Yesterday I spoke with a lady from Taiwan who told me about her retirement plans.
She will be 70 years of age next year. She plans to stop working so she can enjoy her life.
This is understandable for many reasons. Top of the list is the fact that she has watched her friends, who never took a day off, forced into a never-ending array of days off.
Or, she’s seen them pass away.
They never got to enjoy their lives.
Retiring early is a dream for many people that never happens.
A better goal to strive for, in my opinion, is semi-retirement.
But even better than either one is being CREATIVELY ALIVE.
If you retire, you may end up disappointed. There’s only so many reruns you can watch before boredom and a feeling of uselessness kick in.
But when you’re creatively alive, you’re still being productive. You’re still working on making your life better. You’re still in learning mode – and being in learning mode is the key to getting more living out of life.
A few days ago, I returned from a trip to China. I was there for quite a long time, advancing in my study of internal martial arts.
I did almost no work-related business while there, other than coaching calls and a few writing projects.
Yet, I wasn’t sitting around feeling bored with life. I was creatively involved, each and every day, learning, practicing, memorizing, repeating, and so on.
I didn’t visit any big cities. I didn’t go anywhere special to sight-see. I literally got up each morning, began training in my hotel room, then met a driver who took me to a remote area to train with a master in an obscure style I’d never practiced before. ’twas grueling, to say the least.
For 40 days, I didn’t see a single American or “westerner.” This means, if I wanted to speak English, I had to call my wife, family and friends back home.
After my morning workout, I would have breakfast then take a nap. In the afternoon I would repeat my hotel room warm-up, meet the driver again, and go for more private training.
At times I questioned why I was doing what I was doing. The thought of quitting flashed across the screen of my mind a few times. I didn’t allow the thought to register, though. Instead, I thought the following: This is what you came here for. This is what you said you wanted. You think this is tough? It’s not. It’s no big deal. Finish what you started.
Now I’m back home. Every day, I’m up early, practicing what I learned. And as I observe even a seemingly tiny sign of progress, I get excited. I am moving forward, getting better and better.
Martial arts represent only one of my many interests. I also enjoy calligraphy, bowling, baseball, reading, writing poetry, qi gong, stretching, bodyweight calisthenics, speaking Chinese and finding things to laugh about.
This isn’t semi-retirement – even though I’ve called it that from time to time.
It’s called creative living.
It’s called being CREATIVELY ALIVE.
The key thing is I’ve been this way for a long time. I didn’t start being this way when I “semi-retired.”
Make time for the activities, hobbies and interests you have, and do so NOW.
You don’t need the excuse of retirement or semi-retirement to do so. Begin at once.
Putting yourself and your interests off until you’re 70 is not the way to go.
Keep this idea on the screen of your mind. Let it register.
Get more deeply involved with life.
Why? Because what all of us are truly seeking is more life.
Do the things that give you more life. Start doing them today and take note of how much better you feel.
See it. Feel it. Be it.
Matt Furey
