What is that one thing? "I don't know?

I went to retirement dinner last night and had a good time. It was really nice to be supported by friends. The workplace is often an encouragement place for us as we go through life; it's given us years of means as well as opportunity to have a purposeful life. I have always thought that work often holds back the effects of the fall, sort of like working on a house and keeping it going. Work should improve the quality of our lives. Work often helps people as well as provide for their family. But there comes a time when we leave work and we call it retirement and move on. Early retirees think of it as moving into some fun years, but eventually it moves on the issues of aging and completing our life on this planet. Nobody talked about that at the retirement dinner nor have I heard the 2^nd part from the many who retired before me.

My reading an article today by Shelley Emling about sense of purpose as years to life and how appropriate thinks about that in light of retirement. In the first City Slickers movie, Jack Palance playing Curly tells his young city slicker Billy Crystal that he has to find one thing as he holds up his pointer finger to make sense of it all. Crystal asked him what is that one thing and Curly replies "I don't know." The one thing is different for everybody and Crystal would have to found out for himself what that one thing is.
It seems having purpose particularly after we leave work is very important for how long we live. And so I have a link to the article that you can read and maybe that will spark some thought you might find helpful. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/13/key-to-long-life_n_5315974.html

You know there is a sense in retirement that we have our own hours now that we can manage for ourselves that are not defined by work. One thing that happens in retirement is life goes on. And living takes work. One of the things I write about is now we have fewer excuses to take time for walking, swimming, biking, golf (walking not cart). Taking care of our health is part of retirement. Now that we are retired we can definitely use time to work on our health, exercise more, to enjoy food that’s healthy, and make sure we modify the Rocking-chair. All these good things that we can do in retirement I think still not the principal part of purposeful living.
There are things that are common that people think about it as to purpose but I think they're only part or not they're not the principal thing. One thing we might find value in our relationships with our children on grandchildren. Some view this as the principle or that one thing that holds things together. We've lived long enough to know that our family relationships can always be tested and we find our kids have moved on to their lives, we are a part of it but they have other concerns and interests. There will be too many times where we find ourselves alone and there is a need for us to continue living as well. So families play an important part of our senior years but they can’t be the principle part.

Not usually said first but should be is our relationship to our spouse. In retirement without work this relationship changes to a 24/7. There is no separation caused by work. Many couples aren’t ready for it. Similarly people are used to the free time they now have. Again this is another topic to explore. For now let’s see these things are a big part of retirement, but not the principle thing.   

Our friends may also be a part of a fuller experience of living. Our friends may move or be lost. I have great friends where I get together, call but because of distance not every day. Even local friends it is not every day. In retirement friends move on or pass and we actually need to make new bonds. This is very challenging but necessary. Making friends in retirement is a fascinating topic. Friendship is a part of retirement but not the principle one.

Living in a location where we might be stimulated and encouraged can also play apart. You know we might think of Florida, or Arizona, or the mountains. But it might be just as simple as repainting or remodeling our house. There are things that we have to be involved with and even if we move away otherwise we become isolated. To create a better living space, to enjoy the life for living should be in focus where ever we live.

Remember that index finger pointing up that Curly shared that one thing that's unique to each one of us. How do we discover what that one thing is?

I think it is good if a relationship with God is considered, but that journey I will talk about another time. Here I would like you to think of what are the things you find important. What is the one thing that gives you purpose.
Take time to explore this time to time because I think it's such a great subject. One thing we can do is just do

10 minutes of free association, Maybe what you call brainstorming. Get a paper, dictate, type for 10 minutes. Write down anything you want to do in the next five maybe 10 years. Don't edit just write, don't think just put down the things that come to your mind. They may be out there, crazy, wishful, write them down. I think this is where bucket list came into play, but don't even think about that just let the ideas come and write them down and nobody has to see them.
Look them over. Let them sit there for a while. Maybe in an hour or day come back to them, but do come back to them.  Now look at the things that you wrote, think about the important ideas 1, 2, 3, 4 etc. Don't scratch any of them out. Some of those things that seem to be wishful may indeed turn out to be the best things you wrote.

What are the things you want to do? What is it that is most important? Remember all the parts they have their place but what is it that drives you and will get you up each day. What are some of the things you still want to do? Hey now you got something that puts retirement together. Keep walking