TO KNOW HOW TO GROW OLD IS THE MASTERWORK OF WISDOM

AND ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CHAPTERS IN THE GREAT ART OF LIVING

Henry Amiel

retirement: Think differently

retirement: Think differently:              Think differently   ‘I am on the other side of  40,50,60,70 etc.’  is a phrase which has a negative ...

Think differently

             Think differently

 ‘I am on the other side of  40,50,60,70 etc.’  is a phrase which has a negative connotation .This need not be so because times have changed . The concept of retirement or ageing has undergone drastic changes. The telegraph is dead but long live the telegraph “in the form of SMS , emails ,skype and what not. The word retirement should go a drastic semantic change . The word which was coined long back means something like this:

Noun :retiree - someone who has retired from active working

retired person

nonworker - a person who does nothing

emeritus - a professor or minister who is retired from assigned duties

New definitions could be: retiree-someone who is ready to do something which he/she always wanted to do-passionately.

Nonworker: a person who does many things

Emeritus-a professor or minister who finds himself/herself in the midst of many duties to be performed joyfully and at his own pace

All these definitions that appear in a dictionary are semantically correct but practically out of date!!! and no more relevant in the present context. Ageing is a fact and it should be taken for granted but with all the positives of it. If you list out the negatives and positives of ageing ,in terms of blessings ( past or present) and curses ( past or present) you will be surprised to learn that ageing is not all that bad .

If you retire at 60, 65 or 70, you can always prepare for it mentally much early .Nowadays ( unlike our generation ) youngsters are reminded of their so called retirement in the first month of their service itself by the insurance and other financial agencies who frequent them with many financial products . In fact they threaten them with the terrible prospect of retirement even in the same month of their appointment !! 

So the younger generation will be much prepared for that eventuality and I feel they will be facing the situation much better than our generation .and this is supplemented with so many stories and reports that appear in the INTERNET ,and other media on a regular basis.  WE NEVER HAD SUCH EXPOSURE TO OUR OWN FUTURE PROBLEMS when we were young. It is as if we ageing suddenly dawns upon us ,whereas it is not true. It is a process and during a process we will learn a lot from the inputs that we get .It is only a question of preparedness .

AGEING is a process and Retirement is the fruit of it:

a. attractive

g. gift

e. earned

i. incrementally

n .not

g. given

an

Attractive Gift Earned Incrementally and Not Given

Let us face the FACTS and get along …                                                                                               Continues.. Please red and leave your                         valuable comments

Nearly three out of five single older women are very poor, and two out of three rural elderly women are fully dependants. File Photo ..THE HINDU..They have nothing to hope for ..are we not slightly better ????

retirement: Do not believe in CHRONOLOGICAL AGE

retirement: Do not believe in CHRONOLOGICAL AGE: Do not believe in CHRONOLOGICAL AGE ProfvarmaPhoto Birth is a fact and death is a fact but in between comes Life which ...

Do not believe in CHRONOLOGICAL AGE

Do not believe in CHRONOLOGICAL AGE

ProfvarmaPhoto

Birth is a fact and death is a fact but in between comes Life which is a fact this moment but a FICTION  the next moment .Hence live well and in  healthy way on a day to day basis. Our body has to be allowed to work for us and hence keep it in readiness by simple exercises  .If we are healthy there is JOY hence remove some myths from your mind and do some exercises everyday. Blast the myths and act positively.We are never old ..just laugh that feeling  away, if you have...just read ahead

Myth 1: There’s no point to exercising. I’m going to get old anyway.

Fact: Exercise and strength training helps you look and feel younger and stay active longer. Regular physical activity lowers your risk for a variety of conditions, including Alzheimer’s and dementia, heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and obesity.

Myth 2: Older people shouldn’t exercise. They should save their strength and rest.

Fact: Research shows that a sedentary lifestyle is unhealthy for adults over 50. Inactivity often causes older adults to lose the ability to do things on their own and can lead to more hospitalizations, doctor visits, and use of medicines for illnesses.

Myth 3: Exercise puts me at risk of falling down.

Fact: Regular exercise, by building strength and stamina, prevents loss of bone mass and improves balance, actually reducing your risk of falling.

Myth 4: It’s too late. I’m already too old to start exercising

Fact: You’re never too old to exercise! If you’ve never exercised before, or it’s been a while, start with light walking and other gentle activities.

Myth 5: I’m disabled. I can’t exercise sitting down.

Fact: Chair–bound people face special challenges but can lift light weights, stretch, and do chair aerobics to increase range of motion, improve muscle tone, and promote cardiovascular health

retirement: RETIREMENT IS NOT A CURSE

retirement: RETIREMENT IS NOT A CURSE: GREY is between BLACK and WHITE...ALL  ARE REAL COLOURS WITH ITS OWN "MEANING AND VALUE" Retirement or Old age is ...

RETIREMENT IS NOT A CURSE

GREY is between BLACK and WHITE...ALL  ARE REAL COLOURS WITH ITS OWN "MEANING AND VALUE"

Retirement or Old age is not a curse though superficially it may seem so. The most certain thing is that everybody will grow old, You and I ,but the most uncertain thing is the way in which one is going to face the reality called retirement and old age .And this is a Universal “problem”(fact) not at all limited to any nation or race in the world.

The great industry leader Mr.Ratan Tata, who led the TATA group  of companies into the most powerful and competitive  global arena retired after an eventful long period .He “ tweeted “on28th January ,a month after his retirement “Life has been wonderfully pleasant .There has been more time to be at home ,play with my dogs, and catch upon smaller things that I never found the time do earlier.”

Now there is every possibility of commenting on this saying that R. TATA can afford to enjoy his post retirement life in anyway because he has money. But this is not at all true in the sense that no one loses the urge to live actively despite  the  ageing process. It is more of a psychological thing . For example ,there are people who never lose their enthusiasm to learn new things and their motivation is only to do what they like and their curiosity urges them to go forward.

 Just as I am writing this ,an elderly gentleman with full flowing white hair walks into my room (I am the Director of a management college) and expresses his intention to join the BBA course of three years . He told me that he is 70 years old and he could not complete his degree course since he discontinued his studies to enter the government service .He wanted to join as a regular student !!.I appreciated his enthusiasm but I asked to join in the distance education programme for BSW  Bachelor of Social Work which he will enjoy learning . He was convinced and he has almost decided to join the course. If he does that he will have a new goal in life ,not exactly for getting a job but to satisfy his hunger for knowledge.

Retirement is inevitable and it is a fact though one would like to consider a figment of imagination. But life after retirement , something to be relished and most often it will turn out to be very productive in terms of satisfaction and fulfillment  if one develops a positive attitude to the whole thing .Our need for money after retirement may cause some concern but that is only a minor part compared to the emptiness  and anxiety created by the many extra hours that you get once the regular work is over.

 I still remember a professor who used to come to the campus on a daily basis and sit in the department .For some days other faculty members responded to him with respect but before long the retired professor was left alone and he was made to feel, of course indirectly ,that his presence was not liked there. He tried to hang on ,despite this, but finally stopped coming .

This gentleman faced this situation because of three reasons 1.He did not care to plan as to what he should be doing after retirement 2.He did not cultivate any other interest in life to pursue after his regular service.3.he was not mentally prepared to be away from the comfort  zone  where he used to spend his time for more than 30 years.

 He lived only for three years after his retirement and it is said that he went into depression and died a frustrated man not even liked by his own family. This because his behaviour changed and started quarrelling with everybody in the house .But he could have lived a happy retired life if he had mentally prepared to accept the fact and change his attitude towards work and life .

A study says that Women take retirement in  a positive  way ,and most of them enjoy the life after retirement .

        “When men reach their sixties and retire ,they goes to pieces. Women go right on cooking “Gail Sheehy

But actually speaking retirement is the right time to start and do something you always wanted to do. But it is easy to say this and not at all easy to put into practice  until and unless proper planning is done much in advance.

All depends on how you manage your time which is in plenty after you retire. You should have a goal ( it does not matter whether the goal is to become the President of your country or to become a good marathon  runner) to use your available time ( in plenty ) in a way that you would enjoy what you are doing . This is very much possible provided you have the will to do it .

Have you ever sat down and thought,

   What is my purpose in life?

What is my passion?

    Where do I go from here?

Please take paper and write it down and let us see what happens ..

To be continued....Varma