I bought some boots recently, a bargain from Cotton Traders. They are 'fur' lined and waterproof like wellies in front and zip up swede. My feet have been 'like toast' as I go for walks in Sweden this week. Last visit I had cold wet feet each time I went out. Someone once said to me: 'there's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes.' Maybe this idea could be transferred to other areas of life which one finds challenging: think do you have the right clothes or the right equipment or the right time of day, or the right month of the year?
Retirement is the time of your life to get going on lots of new things which weren't quite ''right' before when you were working. Now you have the time, the inclination and you can acquire the equipment, the clothes, the skills and the passion to do it all now! Go for it! What are you doing now you are retired you never had the time to do before?
Please let me have your comments!
Hello Susan,
Someone once also said to me: ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes…’ before a motor bike ride in Kananaskis, ALTA – it started to snow the first of ’79 BLISS… Sorry I digress….
As a community mental health nurse for older adults (seeking a change) I’m amazed by the number of people who should(?) and claim to be well prepared for retirement. Then it hits them like a juggernaut… Of course, sometimes it’s not just resources, skills and knowledge it’s where motivation is grounded personally and socially. It’s also about the emotional deposits we make as we work (and live) that we do not notice, then when the debit emerges it’s a real shock. Once people seek help tho *there IS* a light born of brighter days…
In terms of situating, framing life and change Hodges’ model is an excellent tool for personal and group reflection, solution gazing, crossing the middle… There’s a website:
http://www.p-jones.demon.co.uk/
(with several links resources)
and a blog “Welcome to the QUAD”:
http://hodges-model.blogspot.com/
All the best Susan for 2009 and beyond!
Peter Jones
http://twitter.com/h2cm
Peter, Thanks for your useful observations. Sometimes, I believe, people are so identified with their work persona that they find it incredibly difficult to make the transition to the new identity as a ‘ retired person.’
For some it is about getting out of their comfort zone into some place which seems strange and difficult so they choose not even to go there and try to keep on as they were.