By Published On: January 11th, 2022Categories: Inspirational, Purposeful Living

Not long ago, I meet with a group of retired women.  Some were thriving with their new freedom, others were struggling with identity loss, and a few were dealing with medical issues.

Many of the women shared that they were so consumed by their work that they neglected to maintain and create friendships. Those were the lost and lonely ones.  Another woman was recovering from her cancer treatments and was now practicing yoga daily. She told me she wished she would have discovered yoga while she was working in her high-stress position and felt that it would have prevented her illness.

The women that were thriving had a few things in common. They had identified more with their families than their corporate roles. They tended to their friendships throughout their career, and they maintained a fitness program and were now enjoying active travel. One of those women summed it up beautifully when she said, “If you want to know what your life is going to be like at 70, look at how you are living it today.”

6 Comments

  1. Joanne Carranza July 11, 2018 at 4:18 PM

    This is timely advise. I am approaching this change in life soon. Its a little scary, but I welcome the new adventure. :)
    Joanne

    • Dawn Kohler July 11, 2018 at 5:41 PM

      More time to go to lunch with friends. Let me know when you retire and let’s celebrate!

  2. Larry Cabaldon July 11, 2018 at 4:29 PM

    Yes, agree. We are developing a Senior Masters Program to encourage people to prepare for even greater things. Proposing to major universities. If you’d like i’ll send you my article Men don’t Retiree and the SMP proposal. World game changer for women, men and families.

    • Dawn Kohler July 11, 2018 at 5:40 PM

      Larry,

      Thank you for the comment. I hope the universities take you up on the program. Longevity is a game changer and we do need to be prepared. Wellness practices are going to be our best fight against healthcare costs.

  3. Judy July 11, 2018 at 4:59 PM

    Thanks for writing this, Dawn! I can completely agree with your advice, as I retired (or semi retired!) over 13 years ago and am so glad I had maintained friendships – both personal and work related. And many of those work related friendships are still active today! I also made sure to exercise and stay in shape, which has made a great difference. Even though it did not prevent a genetic heart valve problem, it made the treatment and recovery much easier being in good shape to begin with! I continue now with a busy social, philanthropic, and physically active life (yoga and Pilates) and even a bit of consulting – along with an active husband and travel. Life is good – even after 70+ years! Looking forward to the next 15+ too! Great thing about retirement – you have more choices and fewer demands!

    • Dawn Kohler July 11, 2018 at 5:36 PM

      Judy!
      So good to hear from you! I love your last sentence “more choices and fewer demands”. Sounds like a wonderful way to live. Enjoy your friends, husband and travels!!!

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