Enjoying Retirement: Living Life to the Fullest

by Leonard Doohan

Overview

Enjoying Retirement is a practical guide for retirees, those who are about to retire, or who have recently retired. Based on the author’s research, along with the experiences of retirees, this presentation offers anecdotes, thoughtful reflections, helpful insights, and ways to live this important and what-should-be-enjoyable stage of life. Each of the eight chapters concludes with four parts that encourage thoughtful reflection:
• Questions
• Things to Do
• Things to Avoid
• Things to Think About

This wise and engaging book offers wonderful opportunities to discover how to approach retirement—now as much as a third of life for many—with enthusiasm, anticipation, creativity, and enjoyment as the best and blessed time of our lives.
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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780809146352
Publisher:	Paulist Press
Publication date:	03/01/2010
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction: Looking Forward to a New Beginning 1

Retirement as a New Beginning 1

Retirement and Faith 3

Retirement as a New Outlook on Life 5

1 Discovering New Opportunities 11

What a Transition! The Voices of Retirees 11

Opportunities Retirement Offers 17

A New Emphasis on Joy 20

A New Sense of Discovery 22

2 Refocusing Life 27

Are You Ready for a Change? 27

Do Yon Have the Right Attitudes to Retire? 31

Can You Balance Interests? 35

Do You Have Support Systems for and during Retirement? 40

3 Using Leisure for Reflection 48

Leisure That Does and Leisure That Does Not Enrich Retirement 50

Behaviors of Leisure to Develop During Times of Retirement 57

Behaviors Contrary to Leisure to Eliminate During Retirement 62

Strategies for a Leisured Approach to Retirement 65

4 Nurturing Creativity 71

Creativity-More Than a Paintbrush 72

Aids to Creativity 78

Who I Want to Be 82

What I Want to Do 86

5 Sharing Wisdom and Experience 92

Journeying Inward to Self-Discovery 92

Volunteering-Sharing your Gifts 96

Healing Divisions and Hurts 101

Focusing on Essentials 105

6 Striving for Fulfillment 112

Appreciating the Gift of Time 112

Getting a New Sense of Purpose 118

Respecting Your Age 122

Fostering a Spirit of Reflection 125

7 Finding Spirituality in Retirement 135

Becoming Your True Self 136

Living Perennial Values in New Ways 140

Exploring Spirituality with Courage 145

8 Embracing Aging and Preparing for Death 153

Experiencing Aging 153

Journeying with Grace 160

Dealing with End-of-Life Issues 162

Indicating Your Wishes before Death 166

Dying with Dignity 170

Appendix: I Am a Retiree-and Enjoying It 177

Further Reading 179