Retirement - a Mixed Blessing

     Some of my colleagues have firmly declared "I'll never retire!" Like aging, retirement is NOT for the faint of heart. After all, one's work-related professional persona - "I'm seriously important, competent, indispensable, earn serious money," etc, etc - flies out the window with retirement. One becomes an ordinary slob - without consequence, without authority, without specialized skills, with MUCH reduced income!! - a MERE MORTAL!!!!! Ungrounded, adrift - "with no direction home, like a rolling stone ..."
     And this is GOOD! Because much of life, up till this point, has been an AVOIDANCE exercise! A pause button!! DELAYING growing up!!! Well, NOW it's time to grow up - unless we choose to "never retire!"
     It's not easy, but absolutely essential, to embrace life - AS IT IS, NO MATTER WHAT - with mind & heart wide open. It's time for .............. MINDFULNESS!!!!!!!!!

     See: http://healthyhealers.blogspot.ca/2012/07/investing-our-lifes-finite-time-energy.html
     and: http://mindfulnessforeveryone.blogspot.ca/2013/03/302-mbsr-style-mindfulness-course-for.html
 

Marisela Murcia Navarro, National Geographic   http://photography.nationalgeographic.com