I get by with a little help from my friends: your pearls of wisdom
Sometimes you ask a question in passing, and in return, you receive true wisdom. That was the case in a recent recap of my first year of retirement.
The question I asked:
Have I earned the right to relax and enjoy this phase of life, or do I have a responsibility to put my freed-up time and energy to work for a better world?
You, my friends, came through with some real pearls of wisdom, so for those of you who didn’t get to read all the comments, I am summarizing the main points in this post.
You’ve paid your dues and earned this opportunity to relax.
We have given…and given generously…for most of our lives. After years of working, raising families, and stewarding our finances well, we have paid our dues and earned the right to live by our own designs. We are well and truly allowed to just be. Now is the time to seek joy. If not now, when?
You continue to make ripples of impact.
We’re not all Mother Teresa; most of us are simply not wired that way. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t making little ripples of impact. We may not be saving the world, but we are contributing to life, and making a difference, in so many ways. Enjoying life and caring for ourselves is a way to work for a better world. It’s not either/or.
When the time is right, an opportunity will present itself.
When the time is right, something intriguing may come across our paths with which we can make a slightly bigger difference. And, because we are well rested and restored, we’ll have the time and energy to do it! And if that doesn’t happen, no worries, because it’s not a matter of obligation, but desire.
A big thank you
Thank you to everyone who shared these insightful comments, some of whom have their own blogs. For more wisdom, you can visit them here:
https://picture-retirement.com/
https://www.crestingthehill.com.au/
https://retirementreflections.com/
https://debsdespatches.com/
https://debs-world.com/
https://retirementtransition.blog/
https://pandoraandmax.blogspot.com/
https://www.denysewhelan.com.au/
https://thespectacledbean.com/
Scheduling note
I will be on holiday for the next two weeks enjoying old friends and new places. I’ll be back in time to share it all with you in July’s Thank You Notes.
Your turn
- Do you have any additional thoughts on life balance, whether working or retired?
- Do you have a favorite blog you’d suggest we visit?
- What else is on your mind? Anything at all; I just love to hear from you.
Hi, Christie –
Thank you so much for the mention. It is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy your time away with old friends and new places.
See you when you are back!
xx Donna
You’re welcome, Donna. I really did appreciate all the great input. We’re going to be visiting your neck of the woods, primarily Cobble Hill. I’m very excited!
Awesome. I just replied to your email. Let’s keep in touch!
Awesome! Cobble Hill is very close to me. Give me a shout when you are there. I’d love to do a quick meet up if you have time.
I’m not sure what our friends have planned for us, but I would love to meet IRL if the opportunity presents itself. I will definitely touch bases.
Hi Christie – thanks for the shout out – your original question resonated with me because I’d asked the same thing in different ways over the last few years. Now that I’ve committed fully to “being retired” I’ve realized that I need to put the questions on hold for a while, pause, and let this new phase sink in. The need to rush into filling my days has been a stumbling block for me – now I’m realizing that I don’t need to find my self-worth in productivity – I can also find it in just “being me”. Enjoy your break and the freedom you now have to indulge in getting away more. x
You’re welcome, Leanne. It’s interesting to me how often our thought processes are on similar tracks. “Great minds” think alike, huh? Or in this case, we’re both trying to think a little less, and just enjoy being more.
Thank you kindly for the shout out for my blog. This IS a post in which it truly shows how we are all connected. Enjoy your wonderful holiday break… Denyse
You’re welcome, Denyse. It is pretty amazing to enjoy the connection I’ve found with people around the world through blogging. That’s the main reason I keep going with it!
It was great to see you link up a post this week for Wednesdays Words and Pics on Denyse Whelan Blogs to Connect. Thank you so much and I hope to see you next week too. Denyse.
Thank you Denyse. I am taking a couple of weeks off, but I will definitely rejoin Wednesdays Words and Pics when I return.
I missed your post when you asked the question Christie. I agree with all the comments. When I first considered retirement I was having similar feelings to you so I continued on part time. Now that I’m 8 months in being full time again I know that I’m ready for it. Im very happy to have decided to continue so that it’s clearer now in my mind that it’s time.
This line of questioning seems to be common among new retirees, Jen, which is comforting in and of itself. I’m glad you followed your instinct and took your own path to full-time retirement.
Awesome summation Christie! And thanks for the shout out too. Enjoy your new places and old friends … isn’t that a great combo?!
You’re welcome, Pat. And thank you; we just got home from a wonderful trip.
Hi Christie! These are some wonderful pearls of wisdom! I found your blog through The Spectacled Bean, and I’ll be sure to check out the links in this post as well! It’s nice to meet you!
Hello and welcome, Michelle! I apologize for the delayed response. I just got back from a trip to British Columbia. Thanks for stopping by. Any friend of Ally’s is a friend of mine! I’m off to visit your blog now.
Thanks for including me in your list. I’m honored. I always come back to my favorite quote from Ram Dass: we’re all just walking each other home. Hoping your vacation is oodles of fun.
You’re welcome Ally. I love that quote too. If we could all just remember that. We did have a wonderful trip, and now I’m off to see what’s been happening on my favorite blogs since I’ve been gone.