Exploring aging and retirement. Retirement can be seen as an opportunity to discover or rediscover innate abilities, and new experiences. You can have a joyful retirement. The linked article, Create a Retirement That’s Uniquely You, explores what you can do to make this an awesome time. The article does pose questions that you answer to dive deep into where you are and where you intend to go. David Blanchard, the author, highlights the lives of three retirees and how they capitalized on this time in their lives.

The interviewees included in this post have also shared their views on aging and retirement. Tomeka Wright (video above) and Lei Juana Wagner (audio below) have graciously shared their views on this journey.

This link is more informative on the facilitators and barriers regarding retirement. It is a qualitative study done regarding these elements. Retirement is a major life event. It is more challenging for some than for others. The viewpoints of the interviewees are important as they showcase how the mindset influences the transition.

This link is about how health influences the transition into retirement. Reiterating that retirement is a major life event, your health is a contributing factor as well. Aging brings its challenges. What challenges do you face? It is important to look at all the elements of retirement. The focus is on retirement as an opportunity to learn new things and have new experiences. However, having a realistic view of your transition is key to transitioning successfully.

Embrace Your Purpose: Second Careers After Retirement is clear. When speaking of new experiences, you can consider consulting in your field of expertise. Volunteering in your community is also an option. Explore your community. See what’s around you as you transition. What is wonderful about retirement is that the choices are yours. What was once a fleeting thought is now an opportunity.