retire*
EMBRACE
advancing age
GETTING OLDER HAPPENS, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT. BUT INSTEAD OF FEARING OLD AGE, SAYS LES ABERCROMBIE, EMBRACE IT
H
ave you ever considered that your greatest achievement in life has been growing older? When looking back over your 60, 70 or even 80 years most of you can truthfully say, “Wow, that was a hell of a ride.” Everyone has ups and downs in life, good and bad things happen and we all have secrets and regrets. But instead of wallowing in self-pity it’s so much better – as you grow older – to dump your baggage and look to the future with joy and anticipation. You may be wrinkly, wider and not quite as agile as before, but don’t let that stop you from having fun and living your best life. Age is simply a number and the beauty about ageing is that the older you get the more free you are to do and say what you
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please. Don’t fear advancing years but rather embrace them. Keep your friends close and contact them often. Talk to small children and interact with teenagers. Gatecrash the occasional 40-something party and discover how quickly the “generation gap” with the almost middle-aged is shrinking. Talk to animals and stroke dogs and cats. Erect a bird feeder in the garden and delight in local birdlife. Start taking the slower, more scenic route through life by making the small things matter. It’s good for the soul. Probably the greatest fear about ageing is financial. “Are my savings enough?” “How long am I going to live – will they stretch that far?” There are the lucky few who don’t have these concerns, but they are in the minority. The rest of us have to cut our
cloth to fit our coat. The first thing to do is to consult a trusted financial advisor. Secondly, make sure you are debt-free before you retire. Thirdly, cut down and cut back to ensure you live within your means and don’t accrue new debt. Don’t get rid of your medical aid. Rather adjust it to a more affordable level and then, if you can, add Gap Cover. And lastly, do not dig into your capital without sound financial advice – that capital is all you’ve got. Retirement always comes as a bit of a shock, even to those who have been dreaming about it for years. To minimise the jolt, plan and prepare for the change in lifestyle and circumstances. As previously suggested, find a part-time job or a hobby to keep your brain agile and exercise – even a 30-minute daily walk – to keep your body fit and supple. Never think of yourself as “old” because then you will be. Be sure to behave like a “seenager” as often as possible – it will keep your mind young and drive your children crazy! I often think of the singer, Cher, who, when some guy asked her, “Don’t you think you’re too old to sing rock ’n roll?” replied, “You’d better check with Mick Jagger.” Enjoy the forthcoming holiday season.
Men (and women) do not quit playing because they grow old – they grow old because they quit playing – Oliver Wendell Many of us will be missing family this year due to international travel restrictions, but this too will pass. Instead of letting the situation get you down, share this time with friends, speak about the future and new plans. There is an Irish saying: You’re not as young as you used to be. But you are not as old as you’re going to be. So live every second of every minute of your life with joy.
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