During these strange times, people are either incredibly busy, or extremely quiet, with maybe too much time to think. Certainly, for me it has been a time of showing how important family is and nature on our regular walks in the countryside (rather muddy at the moment!). WhatsApp groups have also been important for me with people sharing creativity and humour which all helps with my own positivity.
“You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake”
Bob Hope, American comedian and actor
I suppose you know you are getting on a bit if you know who Bob Hope is! I have taken these extracts from a book called the ten steps of positive ageing – a handbook for personal change in later life by Guy Robertson. However, a lot of the themes are about life in general and therefore whatever your age, I hope you will find the following useful, or maybe you know somebody it might help.
I quite like the quote “I will never be old. Old age will always be 15 years older than I am”
Sir Francis Bacon, philosopher and statesman
The six elements of wellbeing are one of the frameworks put together by American psychologist Carol Ryff
- Self-acceptance – being happy with who we are
- Personal growth – always looking to develop
- Purpose in life – always having a sense of purpose
- Positive relations with others – having meaningful relationships
- Environmental mastery – sufficient resources to overcome stress
- Autonomy – self-determination and inner strength
“The top five regrets of the dying” by author Bronnie Ware are
- I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
- I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
- I wish I had the courage to express my feelings
- I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends
- I wish I had let myself be happier
For many years I was time poor and through my career made many sacrifices which could have affected my family. With saying that I enjoyed work very much, although I shouldn’t have missed those sports days! As one gets a bit older it isn’t all about providing for your family and this quote comes to mind “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others” Mahatma Gandhi, civil rights activist and leader of India’s Independence movement.
The UK would suffer enormously without the countless volunteers giving their time to so many charitable organisations.
So, if you are at a crossroads, maybe the following questions will help you going forward
- What do I most like doing now?
- What did I like doing when I was younger that I might want to start doing again now?
- Are there any dreams or aspirations from the past that still excite me?
- What excites me most about possible future opportunities?
- What have I liked most about the jobs I have done in the past?
A number of these questions are the ones I use in both career and retirement coaching. Hopefully if you are at your own crossroads, maybe some of the quotations or questions may have helped your own thoughts. If you want to delve deeper, get in touch with me neil@nvwsolutions.co.uk or have a look at my website www.nvwsolutions.co.uk
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