One of the most difficult things for a parent is to stand back and let adult children solve their problems. In the past three months, I’ve watched my adult son change jobs, sell his house, buy another house, and move to a different city. It’s been an unbelievably stressful time for him and for our […]
Personal Growth
Powerful Thinking and Positive Thinking
Is there a difference between powerful thinking and positive thinking? When I posed this question at the dinner table, my family’s responses were interesting. There was consensus that powerful thinking had a Machiavellian quality to it related to getting and keeping power in organizations or among friends. Positive thinking, however, was equated with success and […]
Resilience and Dealing with Change
Resilience is important when dealing with change. Change happens all the time. Dealing with change effectively is a key component for retirement happiness. Every day of your life brings change. Sometimes the change is subtle; it may be a small event like wearing a new shoes or eating a new food or meeting someone you […]
Positive Self-Talk and Positive Thinking
One of the secrets of a happy retirement is using positive self-talk and positive thinking. I’ve had a reminder of this truth in the last few days. After their annual health examination, our veterinarian recommended that our 13-year-old cats needed to be anesthetized to have their teeth cleaned and to have extractions of decayed teeth. […]
Are busy people happier in retirement?
Are busy people happier in retirement? Does keeping busy create good feelings? Does keeping busy give purpose and meaning to every day? Most retired people are admonished to ‘take it easy’. We are told to relax and ‘smell the roses’. Yet, for many, idleness creates boredom. If you, like me, learned to regard busyness as […]
Sometimes you’re forced to slow down
Sometimes you’re forced to slow down. Sometimes it’s necessary to retreat from the world — to stop completely. No appointments. No activities. No gym time. No cooking. No errands. Nothing.. I’ve had over a week of slow time suffering from a severe flu. I could whine and complain about the unfairness of such an illness […]
7 Reasons Why Smart People Struggle with Retirement
Why do smart people struggle with retirement? After decades of work, many take a hard look at their finances including pensions and government benefits. Next comes the decision to retire. After the hoopla of retirement celebrations, many question this decision. There are a few weeks — or months — of feeling that life is an […]
Coping with Fear of the Future
How can we cope with fear of the future? Why does fear of the future become a preoccupation as we grow older? Older people have many fears in common including fear of dying, fear of living in pain, fear of losing independence, and, of course, fear of getting old. Most days, some worry about getting […]
Retirement Happiness and Positive Psychology
In recent weeks I’ve been researching positive psychology for guest posts that I write for a UK newsletter. I’ve been considering how the principles of positive psychology can increase retirement happiness. The field of positive psychology is largely attributed to the work of Martin Seligman. Positive psychology seeks to understand the nature of happiness and […]
Does the way we think matter?
Paying attention to the way we think matters. Thoughts create reality through memories, observations, judgements, perceptions and intentions. People flourish with a healthy mindset that is focused on positive, worthwhile things. When we think positive and not negative thoughts, when we are careful with self-criticism, and when we treat others with respect, we cultivate the […]
