“Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My mom was a huge fan of the For Better or For Worse comic strip. She felt it portrayed her life experiences, and she took comfort in knowing she was not the only one facing such challenges.

Retirement has not entirely been a world of cocktails and sleep-ins and my guess is that many people feel the same way. This is all about going from 100 mph to zero at the end of a workweek thirty-plus years in the making. I equate it to how I felt when I first entered the workforce and was unsure what to do. A little bit of a lost feeling that would require a shotgun approach to identify where my spot would be.

What a relief it initially was to finally put my pen down (close my laptop) and know that on Monday morning, I would need to do nothing! It was delightful, and I spent the next month savoring these moments on a bit of a diminishing scale until I finally realized that this would not work. Not many retirees seem to talk about the challenges of retirement, so I thought I would give it a shot. I wanted to see if I could re-invent myself and thrive outside of corporate America.

It has now been 18 months, and like my mother and For Better or For Worse, I hope sharing my experiences will show that none of us are alone. I sometimes wonder if I’m doing this for myself or others. Either way, I feel compelled to continue, so onwards I shall go!  If things go well, maybe others will share stories of what they have done to slay the grey-haired dragon, with the ultimate goal being that we will never go back to corporate “insert country name” but learn to prosper differently.

How this non-comic strip will work.

I have used Mind, Body, and Spirit as my North Stars (homage to Canada). Each day, I have ensured that I do at least one thing that fits within each star group. The same activities can be repeated over many days, but at minimum, each group must be honoured. This blog will not depict how each day has unfolded but will capture key learnings over time.

North Star Introductions

Mind:

 “To a mind that is still the whole universe surrenders” – Lao Tzu

Have you ever actually paid attention to your thoughts? It is pure madness that has been spoken about by philosophers and spiritual teachers for thousands of years. This star will look at things I have done to regain my sanity and mental exercises used to keep the grey matter lubed.

Body:

“Health is not valued til sickness comes” – Thomas Fuller

Having been an overweight, heavy drinking, medicated, pack-a-day smoker with a few good decades of sitting at a desk, I have concluded that our bodies should be an area of concern. Changing such stellar habits has been a journey that I believe has garnered some shareable tidbits of wisdom.

Spirit:

“Being must be felt. It cannot be thought” Eckhart Tolle

Quantum physics has proven that conscious beings (us) are integral to the outcome of events. We actually change things by just being present. I don’t know why people don’t talk more about spirit…the base for which all else has been built, the essence of who we are at our core. It seems to be the one thing we all share yet rarely acknowledge. School emphasizes intellect and body development, but the little old Spirit is not even a footnote. I wish it had been, as I believe many things make more sense once it’s considered. I have spent a good 50+ years ignoring this area and, over the past 5, have found it quite enlightening. Disclaimer: This area is not about religion and could very well touch on feelings, so proceed with caution.

Final Point:

All that I have learned has come from some very inspirational figures. The messages remain consistent, whether they are from Marcus Aurelius, Buddha, or more contemporaries such as Eckhart Tolle, Michael Springer, Gary Zukav, and Michael Brown. Everything we need resides within ourselves. We just need to find our way back there.

Welcome to my journey.

Jill Houston

email: [email protected]