Living a mindful retirement
For over 30 years our mother, Tina, had a rewarding teaching career. Although she wouldn't have traded it in for anything, there were times when it was stressful and demanding. Eventually, she found herself getting tired and overwhelmed and realized she needed to rest more. It was finally time to fill her day with things she wanted to do, not needed to do. This is a window into living a mindful retirement, and how she's finally been able to take some much needed time for herself.
"It was finally time to fill her day with things she wanted to do, not needed to do."
Now that Tina's retired, the pace has slowed down a bit, but her calendar is still very full. Her day starts early in the morning. Upon waking at dawn, if she's had a memorable dream, she writes it down in her journal immediately. Sometimes, the symbolic visions are an answer to a question she may have posed the night before. Other times, a message is sent to her by spirit. Once in a while, she'll reread her journal and pick up on messages she missed before.
Then Tina reads some spiritual or inspirational material, such as a daily lesson in A Course In Miracles, or watches YouTube videos on spirituality, near death experiences and the like. This helps guide her day, and makes sure her actions and decisions are made consciously. It forces her to slow down to think about what she's doing instead of just reacting to situations.
She eases into her day by taking a warm bath, and then spends most of her morning running errands - watering the plants, grocery shopping, vacuuming and washing dishes, maybe babysitting a grandchild (depending on the day), visiting her parents or doing yard work - all done on an as need basis. After her morning errands, she breaks for lunch, takes a nap, and goes for a leisurely walk. If the weather permits, she reads, writes or works on something creative (painting or drawing) outside.
Eventually, our dad (her husband) comes home from work, prompting dinner preparations. After eating, our parents fold laundry together while watching a movie, or perhaps go for another walk. To unwind for the day, Tina may read a little before going to bed.
In retirement, Tina has realized she spends a lot of her day alone, which has been nice. She never had that luxury with her career, always being surrounded by people who demanded her full energy and attention. She's now found joy in meandering through her day based on her own personal whims (and perhaps the gentle nudging of her family and friends). It's been a much needed break, and necessary in her spiritual journey, to truly be able to listen to her own inner voice.
Her day may be different once our dad retires. Her hope is that they'll do things together, but for now, he's still in the process of ripping the bandaid off. The fear of how he'll fill his day without the structure of a career has been a speed bump in his journey towards retirement. We know he will soon realize what our mom discovered years ago - that it's okay to take some time for yourself once in a while.
Approaching retirement and not sure when the time is right for you? Reach out and book a session with us, and let spirit work through us to help you!
Songs to Listen to After Reading
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