For many people, retirement means freedom. Freedom from work and freedom from schedules. Freedom to live on one’s own terms and freedom to do as you please. It’s time to sleep when you want, eat when you want, and do what you want. That we can do as we wish every day is certainly true. […]
Why September is My Favourite Month of the Year
September is my favourite month of the year. An eon ago, when I went to school, September meant new shoes, new clothes and new school supplies. At university, September meant a return to studying as well as meeting new people and enjoying new experiences. In my career, September always brought a surge of energy — […]
Managing Personal Energy for Happiness
As I grow older, I realize that my daily energy stores are in decline. I’m more aware of the need to manage personal energy levels to improve happiness. This usually means planning only one or two things for the day besides the usual time for exercise, writing, cooking, and a few basic housekeeping tasks. Just […]
Guilty Pleasures of Summer
Ontario’s civic holiday weekend at the beginning of August is history. Half of the summer is over which leaves only 4 to 6 weeks to enjoy summer treats. Days are shorter. This is a good time to consider the pleasures of summer — yes, some of these pleasures feel guilty — others, bring no guilt! […]
Farewell to Small Town Bakeries
Today I say farewell to another small town bakery that’s closing. When we recently arrived in Grand Bend for a summer of cottage life, Uncle Jimmy’s Scottish Bakery was boarded up with a For Sale sign in the front parking lot. No more will fresh sausage rolls, oat cakes, whole wheat loaves, fresh buns, pies, […]
Pursue Neglected Interests in Retirement
Retirement is a great time to pursue neglected interests. The busy years of parenting and career building often leave no time to pursue hobbies, go to movies, read best sellers, or learn new skills. These are also years where interests get postponed due to costs in terms of money and/or time. Mortgages and post-secondary education costs […]
What does it mean to be rich?
What does being rich mean to you? Being rich is an arbitrary and discretionary concept. Everyone has their own idea of what it means. For many, being rich means having a certain sum of money — like a million dollars, or, perhaps five million dollars. A large amount of money creates financial security with no […]
Nurture your inner child with playtime
Each of us has an inner child that’s waiting for a tweak to come out for some playtime. Yes, play — as in doing silly things, running, jumping, telling jokes, laughing, and having fun. As adults, especially as older adults, we often forget about play. Play is for kids! But what about the kid in […]
Personal Brands — Do you have a retirement brand?
A recent Facebook post advertising a brand updating service caught my eye. Since I don’t sell things, I wondered whether this company did personal branding. The website featured corporate brands, logos, slogans, websites, and marketing kitsch. An email inquiry acknowledged the expertise was primarily corporate branding but the company would prepare a personal branding strategy […]
Self-care or Self-indulgence?
At this morning’s yoga class, the instructor urged us to think about the difference between self-care and self-indulgence. She was urging the class to understand how to develop and nurture ourselves with yoga asanas, breathing techniques, and meditation. There is no question that yoga philosophy creates awareness of the choices we make in caring for […]