(Reproduced from
the Times Of India of November 20th, 2007 Page 16)
THE SPEAKING TREE
Retired, Not Tired: Just Go
For It!
B K Trehan
Congratulations, you have retired. But
what next? Have you given a thought to how you are
going to spend the next 25-30 years of your life in
retirement?
You may have choices: enjoy life to its fullest,
relax, watch TV, read the newspaper from start to
end, chat with friends, eat and drink what and when
you want, play cards, window shop, go to exotic
places. But you can’t spend all your retired
life like this. You won’t enjoy them forever.
You need to engage in other activities also that
provide you purpose, challenge, adventure, and a
feeling of accomplishment, happiness, and
satisfaction.
Retirement is not resignation from life, but an
opportunity to live a full, dynamic life. It is not a
time to sit and wait for destiny to show you the
door, but to do something that would make things
better. And in doing so, you also enrich your own
life. This way, you won’t get into the habit of
debating the meaning of life.
Purpose is the engine that powers and drives life.
Without purpose, you would get bored and depressed.
Wilfred Peterson summed up the art of retirement
thus: “Don’t retire... aspire”. Aspire
to work for those causes you’ve always believed
in. Practise the art of filling your moments with
enriching experiences that will give new meaning and
depth to your retired life.
As a student, you wanted to become a professional.
During employment you were too busy in earning money
and accomplishing career-oriented goals. As a parent
you were busy raising family and providing for your
child’s education. Perhaps you did not have time
or even the aptitude to understand questions like who
you were, what the real purpose of your life was,
what your real interests were. Retirement is the time
to ponder over all these questions and accomplish
what you really want to do from the core of your
heart. Retirement gives you ample opportunity to
discover the real purpose of life and pursue
activities that express your true self.
To fulfil only personal and selfish interests is
restrictive. You need to reach beyond, to serve a
higher purpose that benefits all. All your working
life you have taken so much. You exploited natural
resources and degraded the environment to make life
more comfortable. May be you harmed others in
furthering your own selfish interests. What have you
done or given in return? Perhaps nothing! Retirement
is the time you could give something back to society.
Work now for those causes you’ve always believed
in. There is an endless number of ways we can help
make this world a more beautiful, lovable and
peaceful place. Pursue one or more of these purposes
in your retirement: helping the needy, doing social
work and community networking, promoting an
environmental cause, starting a home for the elderly,
conserving heritage, fighting corruption, writing a
book, inventing something useful and translating
inspiring literature from one language to another.
These pursuits may not be very rewarding
financially. However, they are a source of immense
happiness and fulfilment, which is the core desire of
all human beings. Sometimes you may even spend some
money from your own pocket to benefit others. Remember: There is no joy like the
joy of serving others.
Extracted
from the writer’s latest book, Retired but not
Tired.