While I write these emails and tell my stories, one of my hopes is to create space for others to tell their stories. I wanted to share an unedited note that was sent to me from a subscriber (shared with permission).
As always, thank you for your continued work on these emails. I truly look forward to reading each one. Some affect me more than others. Some have become part of our family discussions. (We are all still trying to come up with a playlist of songs that we feel describes each of us—lots of laughs with this one.)
In regards to notes that affect me and cause me to pause and think, today’s was one of those. There was a line early on, “discard that which no longer has meaning.” I think this has been one of the hardest, yet most rewarding parts of my journey so far. Discarding a title or link to an industry that has defined me for 40+ years has not been the easiest thing to do, but it has opened up a lot of new “space” for me to fill with a new-and-improved me. When people ask me what I do for a living, I tell them I am enjoying life.
I no longer need to play the office/corporate politics game. I no longer have to worry about things that I can’t control. I no longer get calls at two in the morning or on vacation to solve a problem—which was actually pretty easy to get used to!
While I miss many of my co-workers around the country, I have been able to reconnect with friends that got lost along the way. I find that I am a much calmer person. I am a much calmer driver; traffic doesn’t bother me. I am more able to enjoy the hobbies I have. It’s great to be able to start and finish a project on my timeline rather than fitting it into whatever time I could carve out.
I am getting healthier (lack of long days of stress can do amazing things!) I am walking more, and enjoying the walk rather than just getting somewhere. I am less worried about our financial future; we have planned well and saved for this time.
Discovering life after work and who I need to be is turning out to be a lot more fun than I had anticipated. Your updates have helped in that process. I truly appreciate what you do.
Be well my friend, enjoy life!
Rich
What I love most about this reader’s story is his acceptance of what is.
He recognizes the loss of identity as transitioning from work life to retirement challenges our sense of self, but understands there is another way of looking at it. Chapter X is also filled with opportunities to shift our thinking.
We have to look for the good, notice it, and absorb it.
