlife and Nature fascinate me.

Luckily, during my work phase, I took some time off with my family and visited some stunning wildlife and nature parks.

You can read about them and watch relevant videos on this blog.

For example, Best African Game Reserves, Best National Parks of USA, Spectacular Road Trip Adventures etc.

Perhaps ,these may kindle some related adventure possibilities for you.

The sky is the limit.

You are Skywalker!!!(What? Just joking).

Being In the Present

The critical thing to know is that you must endeavor to enjoy the present.

Life is finite.

After retirement, you are likely to be in the latter half of that finite life.

Make every moment count.

Enjoy and celebrate small wins of joy.

You don't have to climb Mount Everest for adventure.

Adventure can be your personal version.

However, key is to savor the current moment.

Congregate with old friends.

Get back to activities you loved as a child.

Spend time in what gives you joy. 

I Will Leave With This Thought

Are You Going to Jump at the New Opportunity that Life has Granted You?

And Pursue What Gives You Joy.

Or, Are You Going to Wallow in the Regrets of Your Life?

What You Choose will likely Define whether it is The End of the Road Or The Start of a New, Exciting Journey!

Good Luck with That Life Changing Choice!

Comment below on your thoughts on retirement.

I am keen on knowing your take on it.

I will see you in the next Voyage of Discovery Blog Post.