Category: Seize the Day

Ahhh…retirement!

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay 

Why this photo? The phone is put aside. Ditto with the remote. But the steaming drink [sniff, sniff…is that a hint of brandy?] is begging for your attention.

Need more affirmation of your downshift? Let’s consult a six-year-old boy [and his tiger].

Want more suggestions?

Check out usnews.com’s The Art of Doing Nothing in Retirement . Warning: While the suggestions are solid, the sensory assault of the ads might be annoying and send you back to the ever-wise Calvin.

To spare you of the onslaught, here are the first three points:

  • Let go of the guilt.
  • There will be a period of adjustment.
  • Welcome the lower stress levels

Book Recommendation: Creative Pep Talk

by Andy J. Miller

Subtitled: Inspiration from 50 Artists

Colorful, inspirational, and thought-provoking.

Here is the Goodreads review page.

Some favorites:

You’ll never be ready, so you might as well put yourself out there.
–Daniel Fishel

You cannot live your whole life in comfort zones
–Meg Hunt

Roll with it & gain momentum.
— Mary Kate McDevitt

Quotes from Die Empty

One of the books by Todd Henry.

Take a look at the preview pages in Goodreads.

My favorite points:

  • “Cultivating a love of the process is the key to making a lasting contribution.”
  • “Don’t be a mirror, passively reflecting the priorities of others.”
  • “You possess a one-of-a-kind combination of passions, skills, and experiences; there is something that you bring to your work that no one else could. If you relinquish that power, then it will never see the light of day and you will always wonder ‘what if?’ The price of regret is incalculable.”

For our purposes, let’s clarify the word ‘work’. While Todd might be directing the last quote toward the working world, it also applies to those creating for themselves.

Which leads to Srini Rao’s Audience of One. This book’s subtitle says it all:

Reclaiming Creativity for Its Own Sake

***

Thanks for reading.

And keep creating. And trying ‘new stuff’. [Any little change counts–a new ingredient to a recipe, a new walking route, a new restaurant. Anything that shakes your day, adds interest to your waking hours, even just a little.]

If you hear yourself uttering the words, “I’ve always wanted to try…”, well, that’s a sign.

diverging paths in snow

I’m in the middle of a self-imposed month-long ‘sketch-a-day’ challenge.

What for? It pushes my observational skills, for one. And it’s contributing to this project.

Sail the 7 Cs Course Title
Honestly, while there is a price tag attached, it really is an ongoing work directed toward that ever-present ‘audience of one’. Take a look at the items available for free preview and if you know any teachers, feel free to pass along the URL.

I also posted this yesterday: Finish Your Words and Then You Can Feed Me!

Retirement photo of the day 33: Look at the big picture.

milky way reduced

For some reason, every time I look up at the night sky [assuming the clouds have been whisked away and the stars are out], memories of long ago spring forth. Hide-and-go-seek with neighborhood kids well past dark, cheers from the football stadium down the street, watching G train under the streetlights… I can’t explain it, but there they are.

Give it a try and see what materializes.

Consider making this part of your daily wander.

Here’s a shot from my Friday ‘wander’.

yellow and white crocus
I courageously opened our front door and ventured to these first crocuses of the season.

Based on past winters, it would have taken me at least another couple of days before I homed in on these short-term visitors. But wanderings have landed on my daily habits list and, as a result, sharpened my instincts.

 

Retirement photo of the day 32: Follow your gut.

Live by your inner knowledge and strength message from a fortune

It was just one of those moments…

Last summer, I was back in my old stomping grounds and, as I drove with my wife and relatives around Pacific Grove, I made a decision. I would drop in on long-time friends whom, since my move out-of-state, I hadn’t seen for two decades.

Unannounced visits are something I prefer not to do, but ‘seize the moment’ overtook me.

When the door opened, I needed an extra second [in hindsight, it felt like an eternity] to recognize the Mrs.

Her husband came to the door and invited me in for a beer, but told them both I just wanted to touch base.

He and I chatted outside for five minutes and I left fulfilled, but concerned for the wife.

A couple of days later, I found out she had battled cancer for the last nine years.

Just this last week, she left us.

And if I had not heeded that persistent nudge, I would never have shown their importance to me.

And I would have forever regretted not heeding that gut feeling.

Folks, it’s not as if we’re leaving this earth anytime soon, but we also don’t have 50 more years to leisurely let others guide us.

So, give your intuition its due and follow the wisdom of today’s photo.