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Seeing All the Options
"Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that one becomes rich."
Sarah Bernhardt
In his book, LifeLaunch, Frederic Hudson has described today's shift from thinking about retirement to thinking about renewal:
Retirement no longer means to disengage from work or life, but to begin again, with all the old options (work, intimacy, family, leisure, travel, leadership roles), plus an increased drive toward living life to its fullest on a day-to-day basis. We call it "protirement," meaning to place yourself ahead into the activities and lifestyle of your choice -- to continue to pursue the "best years of your life."
A like-minded Minnesota educator and author, Jim Gambone, emphasizes the opportunity for older adults to move from "retirement" to "ReFirementTM" and end ageism. He says, "We can work together to end retirement as we know it. We can accept our own aging, promote the values of belonging, giving back and risk taking, share our 'Elder-in-Training' stories, stay meaningfully connected with all generations, simplify and balance our lives. ReFirement is about hope and opportunity."
What are your hopes? What would "having it all" mean to you? What would it look like to "do what you want to do and become who you want to be"?
It's hard to make choices when you don't know the scope of the "all" that is available. Here, VAN provides information about activities relevant to Vital Aging in Minnesota. Each section includes an overview, followed by specifics, with links to resources for follow-through.
