Women Growing  Older Gracefully 

Wouldn’t it be mind-bending if we could see into the future? Well…in a way we can! We all have our life stories or narratives and these stories actually become our future.

Retirement doesn’t just happen and is one of those rare opportunities to re-write the life script that may not have served us well. We make it happen our way by re-writing personal life narratives.

How others see us, or how we believe they see us, is unimportant because what truly matters is how we see ourselves. That's because you often see yourself, not as others might see you through their personal life filters, but as you believe yourself to be. No one needs to experience drama or pressure for how we choose to live the rest of our lives.

Retirement is not about who we were or thought we were, either. It’s life’s only “do-over” and a last best chance to reshape life to give the opportunity to shape and bring reality into perspective.

We are women; we nourish, we give life, and are often satisfied, sitting on the sidelines, making sure that those we love are healthy and happy. And that’s ok, as long as we remember not to stray too far off the path of self-care, self-significance, and self-importance.

After all, we have earned the right to live a life of comfort to make it our time for self-indulgence and accomplishment of long-held dreams.

I'm actually trying, here, to lead you to set you up with a cup of tea to tackle a few of the following questions on your own time. Some may feel it isn’t important and some may have already answered these questions over and over again. Nevertheless, it may be a great time to turn inward.

1. If you’re going to live to 80, 90, 100, or more, what can you accomplish? And what should you be planning for? Really now, twenty to thirty or more years is a long time to sit and do practically nothing.

2. What are the moments in your life that define you and make you the person others want to get to know and hang around with? Are you becoming a more capable person, one more interesting and valuable?

3. What are some of the opportunities you have found which make retirement as rewarding as you had hoped it would be? Are you learning new skills and sharpening old ones? It might be well worth it.

4. In the way you eat, the way you exercise, the way you take care of yourself, can you honestly say you are building a greater feeling of health and vibrancy each day

Perhaps if someone asked me to answer all of these questions in one sitting, I would probably tell them to take a hike. Nevertheless, I put them out, here, to stir up “the works”. If they bring reflection, then these questions have served a purpose.

A word of warning; if you believe that your life will slow down and capabilities will diminish as you get older, then that’s exactly what will happen. On the brighter side, you could come out ahead of life as a “prime-timer”, waiting to grab on and take off!

Your choice.

                                                         Jaye Wurtzel 03-31-21