Retire from a job, never retire from life

One morning about 2 years ago I had this epic conversation with a friend.

Friend : “what are you doing?”

Me : “I am day dreaming”.

At the end of the day the same friend asked

Friend : “Are you tired?”

Me : “Yes, I’m tired of being tired”.

These replies came spontaneously.  As I reflect on these two answers it tells me that I started the day well with day dreaming. As the day rolled on I began to get tired and by the end of the day I was tired of being tired.

When we curtail mental and social activities we become bored and give up our great expectations, our dreams. Human beings have many needs apart from the daily requirements of food, air, water, etc. They need love, security, need for creative expression, recognition, self esteem, the list rolls on. To these I’d like to add another. The need for more life – the need to look forward to tomorrow and to the future with gladness, joy and anticipation. When we think of yester days and yester years we feel nostalgic. Can we not develop nostalgia for the future? This is to develop an enthusiasm for life, create a need for more life and you will receive more life.

We age not by years but by events and our emotional reactions to them. This is evidenced in widowhood. A widow may feel that her life has come to an end and has nothing to live for. Her attitude gives outward evidence in her gradual withering, her graying hair. Another woman, on the other hand, may blossom. She may embark on a career or a business or she may keep herself busy with an interest for which perhaps she has not had the leisure until now.

Faith, courage, interest, optimism, looking forward bring new life and more life. Futility, pessimism, frustration, living in the past contribute to old age. Which will you choose?