Tic, Toc, Tic....

If you're like me, living and striving everyday to do great things, I know you've had these or similar thoughts. As the days and weeks come and go, do you find yourself working harder and harder to just keep up. It is by no means a secret that time is a factor we can't control.  As I look around and face the person staring back at me in the mirror, I see lots of changes as a result of the ole'clock on the wall. For example, there was a time when my hair line was further towards the front of my head, as opposed to its current location (don't laugh, if you're a guy, just stick around, your time is coming too).  

I can remember sitting and watching one of my favorite cartoons, which at the time made me laugh and laugh. It was all over something he constantly said... something about whether or not he had or did not see a... "Putti Cat".

Yes!, I'm talking about TWEETY.

I can't find very many people who have forgotten him, and amazingly they all are still quite fond on the little yellow bird in the cage who just drove Sylvester the cat crazy.

Ok sorry, I got a little carried away. Here's my point. Time was just as much a factor when I was younger and its still very much a factor as I grow older today.

Two days ago I was browsing the enternet and came across this photo of my favorite childhood cartoon character who, to my disbelief was pictured at age 60.

Noooo!! say it isn't so. Where has the time gone. I mean he still favors TWEETY, but oh how he's changed.

I wonder what the heck, Sylvester looks like these days...ummm.

You Can do It!

Being retired, can and should be one of those wonderful special places, to find yourself in this life. Especially, if you're ending your responsibility to the workforce, on your own terms and most importantly you're leaving in good health. At least that's the way it was for me, (Thank You God).

Of course, there may be some newly acquired stresses that come with this monumental event. Like the stress of wondering, what am I going to do differently everyday, with all this uncharted free time? This was my response to that question. I would say, "Remember, I have the rest of my life, to do whatever I want to do, with the rest of my life.

First of all, if you haven't left yet, take the time now to put somethings in order. Start by sitting down and putting your thoughts about what it will mean to YOU to retire. If you're starting to feel some anxiety over just the mere thought of this topic, then examine the what and why, that maybe fueling this emotion. Next, maybe you may want to sit down with a professional to talk about future health insurance and additional financial matters that are not provided by your pension.

Then, I suggest you focus on obligating yourself to doing and achieving all those incredible FUN things, you never had the time to take advantage of, when you where a slave to the J.O.B., which really should have stood for the place that caused you to be, "Just above BROKE" ummmm.

I discovered, that I could now spend the entire day at the gym if I choose to. It was the place that I encountered, countless numbers of people, whom I'd never met before. This was naturally a good thing, because it kept me from becoming a hermit, or acquiring that strange feeling of becoming isolated or lonesome during the day. I personally chose a fitness company that would allow my membership to used at facilities both near and far. So, if I did get bored with all those new faces; personalities; the equipment, or if I just wanted to change my surroundings, I would just go to one of the other gym locations provided by my contract. Then, I would have a whole new and different experience, discussing why this exercise is better suited for developing this particular body part and learning about some new supplement that everybody was raving about, and why you need to eat multiple meals during the day and then the importance of taking in the right amount of protein for muscle growth, etc, etc. Whew!

Suddenly, one day I also realized, that as much as I thought I hated the mere mentioning of playing golf (I'm a contact sport kind of guy), I was magically and mysteriously drawn to it. In fact, I signed up to take lessons from a Certified Professional Instructor, and I even went to a local bookstore and purchased a book called golf for people like me.....'dummies". Humbly, I had to accept the fact that, this game proved to be very challenging and it required a whole lot of patience and patience and some more patience. Get my drift?

There's things like addressing the ball; stance; etc., and that's before actually hitting the darn ball. There's learning about each club and what they're capable of doing, as well as gripping them correctly, and still I didn't really get to hit that little dimpled round and sometimes invisible sphere, that sits on its own throne (actually known as a "tee").

Oh but, when I finally did got that chance. The instructor gave me a green light. I put on my best golf face, grabbed a club, stepped up, squared my shoulders, planted my feet, took a deep breath, waggled a little ( I thought I saw Tiger do this once on TV), and then, I got so excited about the opportunity to show it who was the boss that..... well lets just say, it was a kodak moment and you've got to get out there and try it yourself. I'll leave it at that!

Bottom line:

There's so many things to do with your time, you don't have to do it all in one day. Life is awesome, but it is also short.

Day dream about tomorrow but, Thrive and Live in the moment of Today; Laugh a lot, Sing and Shout out loud, because you've really got something to Shout about; Love Unconditionally; Think, Sleep, Breathe, Walk, Talk, Exhibit and Share, Life to the fullest.

It's all up to you, if I can do it.. You Can Do It!!