When we reach the age we are contemplating retirement our mind goes immediately to the possibilities that word conjures. The fear of the unknown is a place that is dark and lonely. But within that kaleidoscope of color reflected within the framework of the unknown there is a beacon of light. That light is the source we create because of the hard work we’ve put in to attain the choices we deserve.
Whenever I think of retirement I think of the options we have to fabricate to be able to live the life we choose. That life is quite simple really: It could be the hobbies we enjoy, the service club we join, or the trips we take. All of these choices are only possible if we’ve put in the work to have different course of actions determined by the vehicles we seek to arrive at the destination we deserve.
The education we’ve studied regarding the different financial choices available seem to be an afterthought for most. The fear of not being comfortable investing is usually trumped by having to show up at a job to make money. Unfortunately the job doesn’t do what the job used to do. Before the job put us in a position to have a comfortable life and retire at a decent age. This ended in the 1970s and yet most feel that’s their only avenue for success.
School doesn’t teach us how to manage money, invest, manage health care, or form a plan to retire in a comfortable fashion at a reasonable age. Retiring at an age where we are healthy and able to be the captain of our own ship is located somwhere in the land of make believe that many dismiss as a wild and foolish dream. But if the dream is big enough the facts don’t count.
Being able to pay a mortgage, car payment, utilities, food and gas, etc., and my most favorite category (the unexpected expense) is within the grasp of most. Having a mentor, reading the latest financial news, and being trainable and teachable no matter what the age is key to sustaining a retirement plan. However, to numb the pain of our previous financial choices we tend to drift into the sports zone, Hallmark Channel, celebrity chef, or any of the twelve dozen home imrovement shows. We recline into the mind altering experiences of others to take away the pain of our own existence. If only we’d realize our potential is an unlimited gift. It only requires an educational chiropractic adjustment that will help us understand the power we posses.
Twilight Years by Jack Jenkins
“I never knew what lay beyond the sky. I felt its ears would listen when I cried. A windsong shepherd would appear, the apparition of a sigh. The future stood a shadow tall, the meloncholy picture on a blue cloudless wall.
But through the haze the canvas blank, I wrote my future before I drank. The glass was full upon recall, the bright clear liquid helped me draw. I drew the destiny I wanted to see, and now I live a life I can’t believe.”
Savor the future because nothing is promised but the destiny we create when we believe in who we are. Each step along the way… breathe the air, smell the flowers, gaze at the streams, live every moment as though its your first and enjoy every night as though its your last.