Had I known how much I would love being retired, I would have done it before I was in my early seventies. These are a few of my favorite things: My most notable achievements are pacific intangibles: neuroception, interoception, proprioception, balance, centeredness. Time to do nothing opens the world to everything. My social skills wane. My solitudinous skills wax. I own my oxymorons: luxury Subaru, almost vegan, intellectual spiritualist, denominational pantheist, arthritic yogi, aspiring author, fidgety meditator. I am a techie who turns off notifications, preferring to listen to the mourning of doves, the symphony of water in motion, and the reverberation of Tibetan bells and crystal bowls. I’ve forgotten my corporate ID, my login, proprietary programs, after-tax equivalents. I live new formulas and only care about my personal internal rate of return. Occasionally, my inner critic reappears, let's call her Lucy, like Sharon Salzberg taught us to do. These days, when Lucy rears her ugly head, I greet her with, Hey, girlfriend! Sit your silly ass down, and let me serve you some sassafras tea to soothe your sanctimonious Satan-esque tongue. Stay as long as you want, because I care not one whit. I am out of your reach. Your siren no longer scares me. The sweet thrill of staycation wafts through my body healing my weary soul. My previous drug of choice, success, no longer drives me. I’ve given up doing, for being. So, friends, wherever you are in the workforce, your first job, twenty years in, on the home stretch, or already retired, take that first step. Kiss your inner critic goodbye, and find solace.
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I love sassafras tea for a sanctimonious Satan-esque tongue! Lovely.
So fun to be in touch and I've taking your suggestion, and returned to the major and I prompt and it's working well. I feel amazing 48 hours post surgery. I'll be in touch. Have a great weekend.