In this episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie Doucette talks with Denise Taylor about rethinking life after full-time work. You’ll learn how to shift from striving to thriving, why curiosity is essential for aging well, and how to create a more intentional rhythm in your life.

Denise shares how her own “rediscovery” season led her to step back from intensive one-to-one coaching and lean into writing, research, and thought leadership—work that helps not only individuals, but also the professionals who support them. Together, Jacquie and Denise unpack how retirement has changed over the decades (from “finally rest” to “reinvent again”), and why so many high-achievers struggle with identity when the job title disappears.

The conversation also moves into a more mindful, grounded view of aging: shifting from constant doing to intentional being. Denise describes the restorative power of nature—especially time spent in her woodland retreat—and offers an alternative narrative to the “work forever” message that dominates many retirement discussions. The episode closes with practical, encouraging ideas listeners can use right now: stay curious, take ownership, savor the small joys, and try the thing you’ve been putting off.

What We Cover:

• The evolution of retirement — From rest and recovery to reinvention and choice
• Identity beyond work — Who you are when your title disappears
• Being vs doing — Why constant productivity may be holding you back
• Curiosity and aging — How staying curious supports wellbeing
• Intentional living — Choosing rhythm, meaning, and presence over pressure

About the Guest:

Denise Taylor is a chartered psychologist and later-life specialist who has spent decades helping people navigate retirement and midlife transitions. After years of coaching others, she is now focusing on writing and exploring what she calls “conscious aging”—a more thoughtful, intentional approach to later life grounded in both research and lived experience.

Connect with Denise:

Website: https://denisetaylor.co.uk/

Substack: https://ageingreimagined.substack.com/

Beyond Retirement themes discussed:

• Purpose & Meaning in Retirement
• Identity After Work
• Personal Growth & Lifelong Learning
• Mindset & Self-Talk
• Resilience & Emotional Strength
• Community & Connection
• Health, Fitness & Aging Well
• Creating a Fulfilling Routine
• Courage, Confidence & Taking Action
• Life Transitions & Reinvention

Topics:

living intentionally after retirement, identity after work, purpose after retirement, aging well, curiosity and aging, retirement mindset, life after full-time work

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

What you'll hear in this episode

1. Why Scott's line "You can't make new old friends" hits so deeply in retirement
2. How distance doesn't have to mean disconnection, and how technology can bridge the gap
3. The idea of a secret identity: the passions we set aside during the busy middle chapter of life
4. A simple reflection prompt: What did you get lost in before adulthood took over?
5. Why structure matters (and why motivation often follows action)
6. How shared purpose builds real connection and why loneliness isn't solved by staying busy
7. Practical takeaways to help you reconnect with people and passions in your own retirement

Key takeaways

1. Old friendships are a unique kind of wealth. People who knew you before titles and responsibilities can help you reconnect with who you are.
2. Technology is a tool, not a threat. Used intentionally, it can support real human connections across distance.
3. Your early passions are clues. The things you loved before life got busy often point toward what will feel meaningful now.
4. Structure creates momentum. Weekly rituals and commitments make it easier to begin even when you feel rusty.
5. Connection is the reward. The activity may be the excuse, but the deeper outcome is belonging.

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

In this episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie Doucette talks with Scott Walker, a newly retired executive-turned-musician, and the team behind Lootfish about reconnecting with passion and friendships after retirement. You’ll learn how to rediscover old interests, rebuild meaningful connections, and create a fulfilling post-career life.

Scott shares how he reunited his college band after decades apart and used Lutefish to rehearse weekly across multiple states—leading to a retirement-party performance at Smith’s Olde Bar (Atlanta) that was equal parts meaningful, terrifying, and unforgettable. But the bigger story isn’t just the tech—it’s what came back to life for Scott: friendship, identity, creativity, and a return to the parts of himself that got packed away during the “35-year detour” of career and family.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Who am I without my job?” this conversation offers a grounded, practical way to start answering it.

What We Cover:

• Rediscovering identity after retirement — Returning to passions that were set aside during career years
• The power of music and shared experiences — How creative outlets strengthen connection and fulfillment
• Technology enabling connection — How Lootfish allows musicians to collaborate remotely in real time
• Rebuilding long-term friendships — Staying connected through consistent shared activity
• Creating a meaningful retirement event — Turning a retirement party into a milestone experience

Key takeaways

• Retirement isn’t the end of your identity—it can be the return to it.
• Connection gets easier when you’re doing something together (not just “catching up”).
• A deadline can be a gift: it creates momentum, practice, and follow-through.
• Your “secret identity” is often hiding in what you loved as a kid.
• Technology can support what matters most: relationships, joy, and meaning.

About the Guests:

Scott Walker is a recently retired executive who returned to his early passion for music after stepping away from a 35-year career. By reconnecting with his former bandmates and performing again, he has redefined what retirement can look like.

Alongside him, Patrick Finn and Whitney Winkles are part of Lootfish, a company focused on helping musicians collaborate remotely through low-latency technology, enabling real-time online music.

Links:

• The Resistors - https://theresistors.com
• Their story: https://lutefish.com/blogs/the-hook/finding-the-groove-again-38-years-later-with-a-little-help-from-a-lutefish-stream
• Lutefish: https://lutefish.com/
• Evan Walker - https://open.spotify.com/artist/1s9kO42Yz9yhP7RGDI08d9
• NAMM – National Association of Music Merchants – https://namm.org
• Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta – https://sobatl.com

If this episode sparked something for you, take five minutes today and ask yourself: What did I love so much between ages 10–20 that I lost track of time? Then choose one small step to bring it back—one song, one sketch, one page, one conversation.

And if you know someone approaching retirement who’s worried about “what comes next,” share this episode with them—it might be the permission they didn’t know they needed.

Beyond Retirement Themes Discussed:

• Purpose & Meaning in Retirement
• Identity After Work
• Personal Growth & Lifelong Learning
• Resilience & Emotional Strength
• Community & Connection
• Creating a Fulfilling Routine
• Courage, Confidence & Taking Action
• Life Transitions & Reinvention

Topics:

retirement identity, life after retirement, reconnecting with old friends, hobbies after retirement, music and aging, creative outlets in retirement, building community, remote collaboration, staying connected after retirement, meaningful retirement activities

Why this matters (the “retire TO” connection)

Retirement isn’t only a financial transition—it’s a lifestyle transition. Jacquie invites listeners to think proactively about what they’re retiring to: a daily rhythm, a community, and an environment that supports who they are now (not who they were 20 years ago).

What we covered

1. Why a “forever home” can stop fitting as your life evolves
2. The idea of evaluating your home based on how it supports your lifestyle—not just your stuff
3. Kim Costa’s Wheelhouse Method: looking at life in eight dimensions to spot what’s out of sync
4. Options beyond moving: renovating, downsizing, repurposing rooms, and experimenting with new routines
5. The often-forgotten role of spirituality/grounding and nature in retirement happiness
6. Timing: avoiding the stress of waiting too long (or moving too quickly)
7. Living authentically in your “third life” and letting go of stereotypes about what retirement should look like

Key takeaways

1. Your home should support your life stage. What worked at 25 may not work at 55 or 65.
2. A home decision is also a life decision. It impacts your mobility, energy, relationships, and joy.
3. Not every solution requires a move. Small changes can create big alignment.
4. Don’t ignore the “soft” needs. Peace, sunlight, nature, and spiritual grounding matter.
5. Plan before it becomes urgent. The best moves are made from choice, not pressure.

WANT TO KICKSTART YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

What we cover

1. Why retirement is a “third life,” not an ending
2. The Wheelhouse Method: using eight life areas to clarify what’s working and what isn’t
3. How life changes (empty nest, health shifts, career ending, family moving) can make a once-perfect home stop fitting
4. Downsizing options: lock-and-leave living, reducing maintenance, and freeing up equity
5. Practical ways to stay put: “shut down” unused floors, adjust thermostats, and reduce cleaning/expenses
6. Repurposing rooms for who you are now (hobbies, writing, yoga, podcasting)
7. The most neglected area on the wheel: spirituality (connection to nature, grounding, sunlight)
8. Avoiding “should” decisions (e.g., moving somewhere because it’s what people do)
9. Try-it-first strategies: house-sitting, seasonal stays, and inviting family to test a destination home
10. Biggest regret drivers: moving too fast, not thinking it through, and market pressure

Key takeaways

1. Your home should match your current life stage. What worked at 25 may not work at 60.
2. Fix the pain point—but don’t create a new problem. Consider health care access, finances, and connection before you leap.
3. Enjoyment is allowed. Retirement is a season to reclaim what you loved—and design your space to support it.
4. Small changes count. You can often improve fit by repurposing rooms and reducing unused space.

Connect with Kim:

1. Website: lifestylefoundations.com
2. Socials: KimECosta

Her new book, Live in Your Wheel House, available now for preorder; ships March 24th! https://amazon.com/dp/B0GKTB5Z7C

Recommended Actions

1. Allow yourself time for reflection
2. Experiment and explore
3. Build a supportive community
4. Reframe your mindset about aging
5. Give back or mentor others
6. Take care of your body and mind

If you're struggling to figure out your next step, reach out! Talk to me at retireabc@gmail.com

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

Whether it’s painting, public speaking, or building furniture in your garage, your gem doesn’t need to make money to be meaningful. Sairan’s bold, no-nonsense approach helps women reclaim midlife.

To find out more about Sairan and the GemThrive Academy, visit sairanaqrawi.com

Here are 3 key takeaways for anyone planning their next chapter:

1. Build Your Lifeline Early: Relationships with family, friends, and community are just as crucial as financial planning. The support Susie and Tony received made all the difference during their toughest days.
2. Nurture Your Anchors: Whether it’s faith, creativity, volunteering, or something else—identify what keeps you grounded. Start strengthening those anchors now, so you’re ready when challenges arise.
3. Embrace Flexibility: Plans are important, but adaptability is essential. The most meaningful moments often come from the unexpected detours and from helping others, even while facing your own trials.

Retirement is a new beginning—sometimes bumpy, but always full of opportunities for growth, connection, and purpose.

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

Key Topics Covered:

· Retirement Expectations vs Reality

o Planning a life of travel and freedom

o Receiving simultaneous cancer diagnoses

· Navigating Treatment as a Couple

o Different journeys: radiation vs non-surgical care

o Emotional and logistical challenges of supporting each other

· The Role of Family and Faith

o Support from kids, including shaving their heads

o How spiritual grounding helped them persevere

· Redefining Retirement After Illness

o Embracing each day with intention

o Reframing 'lost time' as a second chance

· Lessons in Resilience

o What they’ve learned about strength and partnership

o Advice for others facing unexpected setbacks

Key Topics Covered

1. Intentional Retirement Choices: No burnout, just clarity
2. Passion Rediscovery: Childhood dreams reignited in retirement
3. Goal Setting Over Scheduling: Daily writing targets instead of rigid routines; flexibility fuels sustained engagement
4. New Experiences in Later Life: Saying yes to unexpected roles and hobbies
5. The Power of Openness: Embracing “flailing” and slow starts; staying curious and adaptable
6. Community and Learning: Lifelong learners never retire: connection as a pillar of post-work life

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

Lynn Katz is a retired school principal, curriculum writer, and educator who has reinvented herself as a fiction author in retirement. With a deep passion for storytelling, Lynn now writes both adult and middle-grade fiction, bringing her years of experience working with children and school systems into the heart of her stories.

She lives in Connecticut with her husband and enjoys kayaking, hiking, and spending time with her grandchildren. Her writing touches on themes of family, emotional resilience, school systems, personal transformation, and the challenges and magic of growing up.

Key Topics:

• Transitioning from leadership in education to creative writing
• The role of personal growth after retirement
• Navigating identity shifts when leaving a high-responsibility role
• Staying engaged with purpose and community through writing
• The unexpected parallels between running a school and writing a novel
• Giving yourself permission to try and fail at things

In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie reflects on a powerful message from her recent conversation with musician Ron Sowell: “It’s all up to you.” Drawing on stories from Ron’s life and the profound example of Viktor Frankl, she explores the idea that happiness isn’t about perfect circumstances, it’s about how we choose to engage with the season we’re in.

If you’re navigating the years beyond your career, wondering how to find meaning, joy, or direction, this episode invites you to reclaim your agency. Because growing old may be inevitable, but growing disengaged is not.

Key Topics Covered:

1. The difference between aging and growing old - Why vitality is a daily choice, not a number
2. What it means to “choose happiness” - The difference between agency and toxic positivity
3. Ron Sowell’s example of a life built on alignment - Choosing passion over security, and never looking back
4. Viktor Frankl’s lesson from the Holocaust - How mindset becomes a final freedom, even in suffering
5. Reframing retirement as a meaningful phase - Finding joy, purpose, and connection regardless of circumstances

MUSIC CREDIT: Ron Sowell - It's All Up to You (used with permission)

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

We talk Mountain Stage, creative purpose beyond “traditional retirement,” and why gratitude, meditation, and consistent movement are non-negotiables for staying vibrant. You’ll learn how to follow your intuition, why creativity never retires, and how to choose happiness daily.

What We Cover:

• Following intuition over expectations — Ron’s decision to choose music over law school
• Creativity as a lifelong path — why artists don’t “retire” from what they love
• Designing a fulfilling life — building days around passion, relationships, and purpose
• Aging vs. growing old — why mindset determines how we experience later life
• The power of gratitude — how starting the day intentionally shapes everything
• Happiness as a choice — how perspective creates your lived experience

About the Guest:

Ron Sowell is a lifelong musician, singer-songwriter, and performer who has spent decades exploring the transformative power of music. From live performances to songwriting and teaching, Ron’s career reflects a deep commitment to creativity and personal expression. He is also the musical director for NPR’s Mountain Stage, where he collaborates with world-class artists and continues to evolve his craft

Key takeaways:

• Purpose isn’t a job title. Ron never planned to “retire” from the thing that gives him energy—music.
• Daily anchors matter: meditation, gratitude, and some form of strength/mobility work are simple but compounding.
• Creative contribution evolves with age: performing, producing, and coaching other artists are natural extensions of a lifetime in music.
• Community keeps you sharp: bandleading at Mountain Stage means constant learning and collaboration with top-tier musicians.​

Links & Resources:

• Website: https://ronsowell.com

@RonSowellMusic

• Facebook: Ron Sowell Music

• Album: Dance Till the Music Stops (available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube)

Beyond Retirement themes discussed:

• Purpose & Meaning in Retirement
• Identity After Work
• Personal Growth & Lifelong Learning
• Resilience & Emotional Strength
• Community & Connection
• Health, Fitness & Aging Well
• Creating a Fulfilling Routine
• Courage, Confidence & Taking Action
• Life Transitions & Reinvention

Topics:

life after retirement, purpose after retirement, creativity in later life, aging mindset, happiness as a choice, living intentionally, retirement identity, passion after retirement

In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie reflects on a conversation with her friend Lynda Camire — and explores what happens when retirement doesn’t deliver the peace we expected. Lynda retired with a plan. But within days, she found herself checking the clock, wandering into her old office, and feeling overwhelmed by a surprising emotion: boredom.

This episode is about the hidden noise that surfaces after the structure of work disappears — and why that noise isn’t a sign of failure, but a signal worth listening to.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Why boredom in retirement feels more like pressure than peace
2. How unstructured time can trigger unexpected emotions
3. The link between boredom and mental clutter
4. Why retirement doesn’t quiet your mind — it confronts it
5. How to reframe boredom as an invitation to experiment, reflect, and grow

Key Takeaways:

1. Structure disappears faster than purpose appears.
2. Mental clutter loves a vacuum.
3. Boredom can be a bridge, not a wall.
4. You don’t need a five-point plan. You need a small spark.

Questions for Reflection:

1. Is this boredom… or is this mental clutter in disguise?
2. Am I judging myself for not being productive?
3. What have I stopped doing that I used to enjoy?
4. What am I trying not to feel right now?

If you’ve recently retired and find yourself feeling restless or “off,” this episode is for you. You’re not broken — you’re human. And you’re not alone.

Tune in to learn how boredom might just be pointing you toward your next chapter.

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

Lynda shares how she planned her retirement, and how that plan didn’t include just how bored she’d be in the first few days. From wandering into her home office out of habit to watching the clock like she was still on the job, Lynda’s story is a refreshing reminder that even a well-planned retirement can feel disorienting at first.

We talk about:

1. The emotional surprise of Day One in retirement
2. What happens when there’s no daily agenda
3. Struggles with identity when you no longer say “I work for…”
4. Learning how to stop watching the clock
5. Her passion for cooking and possibly turning it into something more
6. Travel dreams that are still on the horizon
7. Why “if you’re unsure about retirement, you’re probably not ready”

Whether you’re counting down the days to your own retirement or already in it and wondering “what now?”, this episode offers a real, grounded perspective on navigating the unknown with a little humour, honesty, and Thai food.

Links & Resources:

Lynda's episode is part of our ongoing season focusing on Mental Health, Enjoyment, and Personal Growth in retirement.

Know someone struggling with the early days of retirement? Share this episode with them.

Listen to more episodes at:

https://beyondretirement.ca/podcast

https://zencastr.com/Beyond-Retirement

Or wherever you usually listen to podcasts!

Do you let it out, or is it kept under lock and key?

Always remember: The toughest negotiation of all isn't with someone else... It's within yourself.

It occurs when you have to decide whether to stagnate or grow. Do you want to just stop? Sure, it's sometimes easier not to forge ahead, but it's not easier to live with the result.

The pain of regret or the pain of making change... which will you choose?

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

In this deeply reflective episode, Jacquie speaks with J. Paul Nadeau, a man who spent his career saving lives through high-stakes negotiation, and later had to negotiate with something much closer to home: his own regrets.

As a decorated detective, international peacekeeper, and crisis negotiator, Paul’s professional identity was shaped by purpose and intensity. But what happens when that role ends? In retirement, Paul was confronted by what he calls “the ghost of missed opportunities” — a quiet but persistent voice of self-doubt and regret that tries to convince us our best years are behind us.

Together, Jacquie and Paul explore what it takes to keep growing after life’s big chapters have closed. They talk candidly about mental health, the ongoing nature of personal development, and how we can choose — day by day — not to let regret write our story.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that growth doesn’t stop when the job ends. In fact, that might be exactly when it starts to matter most.

Key Topics

1. Confronting identity loss after retirement
2. Understanding the “ghost of missed opportunities”
3. Emotional recovery after decades in high-pressure roles
4. Choosing daily growth over passive regret
5. The life-changing power of mindset, self-talk, and forgiveness

Memorable Quotes

1. “The ghost of missed opportunities… it comes for all of us. The key is not letting it win.”
2. “You didn’t leave your value behind when you left your job.”
3. “Growth is a choice we make — again and again — no matter how old we are.”

Listener Takeaways

1. Reflect on one regret you’ve been carrying. Is it still shaping how you see your future?
2. Ask yourself each week: What do I need more of right now?
3. Reframe your timeline — you’re not behind, you’re just in a new season of life.
4. Make one small move toward something you’ve always wanted to try.

Resources & Links

1. J. Paul Nadeau’s website: https://www.jpaulnadeau.com
2. Book: Take Control of Your Life
3. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpaulnadeau

It doesn't need to be a flashy, public spectacle. It can be as simple as deciding to start choosing YOU first, for a change. Maybe you've always wanted to take a pottery class; well, now you can!

Or maybe you have a book hiding inside you, clawing to get out. Now's the time!

You don't need anyone's permission... just follow what makes your eyes light up, and your heart sing.

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

If you’ve ever wondered whether it’s too late to start again, this conversation is a warm reminder that it’s never too late to follow your curiosity, lean into your potential, and reimagine your future.

Following his retirement from full-time legal practice, Robaire founded the Centre for Contextual Negotiation™, where his team teaches others to navigate complex conversations, not with tricks or tactics, but through deep listening, presence, and perspective-taking. He sees negotiation not as argument, but as the art of helping people get to the heart of what matters.

In one of the episode's more unexpected twists, Robaire introduces his alter ego as a mentalist, someone who blends performance, psychology, and human insight. He describes his work as "Magic for the Intelligent Mind."

This practice allows him to connect with people on an emotional and philosophical level, challenging assumptions and sparking curiosity. It’s not about deception; it’s about awakening awareness.

If you're interested in having Robaire work his magic on your group, reach out to him at https://stateofmind.ca

Retirement isn’t just a financial shift—it’s a cognitive, social, and emotional transformation. Jacquie walks listeners through the science behind memory changes, crystallized intelligence, and the identity shift that often hits after leaving full-time work. She discusses why cognitive challenges, social connection, stress management, and focused attention are critical pillars of brain health in retirement—and how to cultivate them intentionally.

From avoiding multitasking burnout to using meditation and green tea to protect your hippocampus, this episode is packed with practical tools and mindset shifts to help you thrive.

Key Topics:

1. How identity and purpose shift after retirement
2. Why social interaction is a cognitive necessity, not a luxury
3. The dangers of retirement multitasking—and how to stay focused
4. Real ways to manage chronic stress for brain protection
5. The role of movement, mindfulness, and daily habits in long-term brain health

Thought to Ponder:

Are you structuring your retirement years for brain engagement, or letting distraction take the lead?

Try This:

Choose one activity this week that offers all three benefits: social connection, cognitive challenge, and joy.

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

Key Topics Covered:

1. The difference between normal memory lapses and concerning cognitive decline
2. How the brain actually gets better at certain things with age
3. Why “brain training” apps might not be as effective as you think, and what works better
4. The surprising link between movement and memory
5. How multitasking, stress, and even retirement routines can cloud mental clarity
6. Daily strategies for staying sharp without overhauling your life
7. The emotional impact of memory concerns and how to manage that inner dialogue

Action Steps:

1. Replace multitasking with focused, single-task attention once per day
2. Build a new memory-friendly habit around your existing routine (e.g., walking while reviewing your to-do list)
3. Reframe “forgetting” as a cue to slow down, not as a failure
4. Grab your own copy of Sharp: 14 Simple Ways to Improve Your Life with Brain Science

You can contact Dr. Huston via her website: https://theresehuston.com

Don't forget to check out her new book, Best Brain Ever, hitting stores on December 2, 2025!

Do you know what makes YOU uniquely remarkable? If you do, you're probably in the minority of retirees, because most of us haven't spent much time thinking about our purpose in those terms. We can all describe what we did or what our job title was, but that doesn't make us unique. What you bring to the table each time you show up... THAT is what makes you YOU.

Many people call this your "purpose". Whatever you choose to call it, this deep-seated knowledge gives you confidence and helps you make tough decisions... assuming you recognize it and let it guide you.

Learning to recognize what makes you unique gives you a lot of advantages, including (but not limited to):

1. establishing your identity
2. reducing indecision in the face of choices
3. building confidence
4. improving communication

To help you figure out what your unique trait is, think about two significant accomplishments in your life, a personal one and a professional one, and try to identify what was present in those events. Did a talent show itself? What belief(s) can you identify related to the event's success? If you can find a talent, skill, or thread common to both accomplishments, that is a great starting point.

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

In the inaugural guest episode of Season 6, Ian Chamandy of Purpose U explores the power of purpose—and why defining it in seven words or less can transform your retirement journey.

Together, Ian & Jacquie dive into how knowing your unique gift can provide clarity, boost confidence, and serve as a personal decision-making tool—especially during major life transitions, such as retirement.

Whether you feel uncertain about your next chapter or you’re simply looking to make more intentional decisions, this episode will guide you to the core of who you are and what truly matters.

🔑 Key Topics & Takeaways

1. What is Purpose (really)?
2. Purpose in 7 Words or Less
3. Trigger Events and Why Retirement Qualifies
4. Beliefs, Wants & Talents: Your Personal DNA
5. Real-Life Case Study: “Make It Simpler”
6. Why It’s Never Too Late to Define Your Purpose
7. How Purpose Can Enhance Relationships with Advisors

💬 Notable Quotes

“Your purpose is your gift—and your job is to share it with the world.”

“Purpose isn’t what you do. It’s the one thing that makes you uniquely remarkable.”

“If everything you do is a means to an end—what’s the end?”

“When you know your purpose, you elevate your confidence… and simplify your decisions.”

📌 Resources Mentioned

1. 🌐 Purpose U Course Website
2. 🧠 Book Reference: Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter
3. 🔧 Course Tools: Step-by-step videos, AI assistant “Wordsmith,” and open forums to support learners
4. 📝 Course Framework:
5. Phase 1: Deconstruct past accomplishments to uncover beliefs, wants, and talents
6. Phase 2: Build your purpose statement
7. Phase 3: Learn how to live aligned with that purpose

👤 Ian Chamandy is the co-founder of Purpose U and the creator of the “7 words or less” purpose-defining method. With a background in strategic consulting and communications, Ian has worked with over 400 organizations and now helps individuals unlock the next phase of life with clarity and confidence.

Beyond Retirement themes Discussed:

1. Purpose & Meaning in Retirement
2. Identity After Work
3. Personal Growth & Lifelong Learning
4. Mindset & Self-Talk
5. Resilience & Emotional Strength
6. Courage, Confidence & Taking Action
7. Life Transitions & Reinvention

In this solo episode of Beyond Retirement, Jacquie delves into the idea of living with intention...one small step at a time.

READY TO RAMP UP YOUR RETIREMENT JOURNEY?

Start here: https://beyondretirement.ca/start-here/

Book a FREE call with Jacquie: https://calendly.com/jacquiedoucette/discovery

Check out the Beyond Retirement Library: https://placeforbooks.com

But the time has come to bring it to a close. Beyond Retirement was started to guide me and all my listeners on the journey to the next stage of life.

Well, I've made it! I'm at the gate to life "Beyond Retirement" and I have to say I'm excited about the future!

As I mention in this episode, I'm looking for suggestions for a title to the book I'm writing about life beyond retirement. If I use your suggestion, I'll send you a copy of the book!! You can send your suggestions here: retireabc@gmail.com Enter as often as you like!

The possibilities I've thought of so far are:

• Beyond Retirement – Embracing a Fulfilling Life
• Creating A Vibrant Life Beyond Retirement
• The Good Life: Exploring the Non-Financial Aspects of a Great Retirement
• Golden Years: Embracing Life Beyond Retirement

If you like any of these, fire off an email and tell me so!

Thanks for listening. I appreciate you!!

There's no right or wrong journey. There are many detours and U-turns along the way. But in the end, it's the journey that really matters, isn't it. It's not the destination, but how you got there.

Start with gratitude. There is always something to be grateful for in your life. Finding that thing, even if it's small, will help you to grow and your happiness will increase.

Last week, Hugh Willard talked about the intentional aspect of generosity - how, in order to be generous, we have to look inside ourselves. Gratitude helps you be generous. When you are grateful for what you have, you want to share it with others, so they can also feel what you feel.

You don't think you're creative, because you've never been able to draw, or sing, or dance. So what?! There are many other outlets for creativity. Maybe you have an eye for interior design; perhaps you're great at telling stories to children. Maybe you're a whiz at math and can help the neighbourhood kids with their homework. Creativity comes in many forms! Find yours.

Brother David Steindl-Rast – TEDTalk on Gratitude & Happiness:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtBsl3j0YRQ

Today we talk about the importance of generosity in life, as well as its inherent link to gratitude. Hugh mentions that studies are showing substantial benefits to mental and physical health from increased efforts in generosity and gratitude.

While there are many instances in life where we may not feel especially grateful or where our generosity is tested, Hugh points out that by taking the time to delve into our experience of age we can often find something to feel grateful for, or the process can lead us to acting in a more generous fashion than was our first inclination. And this is what gives us the feeling of satisfaction - giving of ourselves, especially in a time when it is difficult.

Please connect with Hugh:

On his websites: https://hughwillard.com and https://findingbeautyinthegray.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/findingbeautyinthegray/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100082899096505

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugh-willard-81aa4869/

This week I talk a bit more about why I believe travel is so important and why it should be part of your retirement plan. You don't have to take off for distant countries; the village next to yours may have some fabulous treasures you've yet to discover. The point is, there is a great big world under our feet and it seems a shame to go through life without experiencing at least some of its diversity and wonder.

Leanne and Lyle invite listeners to reach out for travel suggestions and even encourage budding travel enthusiasts to start their own travel podcast. They reveal how podcasting has not only enhanced their travel experiences, but also strengthened their relationship. They share their stories, wisdom, and the joy of not being confined to a traditional retired lifestyle.

Lyle takes on the role of the researcher, uncovering fascinating facts about the cities they visit before they even arrive, enriching their knowledge and making their adventures all the more fulfilling. From visiting the Pity Palace in Florence to scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, Leanne and Lyle don't let age define their boundaries. They believe that as long as they stay healthy, there's no reason to stop exploring the world.

Check out the Beach Travel Wine podcast.

Connect with Leanne & Lyle at https://www.beachtravelwine.com/

It's important to know your values and figure out what your purpose is, but it's not important to keep that same purpose throughout your journey in life. Your purpose can - and probably WILL - change over the course of your lifetime. Understanding this will help guide you in determining how to live your life.

"What gets you out of bed in the morning" should be something that you're excited about, something that leads to fulfilment for you.

If you haven't figured out what that is, take a look at a couple of resources I offer on my website, a book called Finding Your Why and a short course of the same name. These will both help you move toward what your current purpose in life is, and by redoing the exercises in future, you may discover that your purpose changes over time.

Many people don't expect to talk about their values and purpose when meeting with a financial planner. But discussing these fundamental aspects of life can open up new possibilities and help individuals think more deeply about their retirement goals.

Joe introduces his Retirement Navigator and shares two sections of the program: understanding core values and finding purpose. He explains how, by clarifying their values and aligning their spending with them, people are better able to plan for a fulfilling retirement.

We explore the concept of "unique ability" and how it applies not just to business owners, but also to retirement. We discuss the importance of identifying and prioritizing activities that align with our skills and bring us joy, while minimizing those that don't. And we learn that it's okay for preferences and interests to evolve and change over time, allowing us to adapt and continue evolving.

But that's not all! Joe also shares insights on retirement planning strategies, the importance of starting early, and determining if retirement is the right decision for you. He discusses allocating income for retirement expenses, testing the viability of our retirement plans, and he uses examples to better understand values.

Throughout the episode, we see how Joe's own values shape his approach to retirement planning. And we discover that retirement isn't just a time to relax and enjoy ourselves—it's an opportunity to reconnect with our core values and start living according to them.

Find out more about how Joe can help you:

Website: https://www.retirementplanningsimplified.ca/

(You will also find the Retirement Navigator on the website)

Podcast: Your Retirement Planning Simplified

It's also time to relax, have some fun, take care of your mind & body... basically, to do what you prefer.

Be sure to check out Today's Elder, at https://todayselder.ca and Radio Downton, at radiodowntown.ca

On today's episode, she talks about the concept of retirement and how it can be so much more than just leisure, by adopting the idea of "preferment," which is investing in oneself and doing activities that bring joy and purpose.

On her website, https://barbarawaxman.com/, you can find Barbara's Five to Thrive quiz for achieving optimal health and wellness, which is designed to help people create their own baseline.

Barbara suggests examining the story of our lives to find consistent threads and working with coaches to go through lifelines.

Additionally, she talks about middlescence and how it's a time of reckoning where individuals have a responsibility to invest in themselves and live life fully.

Find out more about Barbara:

Middlescence: https://middlescence.co

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbarawaxman/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BarbaraWaxman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbarawaxman/?hl=en

But it's not all doom & gloom - the opportunities to expand your knowledge of the world, to learn about life "somewhere else" ... that's an exciting draw for many.

The most important thing is to go into it with your eyes open. Be ready for things NOT to turn out as you planned; be ready to make changes as you go.

There are basically two types of people who relocate overseas in retirement: those who are running FROM something (local politics, relationships) and those who are running TO something (better weather, improved quality of life). While both types can find new lives as expats, those who are running TO something tend to have better results.

Mike points out that there are many things to consider when moving overseas. The language barrier can be a big problem for some people, as can living with various economic classes close together. Many people find it very difficult to be faced with the poverty that surrounds them in Latin America.

Cultural differences are also big. Mike suggests that the most important thing to remember when travelling overseas is humility - "We don't know what we don't know".

Mike offers his Consumer Resource Guide to assist people in making this transition. The guide contains information on how to prepare for relocation, including a quiz to gauge your preparation level. It also contains information on each of the Latin American countries in which ECI has developments.

Download the Consumer Resource Guide by visiting ECI's website at:

https://ecidevelopment.com/

This episode is a bit of a recap of last week's chat with Joe Jacobi.

Key topics discussed:

• Combining high performance principles with life transitions and defining peak performance for yourself
• Finding purpose and balancing inner and outer self
• Importance of finding the right sports and staying healthy in retirement
• Choosing activities that lower the risk of injury and learning movements right
• Connection between health and creative pursuits

Joe believes that it's possible to create the life we want, but we have to be willing to do the work. That's where the peak performance comes into play - it's all about consistency over time. You don't get good at something by trying it once, but rather by repeating it countless times. It's the same with anything you want in life. So the key is to prioritize what's important and ensure that these are what you're focusing on in your day.

Please reach out to Joe for conversation:

through his blog, Sunday Morning Joe - https://joejacobi.ck.page/c5b7be8e26

or through his LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobijoe/

His book, Slalom: 6 River Classes About How To Confront Obstacles, Advance Amid Uncertainty, & Bring Focus To What Matters Most, is available on Amazon and other marketplacese online.

The hardest part is often simply accepting that a part of your life is over - that the activity you did for the last 20-40 years is no longer what you do each day. But this doesn't mean you aren't going to be doing ANYthing! There are many other activities - some new - that will take up your time if you let them. Part of your new job in retirement is to make sure that you don't get overwhelmed trying to do all the things.

Remember that it's okay to say no to people sometimes - you don't HAVE to be busy all the time. The most important point to keep in mind is that retirement is not only about filling time; it's about discovering new opportunities for growth, happiness, and fulfillment.

One of the ways to do this is to prioritize happiness in your life:

• slow down and take time to just be by yourself
• do some journalling or meditation
• focus on being present in whatever you're doing - don't always be thinking ahead about the next task
• remember to ask yourself if you're doing an activity because you WANT to or because you feel you HAVE to do it - and cut out some of the "have to do it" activities!

She joins us this week to share some of her insights into how to make retirement the best it can be:

1. Prioritizing Happiness
2. Finding Fulfillment and Letting Go
3. Expanding the Spokes on the Wheel of Life

LINKS:

Connect with Laura via email: lauracelesteblack@gmail.com

Follow Laura on Instagram: agingwomanconfessingstuff

Check out Laura's website: Www.Laurablack.net

One critical point that stood out to me was the idea of shifting from a mundane, gray existence to a vibrant, colorful life.

Sandi's work as a psychotherapist and coach reinforces the importance of identifying who we want to be, how we want to feel, and taking action towards those goals.

Her My Best Life exercise is an excellent tool for assessing our current situation and identifying where we want to be. By exploring the gap between those two points, we can make a roadmap towards our goals and aspirations.

Retirement is an opportunity not just to rest and relax, but to make a meaningful impact in our communities and leave a legacy that will endure.

Here are three key takeaways from the episode:

1. Focus on designing the life you want, not just creating one that others expect of you.
2. Mindset plays a crucial role in shaping our lives and achieving our goals.
3. Leveraging the support of a coach or mentor can help you identify your strengths and guide you towards your goals.

LINKS:

Follow Sandi on Instagram: sandishorttcoaching

Book a complimentary session with Sandi and get your “My Best Life” exercise:

https://calendly.com/seshortt30/life-audit-consult

 calendly.com/seshortt30 

Check out Sandi's Facebook Group – At The Crossroads In Life - https://www.facebook.com/groups/877074913382807

Download Sandi's Free e-book - https://expert-artist-3363.ck.page/caaf28d581

Check out Sandi's website: https://sandishortt.com/

End-of-life planning isn't just about medical care. It's about ALL aspects of your last days, and hopefully there will be a LOT of them to enjoy before you're done!

Talking about your medical care, estate planning, the legacy you'll leave behind ... this is all important to do NOW, while you're healthy and can give it the attention it deserves.

Kimberly highlights that end-of-life care should be focused on the patient's quality of life and ability to do what matters to them, rather than on painful treatments that can be cruel and rob patients of a peaceful and dignified ending. She highlights the importance of addressing conflicts sooner rather than later and embracing mediation as an alternative to the legal process to avoid a long, drawn-out and acrimonious situation.

Kimberly also touches on the important theme of estrangement and how it can impact end-of-life conversations. She emphasizes the importance of identifying what is important to all parties involved and notes that reflecting on how we dealt with conflict growing up can affect the way we deal with it now.

Please connect with Kimberly wherever you find her:

Website: https://www.bestconflictsolutions.com/

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimberlybestmediator

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bestconflictsolutions

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimberly_a_best/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimberly_a_best

Alignable: https://www.alignable.com/franklin-tn/best-conflict-solutions

By giving a rating from 1 to 10 for where you feel you're currently at in each category, you can get a visual picture of which areas of your life might need a bit of work to help you thrive.

The idea of retiring solo isn't new - there are many services and programs available in the US for people who find themselves alone at this stage of life. But there weren't any in Canada... YET.

Anna has changed that. With https://retiresolo.ca, she has designed a community where women can discover and plan a vibrant well-being in retirement... where you can have retirement on your own, but not ALONE.

Reach out to Anna at anna@retiresolo.ca or through the website to discover exactly what Retire Solo can do for you!

So what about part-time work? And maybe the service industry is the place to find it! There are many businesses looking for part-time help; you can pick the hours, decide on the services you want to provide, and there's no stress involved because it's not your "life work".

Servers, bartenders, dog walkers, cab drivers...there are so many options out there! Don't brush off this way to make some extra money and be part of what's going on, without taking the time to check it out.

Barbara believes that positions in the service industry are perfectly designed for people who are in their retirement phase of life. These jobs offer flexible work hours, provide opportunities for individuals to get out and socialize, and can often provide a little extra income to pay for the extras when there's no pressure to cover all the bills with a full-time job.

Find out more about Barbara:

Website: https://tippedfinance.com

Socials: @tippedfinance

Pam connects with people every day who are planning for their retirement and setting new goals. Today she talks about how to take the skills and experience you've got and combine them with your interests to find a new hobby that could turn out to be exactly what you're looking for!

You can connect with Pam on social media:

Twitter: @PamKruegerTV

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamkrueger

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamktv/

Stay up-to-date on Wealthramp too!

https://www.wealthramp.com/

Twitter: @Wealthramp

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wealthramp

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wealthramp/

The books Joe mentioned:

Refire Don't Retire by Ken Blanchard and Morton Shaevitz

Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

Mentioned in this episode:

Alumnor

Alumnor Ltd is a community based website speaking to like-minded women who understand the unique challenges of aging. Started by two best friends of over 35 years who want to empower and encourage women their age. One community to find all the resources to live your next best life. Discover supportive, like-minded women cheering your successes and encouraging your journey. Participate in live, virtual events that will invigorate your mind, heal your soul, and warm your heart. https://alumnor.ca

Alumnor

On his website, https://retirementwisdom.com, there are useful resources for navigating the waters of retirement and descriptions of the programs he offers to help clients who want a bit more guidance.

In this episode, Joe talks about having a multipurpose retirement - rather than trying to figure out what ONE thing is your purpose, perhaps you have multiple areas that draw you... take your time, figure this out!

Joe recently wrote his first book, Win the Retirement Game: How to Outsmart the 9 Forces Trying to Steal Your Joy, which as the title suggests, identifies the key elements that can sabotage your retirement, if you let them, and offers ways to counter them.

Overview of Topics Covered:

- Finding Purpose and Staying Motivated in Retirement

- Importance of Trying New Things and Reframing Expectations

- Challenges and Fear of Retirement

- Lifelong Learning and Setting Achievable Goals

- "Refire Don't Retire" and Serendipity Club

- Discovering Passions and Planning for Retirement

- "Design Your Life" Coaching Process

- Coaching Programs and Services on the Website

At her clinic, through her online business Real Life Medicine, and on her Real Health and Weight Loss Podcast, she helps women unlearn toxic diet culture and tap into science that promotes long-lasting health and permanent weight loss.

By mid-life, most women (and many men, too) have gone through numerous diet cycles and many have serious medical issues that can be affected by nutrition levels.

Dr. Lucy explains that the body works like a fire with a woodshed beside it. As long as the body is receiving good nutrition, it burns what it needs immediately and stores the remainder (the "logs"), to be drawn out when required. But different dietary habits result in an increase in storage and difficulty in extracting the "logs" when needed, resulting in the need to eat more, even though there is ample energy available in the body already.

By correcting the eating patterns, through proper education and practice, the situation can be ameliorated and some medical conditions can be reduced or eliminated. The main goal of Dr. Lucy's programs and teachings is to help people with stress management, mindset management and mind/body balance.

Dr. Lucy focuses on a low carbohydrate, real food lifestyle and advocates for learning how to read your body's signals.

Please visit her website to find out more about her programs and how they might help you:

https://www.rlmedicine.com

Resources for listeners: https://www.rlmedicine.com/free

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-health-and-weight-loss-podcast/id1539858012

I'd like to think that there's really no big secret to having a successful retirement. It's all a matter of going into this stage of life with your eyes open, knowing what you're expecting, and being prepared to change course if it's not what you thought it was.

There is a lot of mystery around retirement: what should you do, where should you do it, what plans are right for you?

Kim Curtis outlines questions to a bunch of these questions in her book Retirement Secrets, which you can get from Amazon.

You can also get the workbook that goes along with it here: https://financialliteracypress.com/retirement-secrets/

Kim shares with us many of the secrets found in her book, about how to have a happy, successful retirement. She believes that the biggest reason that retirement generally fails is that people are not preparing emotionally for this stage of life. It's important to know who you are and that's often overlooked.

Couples are very likely to run into problems if they don't discuss their individual plans and hopes for retirement. In her book, Kim has checklists for couples to help them gauge their readiness.

We also discuss the "5 D's and 1 big B" of retirement:

• depression
• dependence
• divorce
• disability
• drunkenness
• BOREDOM

You will find the Retirement Secrets workbook Kim mentioned on this site:

https://financialliteracypress.com/retirement-secrets/

Please reach out to Kim with questions or comments:

https://www.facebook.com/WealthLegacyInstitute

https://www.instagram.com/happinessdoesntretire/

www.facebook.com/curtisgehl

www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlylcurtis

www.youtube.com/channel/UCfYVRFXtjFYN-AoRuKt0mYw

https://twitter.com/WLILegacy

https://twitter.com/KimCurtisLegacy

The Dash Poem, by Linda Ellis, really stuck with me and it flavours a lot of my actions.

The conversations we have with our loved ones about end-of-life decisions aren't easy, but they're necessary. And how we carry out those conversations has a lot to do with how we live our "dash".

Mentioned in this episode:

Alumnor

Alumnor Ltd is a community based website speaking to like-minded women who understand the unique challenges of aging. Started by two best friends of over 35 years who want to empower and encourage women their age. One community to find all the resources to live your next best life. Discover supportive, like-minded women cheering your successes and encouraging your journey. Participate in live, virtual events that will invigorate your mind, heal your soul, and warm your heart. https://alumnor.ca

Alumnor

The basis of the Project is the idea that people are hesitant to talk about all the issues surrounding the end of one's life - and Kim is quick to emphasize that this isn't just about the last hours or the last days of life; it's about the last STAGE of life. The sooner we can bring the conversation out in the open and start to share things, the easier that last stage becomes.

With information about all aspects of life - healthcare, finances, memories, basic communication - the Project website has resources to support people as they traverse this road.

Open to all, because we find ourselves in need at different stages of our life.

https://lovealwaysproject.org

We don't become world famous musicians or athletes after trying something once; neither do we become great painters, writers, hula hoopers, or parents by just doing the activity once.

Retirement is the same - it takes practice, and it takes perseverance, to get it right. Be kind to yourself and try again if something doesn't go as you planned it the first time!

Faigie Kobre is here to tell us that this false belief is quite possibly simply the result of something you were told or experienced as a child, and given the chance to relive those youthful times with various creative media, you might just break through those false ideas and find that you're as creative and artistic as some of the artists in the galleries!

Faigie explains that there are many approaches to art and creativity and we're often sort of funnelled into thinking that a project has to turn out a certain way to be "correct"; nothing is farther from the truth! Art is meant to be carefree and as diverse as the people participating!

Check out Faigie's website for a neat little creativity bundle that can help kickstart your own creative juices: https://creativityreignited.com

Feel free to email Faigie with any questions you might have: faigie@creativityreignited.com

Mentioned in this episode:

Alumnor

Alumnor Ltd is a community based website speaking to like-minded women who understand the unique challenges of aging. Started by two best friends of over 35 years who want to empower and encourage women their age. One community to find all the resources to live your next best life. Discover supportive, like-minded women cheering your successes and encouraging your journey. Participate in live, virtual events that will invigorate your mind, heal your soul, and warm your heart. https://alumnor.ca

Alumnor

Healthspan, wealthspan, and lifespan are all part of creating the health longevity we're looking for.

Retirement shouldn't be considered the END of the road, but the start of the best part of the journey.

U-Shaped Happiness Curve - as we age, we're on the upswing again!

#retirement #retirementpodcast #liveyourbestlife

When people start to think about retirement, one of the things that comes to mind is where they're going to live. Many people think they'll stay where they are, while others have a variety of criteria that they rely on to help them choose the "best" place.

Ryan says that the right place depends on many factors, and the "right place" right now might not be the "right place" in the future.

Ryan's book, Right Place, Right Time, explores the significant role that place plays in our overall health and happiness, and in this interview, Ryan explains what we need to think about when we're deciding where to spend our retirement.

Please visite his website https://here.life where you will find a quick assessment of your current "home" and whether you should perhaps consider some changes.

#retirement

#lifeyourbestlife

#rightplace

#retirementlifestyle

#retirementlifestyleshow

#retirementlifestylepodcast

We talked about a lot of things related to walking. He had some good ideas for making the most of the time you spend on foot.

There is rarely an excuse not to take at least a short walk each day. So get out there!

Many of us are looking to be more active and more "fit", but we struggle with the idea of exercising regularly. David has been walking for fitness since donning his first Fitbit 2013 and he is a firm believer in the overall health value of walking.

His website, Walking is Fitness, and his podcast of the same name, are his testaments to how walking can impact your life in a positive way. Through his podcast, Dave encourages listeners to start off with just 10 minutes of walking each day - and he does it right there with you!

Today, Dave shares his approach and his recommendations for getting started on what could very well become your new favourite activity!

Please reach out to Dave with any questions/comments:

Podcast: Walking Is Fitness

Website: https://walkingisfitness.com

As we age, sometimes we're faced with problems that we simply can't figure out on our own - at least not the first time. Having a service at our fingertips to help when we need it means we don't have to struggle as much.

Let's face it - the IT department in our last job really did help sometimes, even if we always complained about what they did!

The idea stemmed from the founders' shared experiences trying to help their parents and other older relatives with tech issues involving smart phones, tablets, and computers. Ferrona and her business partner realized that as people begin to move out of the regular workforce, the usual tech support offered by companies' IT departments was no longer available and this left a void in people's lives.

By getting to know their clients, the staff at near is able to assign a specific "near neighbor" to each person, someone who will help that client with their problems on an on-going basis - like a personal trainer for technology support. Their goal is to teach each client to become self-sufficient, not to do the work for them.

Support is currently offered in person in Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco, but working through Zoom, it's possible to get support wherever you might be. You can reach out to Ferrona and the team through their website, https://feelnear.com and you can schedule a free consultation by emailing them at info@feelnear.com or by calling (847) 994-4111.

In today's episode, I talk about emotions and achievements because I feel that these two areas are sorely underdeveloped in terms of their importance to a successful life beyond retirement.

He is a Certified Professional Retirement Coach and University of Chicago MBA grad with more than 3 decades of experience. He's also the author of "Reimagining Retirement: 9 Keys to True Wealth".

Starting at timestamp 9:00, Eric talks about "NET WEALTH", an acronym he created to identify what he feels are the nine key components necessary for a happy retirement. He believes that traditional retirement planning looks at the first three keys, the answers to where and how you're going to retire:

• Nest
• Earnings
• Time

But the next six keys are crucial to how you see yourself in the future:

• Work
• Emotional energy
• Achievements
• Learning
• Tribe
• Health

He also talks about the need for balance between an "easy" life and a "fulfilling" life, because it's important to have both.

Eric can be reached through his website, https://retirewithpossibilities.com

His belief is that if you stop looking and stop learning, you're dead.

In proof of this belief, he's done (and continues to do) many things:

• has presided over a number of regional and national Horticultural Associations
• has served as president of Landscape Atlantic (LA) the original regional association, Landscape Nova Scotia (LNS), Landscape Canada (CNLA), ISA-Atlantic Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture, The Canadian Ornamental Plant Foundation (COPF) and the Nova Scotia Greenhouse Growers Association
• is involved as a volunteer with the new Municipality of Windsor-West Hants Communities-In-Bloom Committee and coordinator of the Windsor Tree Canopy Project
• has served as a national judge for Communities-in-Bloom
• has volunteered at numerous Olympic Games
• was busy with the Windsor Hockey Heritage Society, and with the Birthplace of Hockey Museum in Windsor

Stan's companies, Environova Planning Group Inc. and Maritime Landscape Services Ltd., offer full landscape planning, design and consulting services for commercial, institutional and residential customers throughout the Annapolis Valley, Metro Halifax and the South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada.

Stan tells us about the books he's writing and gives us some good tips on how to grow older and stay healthy and happy.

Day is the founder and principal instructor of the Morning Altars Practitioner & Teacher Training. He is the author of Morning Altars: A 7-Step Practice to Nourish Your Spirit through Nature, Art and Ritual, as well as a newer book, Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration and Change, which hit Amazon’s #1 book in three categories.

You can find out more about Day at https://morningaltars.com and https://dayschildkret.com and on Instagram and Facebook his handle is @morningaltars.

Today, Day talks about the importance of rituals in helping us make sense of and make peace with the changes in our lives. We all face many changes; retirement is one of the bigger events that rock our lives. So it stands to reason that we don't come out of it unscathed. Having rituals to mark our transition into retirement helps us to celebrate (and mourn) the end of this part of our life, and prepares us for what lies ahead.

Timestamps:

04:15 - Rituals versus Routines

06:50 - why do we struggle with change?

09:45 - 3 rituals around retirement

12:10 - description of each of the retirement rituals

She believes it's time to start rethinking retirement - it's not the end of our life, but the start of the next stage, and it should be thought of as a new beginning. As the Spanish call it, la jubilación - a time for jubilation!

She talks about the importance of re-establishing our relationships... to time and to ourselves. As mentioned in other episodes, our identity needs a bit of an overhaul; we are no longer defined by what we do, so we'd better figure out who we are. And we have to quit thinking about time in terms of how "productive" we've been in a given amount of it.

Amy's thoughts on retirement are well laid out in this article she wrote.

You can find out more about Amy and reach out to her through either of these websites:

Her author website: https://amywrites.live

Her book coach website: http://wordfirstbookcoach.com

In retirement, some people struggle with feelings of loss of purpose. All our adult lives, we are introduced to people as someone who "does something" - you're a lawyer, a plumber, a football player. But once we retire, that helpful crutch is gone and many of us are left floundering to describe ourselves when asked "What do you do?"

The key is that "what you do" is not the important factor anymore. "Who you are" takes on a new importance. Learning to establish your priorities and values in life is paramount to your happiness in retirement.

Laura feels that journalling can help us figure out our purpose. She mentioned The Artist's Way, by Julia Cameron, as a helpful program on journalling, for those unfamiliar with the process.

On Laura's website, https://laurabarkercoaching.com, she offers a free mini-course on getting present - teaching you how to become happier with who you are and where you are in your life, in less than 5 minutes per day. Check it out here.

Peter believes that having a plan is important for getting where you're going in life. The plan doesn't have to have ALL the steps, but you need to have an idea what direction you're heading. This plan is important as you head into retirement too:

• You need to figure out where you want to be physically (both in your body and location on Earth) - what sort of climate do you want, do you want visitors to reach you easily, how are you going to stay active?
• You have to be secure financially - the money coming in has to be greater than the money going out.

Peter has written a couple of books that outline the life lessons he's learned over his career. You can find both of them, What about the Vermin Problem? and Influences and influencers, on Amazon as well as on his website, https://peterchristianbooks.com.

Please reach out to Peter via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-christian-2723b69/

His website, https://strengthafter50.com, is very popular and contains a multitude of training programs and blog posts with information to help users get stronger and enjoy active retirements.

His free report New Rules for Strength Training After 50 is available on his website, along with 4 free workout videos.

Michal is the author of many best-selling books and he is a firm believer that the world can be changed for the better through consistent daily habits that bring us all closer to success in life.

Discipline requires focus to continue; keeping a vision board, meditating, reading inspirational quotes... these will all help improve your focus. And by making small and simple daily changes, we get the feeling of success and accomplishment every day. Keeping our mind focused on the small things helps us continue them.

Michal points out that at the end of life, most people regret what they HAVEN'T done, not what they HAVE done. The gem in this observation is that we don't have to accept the status quo - we can try to do a bit more each day to ensure that we don't have so many regrets.

He suggests that we write our eulogy to help us figure out what we want in life. By writing down what we hope people will say about us when we're gone, we gain valuable insight into what our deep purpose is.

Michal's website, https://expandbeyondyourself.com, contains his blog and his books, all housed under the theme "Change Yourself, Change Your Life, Change the World."

The program he follows and teaches was created by Shirzad Chamine and is based on the belief that we all have saboteurs within us. The primary saboteur, that everyone has, is called the Judge. We judge ourselves, others, and circumstances. The lesser saboteurs, or accomplices of the Judge, are present in varying degrees and they come to the forefront in different circumstances. The predominant accomplices differ from person to person and can change over time as we change.

The saboteurs are generated on the left side of our brain, where our survival instincts lie. They stir up negative emotions (fear, stress, anger, guilt).

The Sage is the balance for the Judge and the other saboteurs. Inhabiting the right side of the brain, the Sage is involved with the empathy circuitry and positive emotions (passion, purpose, curiosity, creativity)

Mental fitness is our capacity to respond to life's challenges with a positive rather than a negative mindset. There are three core muscles at the root of mental fitness and they constitute the foundation for change. The goal is not elimination of any of the saboteurs, but rather recognition so we can use the characteristics to our benefit instead of our detriment. The three muscles are:

• Saboteur Interceptor - being able to catch ourselves as we fall into the habit of each saboteur
• Sage Perspective - learning to address every outcome/circustance in a fashion that turns it into an opportunity
• Self-Command - simple practices to help us focus on "here & now".

Please check out the short questionnaire to find out what your saboteurs are: https://positiveintelligence.com and click on "saboteurs".

Patrick can be reached through his website: https://integralmastery.ca

Chef Dennis, who has been amazing followers the world over with his delicious recipes, certainly didn't let his retirement slow him down. In addition to spending many hours as a chef, he's also a travelling food blogger, a social media specialist and an SEO expert!

He's ready to share his skill and knowledge wherever he can - and you can find him all over social media as @AskChefDennis.

Be sure to visit his website: https://www.askchefdennis.com

In this episode, Chef Dennis talks about his journey from a girls' school to present day, with many anecdotes along the way.

His message is clear: Don't give up. Keep on moving & trying new things. Always look forward to the next adventure. The only way to fail is to never try at all.

It seems to me that most people who have this guidance seem to live a calmer, more generous life.

Is it worth looking into?

When Margaret gave her To-Do list to God, her whole life changed. She began doing the activities that popped into her head, and NOT doing things "just to get it off the list." As time went on, she began to see the changes in her life and in the lives of people around her.

Margaret has some thoughts on our themes for this season:

• Planning: As my mother once said when she was 60, I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Following this simple, but not easy, way of giving each day over to God/Inner Voice/Spirit leads to finding what you want to be for those who don't really know.
• Confidence: This path of turning each day over to the divine brings confidence as each day things just seem to work out.
• Generosity: Every day I am led to help at least one person.

Please check out Margaret's books and services on her website:

https://InHisFootsteps.com

Sandra had some thoughts on the topic, and Jacquie reflects on them here.

She also knew that life couldn't be planned completely - her favourite quote (author unknown, so we can't attribute it to somone) - is:

But being a "reformed" planner means that there are still lots of things that get planned. For example, she's got a fear of bridges, so she had to have plans in place for travelling across the US, because she knew she would run into bridges at some point.

Sandra is making the most of her retirement, because she knows it's important. Her advice to those of us heading Beyond Retirement:

Please check out Sandra's blog and connect with her:

https://www.oldwomaninavan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/oldwomaninavan/

Checking out companies like Downing EdTech could save you money, time, and energy...why not give it a look?

Dr. Sher Downing, CEO & EdTech Strategist of Downing EdTech Consulting, explains the importance of having a plan - or at least doing some thinking about what you plan to do beyond retirement - BEFORE you get to your Phase Two of life, as she calls it. Sometimes people don't even realize they have a passion that they're not following until they take the time to talk about it.

Sher knows how to help you with the next stage of your life. Whether you've finished one career and are looking to begin another or you're hoping to realize a lifelong dream of selling something online, she and her team can help you plan it and bring it to fruition.

It doesn't matter whether you're comfortable with EdTech or not; there are programs, services and people available to help you move forward.

Please reach out to Sher using the following links:

www.downingedtech.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherdowning

The bottom line, he'll tell you, is that convenience has a cost and costs compound. So it's important to strive for excellence over convenience as much as you can.

Joe is a martial artist, an ultradistance runner, a Cubmaster, and the author of Every Day Excellence - A Daily Guide to Growing.

Please go to https://everyday-excellence.com/ to find out more about Joe and his book.

Dr. Patti discusses the very real sexual issues facing ageing individuals. She points out that some of the "problems" people encounter can be overcome, but that there is the basic fact that as we age, some things change. In her words, things slow down, droop, and dry up! Positive self-talk can help... and Dr. Patti and her coaches can help with that.

She talks about the 5 elements of the sexual self and the fact that as we age, we are most often challenged energetically - we start to lose energy, from our sedentary life, from not sleeping well, from simply "wearing down" - and how important it is to counteract that erosion.

She is running a Mastermind Program in September, for high achievers currently in the sexuality profession. The registration form can be found here: https://brittonmastermind.com

You can connect with Dr. Patti through these links:

https://drpattibritton.com/

https://web.facebook.com/DrPattiBritton

Reinvention is something that can happen at any time in life; being ready to try new things is always beneficial, but especially so as we age. Randye talks about the various careers she's tried throughout her life, and about the books that she's written:

Ben Behind His Voices - One Family's Journey from the Chaos of Schizophrenia to Hope is her story of the struggle her family has waged to bring happiness back to their lives after serious medical issues were discovered.

Happier Made Simple - Choose Your Words. Change Your Life helps readers take small, immediate steps to be happier, reduce stress, and change the narrative of their stories. She has taken seven core concepts with the acronym BREATHE and applied seven core phrases to the concepts:

• Being - Be Here Now
• Reality - It Is What It Is
• Engagement - We're All Connected
• Appreciation - This Is Good
• Trust - All Will Be Well
• Humor - Isn't That Interesting?
• Esteem - Whatever Happens, I'll Handle It

Definitely a multipotentialite, Randye is a national voice talent and actress, a part-time newscaster and classical music host on NPR affiliates WSHU-FM and AM, a gifted audiobook narrator; she speaks frequently to professional providers and families about the process of coping with the challenges – including stigma – when mental illness strikes a loved one. She hosted the talk show “Issues and Answers” on Connecticut TV, “The Life Talk show” on radio and podcast, and now produces and hosts the podcast “Schizophrenia: 3 Moms in the Trenches.”

Please reach out to Randye on either of her book websites listed above, on her Facebook podcast page, or via LinkedIn.

Mark Ryall's novel, Age-Decoded, deals with a world where this is the case.

Step into the future... check it out!

Mark also competes in triathlons and represented Canada in the 2019 World Age-Group Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland. He enjoys acrylic art, painting historic structures, landscapes, and sports portraits.

The speculative fiction Age-Decoded is Mark’s first novel. He wrote the first draft about ten years ago to educate himself and the world about the imminent tsunami of genetic engineering. CRISPR-like technology will impact humans in physical and psychological ways, thus fundamentally affecting what it means to be human. The story peers 100-200 years into the future, allowing the reader to critically imagine and feel this new scientific frontier.

Mark talks about how retirement is a great time of life - where you can do whatever you want - and it's important to make the most of it. He encourages listeners to continue to grow and learn as they age; growing older is a privilege not afforded to everyone.

Please reach out to Mark through Quora: https://www.quora.com/profile/Mark-Ryall-2?q=mark%20ryall or via email at markpryall@gmail.com

His book, Age Decoded, is available at Amazon and other retailers.

Reach out to Eddie and download the first chapter of his book at https://ricespeechwriting.com

Knowing what to say when you're called upon to give a retirement speech (or any toast or speech) is a big deal - you don't want to bore people and you don't want to take focus away from the guest of honour if it's not you.

Eddie talks about the key elements of a good toast and how to pull them together to ensure that your audience is enthralled by what you say. He talks about how to prepare for the toast or speech properly and how to present it well.

She also hosts the Overseas Life Redesign podcast that shares success stories of international retirement as well as advice for listeners seeking to leave their comfort zone and experience life abroad.

Dawn has written the book Create Your Dream Life, available at Amazon and other retailers. In it she helps the reader figure out what that dream life might be and how to go about getting it.

Please reach out to Dawn through any of these avenues:

https://claimyourdreamlifebook.com/

https://opats.com/

https://www.facebook.com/dawndfleming

https://www.twitter.com/OverseasLifeRe

https://www.instagram.com/overseasliferedesign/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawnfleming/

George discusses what he describes as the caterpillar & cocoon cycle of life. The first stage of life is spent chasing awards, accomplishments, achievements, & money, as you build your little cocoon. The second stage, after the cocoon is shed, becomes the transformation into something new where you can discover yourself. The last thing you want is to be on your deathbed, realizing that you've spent your life following someone else's plans. So the way to prevent that realization is to ask yourself some important questions:

• Who am I?
• What brings me joy?
• What do I want to do?

The biggest "problem" as we age seems to be that we find ourselves starting to believe the inner talk - the voice in our head that says we're old and we need to slow down, or stop doing particular activities.

We tend to let our "sandbox" get smaller as we age. If we can stop listening to that voice, and just keep DOING THINGS, life will continue to be full and may even expand.

You can reach out to George via his website: https://georgejerjian.com

Currently 84 yrs old, he continues to lead an active life, with volunteering at a local Seniors' complex, where he regularly plays his accordion, sings, and dances with the members. He's been learning Italian since 1998 and has been doing meditation since the 1980's.

We discuss a variety of topics, beginning with an overview of his life up to now. Some of the highlights include:

07:10 - Alderwood Retirement Centre - volunteering helps you as much as it helps the recipients

07:47 - drawing a picture in high school, to make a stained glass window (go to Beyond Retirement YouTube channel to see the beautiful window in the video, approximately at timestamp 9:12)

Tom has provided a description of the symbols in the window. Looking at the stained glass window, Tom drew the monk in the centre with 14 pieces surrounding it.

11:54 - his path to becoming a doctor

18:30 - his accordion(or go to YouTube, approximately at timestamp 17:52)

19:40 - reason for learning Italian

25:00 - Driving Mrs Butler

27:00 - the Nun Study

33:00 - "A Night At The Opera" reading that emphasizes the need to live life NOW.

My "day-job" is finished and I'm ready to head out on the road Beyond Retirement. Time for the journey to commence!

I hope you're going to join me...

Going forward, the main plan for my podcast is to track down people who have made new lives for themselves after hanging up the keys to whatever regular J-O-B they might have held in the past. I'm not looking for people who want to talk about how to make it big in the business world, or how to run their own company, necesssarily. I'm looking for people who are out there living life the best way they can - the ones who understand that yesterday is history and tomorrow may never come, so today is a gift (remember, that’s why it’s called the PRESENT) and they are making the most of each day they've got. Maybe they left their job because they had to, or maybe they wanted to, but probably they haven't really stopped working. They’ve just moved on to other activities.

I'll also continue with my little musings in between my guests... I thought it might be harder to find guests, now that I'm switching the focus a bit but so far there’s no shortage. We'll see how it goes. I'm planning to do some travelling, too, some house and pet sitting, and hopefully I'll meet a lot of interesting people along the way.

But... here we go! It's time to see if I can live up to my words.

He has a website called Financial Fives and he's also the owner of a zero waste cardboard box rental company that he started while in university.

We didn't talk about his thoughts on financial preparedness for retirement, but rather about the other (maybe more) important aspects of life and how as we get older, we have more opportunities to reflect and be grateful for what we've got.

Gary believes that many people find themselves unsatisfied in retirement because they feel they've lost their purpose. They work so hard to be able to retire, without thinking about what life looks like afterwards.

He feels that we need to plan for that time in life while using it as a motivator. There is no better time to refocus on generosity and giving, volunteering your time for a cause you are passionate about, working on advocacy for social causes important to you, or helping plan community events.

Many of the things we take for granted throughout life, such as the protection of a park or revival of a festival, are put together by people who work on them outside of their job or in retirement. Research repeatedly confirms that we find fulfilment and happiness when we give our time and money to others, to causes, and work on something meaningful, rather than just putter around all day.

Find out more about Gary and what he stands for at https://financialfives.com/blog

Rick's goal is to help people live full, happy lives by showing them how to be the lead character in their own story. He believes there's no point in floating through life being a secondary character to someone else's star performance. We all have something to give and something to gain from life and we should be doing our utmost to make that happen.

The best way to reach Rick is via email at: Inyour2ndlife@gmail.com

Janice Lintz is the founder and CEO of Hearing Access Innovations, which is dedicated to showing businesses, entertainment venues, and government departments around the world how to grow profits by improving access to their products and facilities for an ever-increasing audience of individuals with hearing impairments.

Janice has travelled extensively and has seen varying degrees of success in accommodations being made. The vast majority of business owners feel that adding access to their venues and businesses is an unnecessary cost because the audience that will be served is quite small. In reality, there are 360 million people worldwide with hearing impairments.

(14:30) With Hearing Access Innovations, Janice is spreading the word about the spectrum of hearing loss and how to accommodate people at all points on the spectrum. She emphasizes that effective communication is needed, and it involves three parts: visual, audio, and qualified interpretation (sign language). If any of these three parts is missing, communication will not be effective. Janice's daughter developed a worksheet to help explain the interrelationship of the three parts. https://janiceslintz.files.wordpress.com/2021/10/effectivecommunicationworksheet.pdf

To demonstrate the three-prong approach and how to use the worksheet, Janice offers a summary of the US Museums' hearing access: https://janiceslintz.files.wordpress.com/2021/08/effectivecommunicationatmuseums.pdf

(21:15) How to help increase accessibility and understanding of hearing loss in general:

• take the worksheet when you're going to a new venue and ask what accommodations are in place and what the venue is going to do to ensure all 3 parts are presented
• tell your audiologist you want a telecoil in your hearing aid, or you want it activated if it's already there. They can be installed after the fact; if the audiologist says no, find another audiologist!
• Complain with a Solution - make noise and let businesses know that you want/need this access.

Please reach out to Janice through either of these links:

https://janicelintz.com/

https://www.hearingaccess.com/

Myles has some key takeaways in his talk... you can find them at the following timestamps:

30:16 - What does the Average Joe, who isn’t independently wealthy and doesn’t have a passive income source, do when he reaches “retirement time”?

There’s no going back in time: if you didn’t start saving/investing in your 30s and just enjoyed life and floated along, there’s no golden ticket for you.

31:08 – Sometimes in life you have to make the most out of what you’ve got.

33:00 – You should have thought about your life as a marathon and not a sprint. There’s a perpetual nature that we have to live until the moment that our body gives out.

32:26 – He speaks of breaking life up into 4 quarters:

1. 1-20 yrs – Learning - to walk, talk, communicate, socialize & start getting an idea of who you are & what you’re about.
2. 20-40 yrs – Building – build a career, family, home, life,
3. 40-60 yrs – Optimization – take the skills and knowledge that you’ve acquired and use it to maximize the wealth that you have
4. 60-80 yrs – Waning – you just hope that you’ve done enough through your life to sustain you through the years when things start to deteriorate

Life is valuable – you have to take everything you can from every single moment, because you’ll never get that moment back again.

38:14 – there are things that come in sets – a universal concept of balance: Up & down, yin and yang, sunrise & sunset, waves go up and down in surfing

You can’t beat nature – learn to be synergistic – if you’re ahead of the wave and start paddling, it will pick you up and carry you.

Never buy something when it’s already upon you, never buy something that’s past you, look on the horizon for the next one, and engage well before it comes to you.

Practice the skill and you’ll do fine in any situation.

41:09 – The rich don’t have jobs.

Please connect with Myles at: https://www.beunconstrained.com

Victoria firmly believes that there is so much more to be gained from staying active than from retiring from whatever you are doing. Helping people figure out how to best use their skills - to the advantage of both the giver and receiver in any situation - keeps people active and vital for many years.

Please reach out to Victoria to find out more about the programs and opportunities offered by Next-Up

https://www.next-up.com

1. Servant Leadership
2. Story Sharing
3. Activator/Igniter
4. Champion Enabler
5. Community Do-Gooder

These 5 principles have helped him become a speaker, a mentor, a writer, a problem-solver...and have enabled him to help people be their best selves and it is through generosity that the greatest impact is made. The impact comes in a ripple effect by showing others how to also be generous.

Sam says that the key to generosity lies in taking inventory of who you are (not what you do) and in remembering that the more you give, the more you get back. It's important to do things for others, but also to let others do things for you sometimes. He quotes Sir Isaac Newton in saying "If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

Especially as we find ourselves with more time on our hands, it's important to remember what you can share with others - perhaps it seems small to you, but it could have a profound effect down the road. He uses his own autobiographical journey to show how far-reaching our effects can be.

Timestamps:

20:25 - How to find the Extraordinary in the Ordinary - Storytelling requires CARPE - Curiosity, Appreciation, Reflection, Perspectives, Experience - the important thing is to go through life with your eyes open and your radar on, stopping to examine anything that seems even the list bit interesting or intriguing.

22:00 - We're all pieces of the puzzle of life

26:45 - How to decide what's going to be extraordinary in your day

Reach out to Sam with any of the following links:

Website – http://sam-thiara.com

Books – http://sam-thiara.com/mywriting/

Linked In - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sthiara/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/samthiara/

Twitter- https://twitter.com/notifications

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/sam.thiara.site

Penny Lee’s passion is to help people realize their full potential, unlocking their hidden abilities through the “4 Cs For Success”​ strategy. She connects people in business to expand their client base and build alliances for collaborative efforts which increase their productivity for a profitable return.  Her committed and tenacious nature ensures clients move through change in a positive and fun way.

The 4C's For Success are:

1. Commitment - Make a commitment to yourself, your idea & your continued growth.
2. Communication - Communicate your specific message clearly.
3. Community - Community can be 2 or more people (from your family to a large organization that you work with (your company) or a team sport, etc.
4. Collaboration - Collaboration is working with others to do a task and achieve shared goals

She has not only mentored many entrepreneurs to success in business over her 25 year career in sales & marketing but she has also found that the same success principals have led to phenomenal results in their personal lives as well. Her passion is fueled by the synergy created when like-minded people come together to support one another as a community.

As the Co-Founder of GradUit Thrivers Inc. Penny Lee Prevost is known as The Dancing Motivator, helping clients visualize a more exuberant and brighter future embracing the Positive Attitude Zone philosophy.

Positive Attitude Zone cards: https://steppingstonesforsuccess.ca/paz-talk-cards/

The incorporation of music and movement means her clients retain the information better. This also allows her clients to give themselves permission to have fun and helps open their mind to possibility thinking.

 Her passion of narrowing the gap with the next generation, adding value from adults in their sunset years with the implementation of thriving skills, and incorporating movement to music allows the magic to begin.

 You can often find her chasing sunsets with her husband as she travels the open roads on their motorcycle fueling her Friends Friday Fun movement for a brighter tomorrow.

Reach out to Penny Lee through any of the following links:

Mail: pennyleeprevost@gmail.com

The Dancing Motivator: https://pennyleeprevost.com/

Wedding Officiant: https://allseasonsweddings.com/en/wedding-officiants/profile/penny-lee-prevost

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pennyleeprevost/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsy2e4CDengNy1dMnWNDRbA

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peprevost/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pennyleeprevost

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PLPGradUit

Tim

Towards the end of her career, when other people generally start slowing down their lives, she sped everything up. Her own battle against an insecure mindset and self-sabotage became a pathway to new confidence in her 60’s. She divorced, moved, and finished writing her Masters of Occupational Therapy thesis.

Now a published author and speaker, Jill has been checking items off her bucket list (like running a 5k!) and she’s helping others do the same. Her book, Lamlash Street: A Portrait of 1960's Post-War London Through One Family's Story, tells the story of the strength and resilience that we all have, but don't realize till later.

Watching her mother go against the popular trends led Jill to do the same thing, questioning the "norm" and showing other women - all people, really - that we can do whatever we set our minds to, at any point in our life.

Please grab a copy of Jill's book, wherever you purchase your reading materials - it's worth the read!

The best way to get in touch with Jill is through her website: https://jmphillipsauthor.com/

Adding retirement to the mix of stresses in one's life can certainly cause overeating and weight gain.

Learning how to avoid this trap will help improve your life.

She tried many different avenues and studied many different modalities before she discovered Kundalini Yoga. And that discovery has led her to many new facets of life. As well as being an instructor of Kundalini yoga, Kara is an Optimization Coach.

She offers Optimization sessions where her clients get detailed information on what their gifts and talents are, how they are structured to thrive and what may be holding them back.

She offers live-streamed yoga classes.

You can connect with Kara through the following links:

https://www.karanicolebitar.com/

https://www.instagram.com/karanicolebitar/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kara-nicole-bitar

https://www.facebook.com/karanicole.bitar.7

She is on the advisory team for Nexus Insights, a think tank and incubator for revolutionary concepts in senior living and aging. She has contributed her information on aging to Forbes.com, Huffington Post, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.

A popular speaker, Dr Geber has spoken on many stages and at many conferences, with topics ranging from How Baby Boomers are Reinventing Retirement to Steps to Keep Solo Agers Happy.

She founded LifeEncore in 2011 to educate and coach boomers in how to approach retirement in a positive and creative way.

Her latest book, Essential Retirement Planning for Solo Agers, is an excellent road map for single and childless agers going through the next stages of life.

You can connect with Dr Geber through the following links:

https://sarazeffgeber.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarazeffgeber/

https://www.facebook.com/Lifeencore

The individual that Sara mentioned regarding more information about aging, Carol Marak, can be found at https://carolmarak.com/index.html

Emily is currently in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, but plans to have an international home in the future. She personally visits every destination that she recommends, to be sure that she is completely familiar with what the location has to offer, prior to suggesting it to a client.

Be sure to check out Emily's free e-books, "The Best Places to Retire" and "Your Action Plan to Retire", both available on her webiste at https://emilybron.com/media

You can find out more about her services and reach out to Emily at any of the following links:

Her website: https://emilybron.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-bron/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emily.belayev

One of the first things we talked about was communication in relationships and something Leah said really hit home – she said a lot of people have trouble getting along with others in their various relationships, and something that we all should keep in mind is that in all our relationships, WE are the common denominator! So, if I’m struggling to get along with my reading club friends and then I go off to the Legion and join my euchre-playing friends and I have disagreements with them too, it might be a good idea for me to step back for a moment and figure out what I’m doing in these relationships. Since I’m the one that’s having the issues in all of them, maybe I need to do something different.

We went on to discuss the difficulty that many people have with figuring out who they are after they retire. We truly spend all our life identifying with what we do. From the time you’re about 4 years old, people are asking “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and we’re searching our minds and looking outward as well, trying to pick the “right” character, the one that will make our dreams become reality. And as we get older, the first thing we’re asked when we meet someone (and the first thing WE ask) is “So, what do you do?” That’s where this whole identity issue after retirement comes from, right?

The important thing to learn and to really believe is that you don’t HAVE to do anything once you retire. Just being YOU is enough! And if you volunteer locally, if you mentor students at a local school, if you knit socks and mittens for care packages... those are all wonderful things that you do because you’re YOU.

One of the most important points Leah made was around this aspect – social standing has been an issue forever – when you say you’re a lawyer and the person beside you says she’s a stay-at-home Mom, there’s no denying the difference in the conversations and actions of the people around you. If you’re lucky, it’s a subtle thing, but often it’s quite obvious and we perpetuate it ourselves when we worry about trying to identify ourselves in those terms. As a retiree, it’s really important to remember – no, not just remember, but ACCEPT, that everything you’ve learned over the course of your life has made you who you are. It’s not just the job that you did or the profession you were part of. For your working life, you were IN service to the company or organization and the people that made up that select group. Now that you’re retired, you get to be OF service to society in general. Your skills, training and experience didn’t just evaporate because you aren’t employed by the company any longer.

So now it’s time to identify the skill set you’ve got. Remember that your skill set goes beyond what your job description said. Do you think everyone starting out in your field has the experience and skills that you possess? They absolutely don’t! So here’s a chance for you to be OF service... you could offer your assistance to new employees through a mentorship course/program. Or maybe you could start a blog about whatever it is you’ve done through your life, sharing the wisdom you’ve developed and the experiences you’ve had.

When Leah mentioned this idea – a blog or a YouTube channel – I’ll admit I got a little shiver of nervousness. Putting myself out there and trying to tell people about something? Yikes! That takes a lot of courage, right? That’s what I thought, but you know what? It really doesn’t take much courage at all...three or four seconds of insane courage is all it takes to do anything outside your comfort zone. One of the examples we discussed was the idea that if you were a doctor, you could give value to others by something as simple as telling people how to prepare for a visit to their general practitioner. These days, everyone is so overworked and short on time, having a patient come into the doctor’s office prepared for the visit would be a godse

Leah's message is simple: There is no better time to step out and be YOU! Learning to be "real" in all your relationships and all your activities takes practice and effort. Leah is ready to guide you along that journey. She knows there's nobody just like you out there - and once you figure out who "YOU" really are, you'll be unstoppable.

On Leah's website, https://leahsefor.com/freebies, you will find three gifts:

1. Ebook - 5 Ways You're Breaking Your Relationship and what to do about it
2. Audio - Open-Heart Meditation
3. Video - Stop the Self-Sabotage

You will find Leah as @leahsefor on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leah.sefor/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leahsefor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/leahsefor

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leahsefor/

She's also got her own podcast, The Get Real Podcast with Leah Sefor, that you can find on all podcast platforms.

kotlikoff.net

maxifi.com

maximizemysocialsecurity.com

analyzemydivorcesettlement.com

Every choice we make costs us something; whether we acknowledge that cost or not is another matter. To properly plan for and navigate through our retirement, we have to be willing to assign the appropriate costs to all the choices we make.

If we decide to move to a less costly location, selling our home and uprooting our life, we'll save money on costs like utilities and property taxes, gas and food. But moving from our current home has a cost - what about the friends you leave behind? What about the familiarity with the neighbourhood and the surrounding towns? You have to start all over in the new location. There is a cost associated with that - the loss of familiarity and the need to take time to grow it again.

These costs are part of Laurence's book, Money Magic, which is available in stores and online now.

Please check out what Laurence has to offer on the many sites he's got:

kotlikoff.net

maxifi.com

maximizemysocialsecurity.com

analyzemydivorcesettlement.com

I believe that heading into our Beyond Retirement phase of life is a great time to start taking a look at the people we’re hanging around with, if we haven’t done that already. EA said there are really 3 groups that a person can be categorized into based on their actions - there are Givers and there are Takers and as expected, they have different characteristics and they interact with us differently. The third group is made up of the Fence-Sitters, the folks who behave as either a Giver or a Taker, depending on whose company they’re in. This group is by far the largest of the three, as you can imagine.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot since our conversation, trying to figure out how to make it all make sense from a Beyond Retirement point of view. One of the ways EA defines the differences between Givers and Takers is in what they share with others. Givers bring wisdom, wealth and wellness to their relationships, while Takers bring defeatism, destruction and disruption to their relationships. Just going by those gifts (if you can call them that), I’d think it’s pretty easy to see that you’d be gaining a lot more from a relationship with a Giver than with a Taker, regardless of what phase of life you’re in. And as we travel the road Beyond Retirement, I think we’re going to find that wisdom, wealth and wellness are concepts that we want to pursue, whether or not we’ve done so up to this point, because these are the concepts that are going to take us forward and bring us closer to the joy and fulfilment that we’re looking for in this stage of life. So being able to figure out whether you’re chatting with a Giver or a Taker is a pretty important skill to acquire, I’d say.

The next thing EA mentioned is the idea that we should separate the people in our lives from their actions. Usually, we make a decision about a person based on what they say and do; we decide whether or not we like them because we either like or dislike their actions or words. But EA pointed out that we can like or love a person and not like or love what they’re doing. He called this discernment. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines discernment as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.” To grasp means to lay hold of with the mind and obscure means not known to most people; likely to be understood by only a few people; difficult or impossible to know completely and with certainty. So, the bottom line here is that developing the quality of discernment will probably set you apart from the majority of people and with this skill, you’ll be able to really see people for who they are and figure out whether they’re going to drain you or fill you up. And I think it’s safe to say that by the time we get to the stage of life we’re in, we aren’t looking for people to drain us!

Something I learned quite a while ago that’s stuck with me is the idea that you become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. The idea here is that you start to think like these people and act like these people, so consequently your choices are similar, and you will eventually rise or fall to the level that is about midline of that group. Depending on the group you’re in, you are someone’s number 1 or number 5 too, and they’ll be moving up or down to match where you are. All of this is quite subconscious, naturally, but the act of finding and maximizing the potential of your group should be no accident. Especially as you’re going into the retirement years. You’ll want to find people who share your interests and values, people who see things the way you do, because these are the people who are going to help you make the transition and create the best life you can have.

So how do you find these people? I think the first step is to start examining the people you spend time with now. What are they doing?

At the age of 19, he met Sam Robbins, a millionaire businessman from Detroit, Michigan. Sam took E. A. under his wing and began to mentor him. E. A. began working for Sam at the House of Holland Jewelers in the diamond business.

In 1980, Sam established a private grant meant to be a part of his legacy due to his lifelong fight with diabetes. Due to this grant in 1980, Sam and E. A. began to formulate heart healthy and wellness nutritional foods and drinks. Over the next 45+ years, E. A. was blessed with many business and personal achievements.

Professional Achievements:

• Chairman of House of Holland Jewelers at 21 years old.
• Started and operated Columbia Nutrition System, consisting of an international workforce organization of over 10,000 managers and professionals.
• Started and operated Delta International, which included building an international workforce organization of over 33,000, producing multimillions of dollars in volume.
• Hosted a business radio talk show (E. A. Csolkovits Live) which was heard across the U.S.A. and Canada, interviewed 3 different company presidents for 5 nightly shows each week.
• High-end, Results-oriented business consultant who received as much as $1,500 per hour for his business advice.

Personal Achievements:

• Millionaire at age 23.
• 1st year of personal income exceeding $1 million in 1 year in 1989 at 33 years old.
• Owner of a 1,000-acre wildlife sanctuary.
• Commercial pilot with multi-engine complex and instrument ratings.
• 2nd degree black belt in martial arts.
• Advanced PADI certified scuba diver.
• Authored and completed the updated versions of the courses and books he titled The GIVERS Mindset™, The GIVERS Lifestyle™ and The GIVERS Lifelong Learning™ for the GIVE To Be Great™ series while serving at Morgantown, West Virginia
• Founder and Patriarch of the GIVERS University to teach others worldwide about GIVERS and Takers.
• Invented the world’s first and only nutritional and healthy foods and drinks formulations using a special Fibonacci sequence code combined with the Divine numerical code which exists in all of nature while serving at Morgantown, West Virginia.
• Encoded the world’s first and only Wellness foods and drinks containing the secret Nutrient Dense Foods® Code which blends both the Fibonacci Code with the Divine Code which exists in all of nature.
• Researched, selected, scribed, and completed “The GIVERS Codex™, which is based on the original Intelligent Design inspired by Ancient Texts.

Link Mentioned In the Podcast:

To Get Free Downloads: http://www.GIVERSuniversity.com

YouTube Channel for GIVERS University (Weekly Episodes of “Discern”): https://YouTube.com/GIVERSuniversity

Go to this URL to do your 5-min Quiz: http://www.giversuniversity.info Quiz Title: “What Is Your GIVERS & Takers Awareness IQ?” Do the 7-Question Quiz & get your FREE assessment & your FREE usable downloads

Connect with E.A.:

YouTube: https://YouTube.com/GIVERSuniversity

LinkedIn:

This season, I'm going to try to focus on a few themes that I've come up with, in an attempt to keep on track with the idea of retirement preparation.

The themes for this season are PLANNING, FREEDOM, CONFIDENCE, and GENEROSITY. Each of the guests I speak with this season will have something to share with us relating to at least one of these themes.

I'm hoping to get some input from the audience as well - topics you'd like to hear about, people you think would be interesting to hear from, anything that might relate to making retirement great for you and others.

As always, you can reach me at retireabc@gmail.com or by clicking any of the links on my website, https://www.beyondretirement.ca

Here's to you - thanks for listening!

Grab Pragito's free gift by going to https://www.discovermeditation.com/contact

Expressive meditation, described in my interview with Pragito Dove, can involve various forms of expression, including (but not limited to) laughing, humming, gibberish, and dancing. The key is to find the release that works best for you, to allow the release of pent-up emotions and the drop into awareness that follows.

 Pragito helps spiritually conscious individuals (entrepreneurs, leaders, CEOs, teachers, and healers) align their mindset to allow more peace, time, and financial freedom.

 Featured in media including TV Shows, Tele-summits, and top-level Podcasts, Pragito shares powerful tools for wellness, meditation, and personal growth.

Pragito's new book, LUNCHTIME ENLIGHTENMENT: Expressive Meditations for Manifesting Peace, Prosperity and Passion, is available at Amazon.

Pragito offers the listeners her 3-part video series Abundance Activation. Here's the link: www.DiscoverMeditation.com/contact

Please visit Pragito's website to find out more and to contact her: www.DiscoverMeditation.com

He explains his Beyond Intention Paradigm, which is a 4-step process:

1. Accept – mindset
2. Clear – action
3. Gratitude – way of life
4. Listen, reflection, observation

Dan also has a few coaching programs available, focusing on financial abundance. He says they focus on financial abundance because when the worries of finances are removed from the equation, people have more mental and emotional ability to look for solutions to their other problems.

Dan has written a number of books and he indicated that these would be most relevant to people on their way or already in retirement.

The Dreamers' Manifesto - inspires people to connect with what lights their soul on fire and gives them the understanding that they deserve it; it follows Dan's catchphrase: "dream with your eyes open"

Stepping Beyond Intention - describes Dan's 4-step model, where it came from, and how to apply it to your life.

Please follow Dan on Instagram: @dreamerceo and check out his website: dreamwithdan.com

Reach out to Dan for a conversation about where you're heading, at daniel@dreamwithdan.com

He is the author of the best-selling book, Boomer Reinvention: How to Create your Dream Career Over 50 and has been named a Top Influencer in Aging by PBS/NextAvenue.

John's main focus is the idea that you don't have to retire if you don't want to. There are many different avenues that you can transfer into to bring you closer - or right TO - your dream career. There is another spot for you if you want it.

You always want to think about yourself as a consultant, even if you’re not an entrepreneur or freelancer: Consultant providing value to a client, unlike an employee taking direction from a supervisor. It’s a mindset: "what is a problem that I can find and then solve." Don’t just show up and do the work. Take responsibility for your work.

John is offering a free ebook to help you begin the process to start your next career move. You can get the book at:

go.johntarnoff.com/3steps

You can connect with John at:

https://johntarnoff.com

https://linkedin.com/in/johntarnoff

Mark is a former radio talk show host, an author, and the go-to financial educator in the media. His most recent book, Don’t Outlive Your Money in Retirement! 7 Key Steps, unveils the step-by-step process used to help maximize the retirement journey.

Among other topics in the interview, he talks about the retirement "red zone" - the period from 4-5 years before retirement to 4-5 years after retirement - when there are some serious conversations that have to take place in preparation for retirement. A good retirement plan takes good planning.

You can reach out to Mark on any social media platform:

Website: http://www.55retire.com

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/55Retire

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/55retire/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksingercfp/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/55retire

        I guess the first big take-away from my interview with Patrick has to be that it’s important to keep learning – and be passionate about it as you go through life – because it leads not only to improved brain health but also increased physical health. Patrick pointed out a few research studies that show how studying music decreases rates of depression and increases both cognitive and verbal skills.

        Of course, not everyone wants to learn an instrument; I get that. But there are many other things to learn. Try a new language, or maybe pick a time period from history and start learning what you can about that period. I’d be willing to bet that ANY period in history had something interesting going on that you don’t currently know about.

        The second thing that Patrick talked about that I’m really interested in is the idea of how to create habits. He talked about “Flossing 1 Tooth”, the idea being that if you don’t generally floss your teeth, but you want to start, one way to do it is to decide that you’re going to floss 1 tooth today. And then tomorrow, you floss that one tooth again, and 1 more. Chances are good that if you take the time to floss that first tooth, you’ll keep on and do the rest anyway. It works the same way with just about anything that you want to create a habit of doing.

I wrote a blog post about this topic a while ago – actually, the post was about 3 different books I read on the idea of habits and small changes. The books are The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson, and Atomic Habits by James Clear. The basic premise of each of them is that by making small, seemingly insignificant changes each day, you can have a profound overall effect on your life. Those small changes can be positive or negative, meaning that if you keep making small negative choices – such as watching another hour of tv at night instead of going for a walk – over time, the resulting impact will be much larger and still negative, while each day, the impact doesn’t seem to be much at all. An extra hour of tv isn’t really going to change your day too much...you might even feel perversely BETTER, if you’re a bit tired from your day, to just relax for the evening. And one day is nothing, you tell yourself. But tomorrow night, because today’s activity (or lack of it) didn’t really affect you badly, you might choose to do nothing again. Do you see how it compounds? After a few days, it’s much easier to forego the exercise in favour of the relaxation. The guilty voice in your head has been pushed aside by the little demon guy who’s saying “See? No problem! You can relax!”

By the same token, it’s pretty easy to make small positive changes without really changing your life drastically. Maybe you’ve decided to take up that instrument we spoke of earlier. So today, you play for just 5 minutes, learning how to make some sound come out of whatever instrument it is. No big deal, right? 5 min is nothing. Then tomorrow, you do the same thing again, but because you already did 5 min today, you get a bit further because you already know how to make the sound. And the next day, you’ve actually played a couple of notes, or a chord, or whatever. Now you can start to see the change happening and it gets easier to take that 5 min. It might even turn into 10 or 15 min after a couple of days, when you start to see the compounding effects of the small changes. I know you

• Improved mood & reduced levels of anxiety and depression
• Maintenance of language & speech skills
• Improved multi-tasking ability
• Increased ability for Injury recovery and brain rewiring

That last point - brain rewiring - is fascinating! Neuroplasticity is something that I’ve been interested in for a long time, and Patrick spoke about the fact that musicians have more grey matter than non-musicians. The ability of the brain to form new connections (rewire itself) is a key factor in the brain’s ability to recover from trauma or injury. He wasn’t making this up - he shared the scientific studies that prove all of these benefits and triggered his own curiosity to discover them for himself. 

Patrick has been teaching guitar for years (20k students have enrolled in his online guitar courses). He told me that during the pandemic, around a third of the emails he gets from students are people who have retired and started to play guitar for the first time after years of wanting to do so. 

“People often believe their hands or too big or small or that they are just not musical enough,” Patrick says “but really the key factor is that nobody wants to spend days sounding terrible at an instrument to finally become good in the end. So I have created a course that’s fun and rewarding - YOU CAN SOUND GOOD WITHIN YOUR FIRST HOUR OF PLAYING. That’s the big secret right there.”

For a limited time, you can get his beginner's program for 50% off: http://bit.ly/guitar-retireabc

        I agree with this idea completely! The majority of people I know have a LOT of things going on in their lives, so many different parts that all need attention from us. It’s really important to take the time to tune it all out for awhile and just relax. From the time we get up till the moment our head hits the pillow at night, most of us have so many thoughts running through our head that we have trouble keeping them all straight. As we age, people laugh about “senior moments” and about our memory being the first thing to go. It’s no wonder our memory fails us sometimes; we’re always trying to remember so many things. That’s why I’m a big proponent of making lists. It frees up that valuable space in your brain for other things that are more important than whatever is going on the list. We don’t have to have lists in our head when they can be on paper or on our phone.

        The idea of establishing office hours is a wise one. We can set aside time that is specifically for us – no uninvited guests, no clients without appointments, no urgent activities. It’s time that we can do nothing. Whether you choose to “do nothing” by meditating, by walking alone along a quiet road or in a forest, or by simply sitting silently in your favourite chair, staring out the window, is up to you. The point is to be silent and do nothing. No scrolling through your phone, surfing the web, no reading a book, no conversation. Just you, alone with yourself. It doesn’t have to be a long time; even 30 min a day would be enough. I imagine a few of you are cringing at the idea of spending quiet time, without electronics, just “being still.”

        But, as John said, we’ve all got a creative, magical part inside us that has hopes and dreams. Many of us push those hopes and dreams aside as we get involved in our lives. But that part of us doesn’t really sleep, so if you give yourself time to get in touch with it, you can pull out some of the hopes and dreams that you stuffed down for so long. You can remember the things that excited you, the things that spurred you on when you were younger.

        An interesting point that John made was that we are the only creature on Earth that can dream and then wake up and bring those dreams to reality. And it’s a shame that so many of us don’t take the time to really get in touch with those dreams and pull them out to make them real.

        Many people I’ve talked to over the course of this podcast and as I journey toward retirement have said that they want to give back, to help others the best way they can. This is wonderful; I believe that deep down everyone has the same purpose – to help others live a great life. And I think many of us forget that purpose, or maybe haven’t realized yet that this is truly what they want. I’m not saying everyone wants to be a coach or a missionary or build homes for underprivileged people. What I mean is that whatever we’re doing, once we get past the superficial reasons that we do what we do (which, by the way, is generally to make money to survive, and then to make more money to live the life we think we want) we’re really doing it to make someone’s life better. The doctors and dentists and other healthcare people do this in an obvious way, but the plumber makes lives better by fixing leaks and installing toilets. T

He's now got a lot of time to think about the responsibility of the people in the world who are privileged to ensure that those same privileges are available to the rest of the Earth's population.

He believes that we should strive every day to ensure we move toward the day when everyone can enjoy what we (as the privileged) take for granted.

In terms of preparing for and living BEYOND retirement, his wise advice is to ensure we find time for leisure. It's important to establish "office hours" for the things going on in our heads and in the world around us, to ensure that they don't overwhelm us.

John has written a couple of books, both of which are available from Amazon and other book retailers.

All's Well - Where Thou Art Earth and Why; and

Good With Money - A Rich Guy's Guide To Gaining Everything By Losing It All

She believes that many people, women in particular, are choosing to settle for less than they can achieve in their lives.

Lisa's message is simple at its core, but oh-so-difficult for many people to grasp and follow:

Your goal should be to make your life extraordinary. This can be accomplished through clarity about where you are and what your values are. To get that clarity, you must do the following:

1. Acknowledge if you're settling for "okay" or "mediocre"
2. Honour where you are
3. Ask yourself what areas are not currently soaring

Then you have to change those areas, relationships, health, whatever they are. Are you living your values, or are you saying "yes" to things that aren't true to you?

Please look Lisa up! You can find out more about her and what she's doing here:

www.lisawinneke.com

Youtube - https://tinyurl.com/thegoodnewsguide

Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn: @lisawinneke

Getting out and doing something - ANYthing - after you retire is important... to your mental and physical health. WHAT you do isn't as important, so do whatever you want.

She’s a self-proclaimed “feel-good junkie,” and she has personally experienced decades of struggling with people-pleasing, over-giving and low self-esteem. She has learned to accept, trust and love herself, and she’s helped hundreds of other women do the same.

She shares her belief that it's possible to be happy & healthy and active until the day you die; strength and balance don't deteriorate with age, but rather with lack of use.

She also shares with us three ways to start prioritizing yourself:

1. Stop beating yourself up over every little mistake
2. Stop comparing yourself to others
3. Stop ignoring how you feel

One of the biggest problems for many people is overcoming the idea that they "shouldn't want more" because they have so much already. Julie explains how this thinking is flawed; we can appreciate what we have and still strive for more.

The best way to reach out to Julie is through her Facebook group, The Confident Women's Community, or on her website, It's About Time Baby

Eddie is using his experience and skill in a variety of services/programs to help leaders carry out their activities properly - which means sometimes doing the hard stuff.

His recent book, Unmasking Leadership - What They Don't Tell You, covers exactly that - the pieces of being a leader that aren't always easy - like sometimes you have to make unpopular decisions because they're the "right thing to do". His example is the adage "the customer is always right... until he isn't".

In his interview, Eddie gives some great advice to people heading toward retirement. He reminds us that we should plan ahead of time and ensure we have a transition period, and maybe a "transition identity", because we're going to be leaving one identity behind.

You can learn more about Eddie and his programs on the following sites:

Jesuseddiecampa.com

Leadingthroughadversity.com

Teamcampa.com

He's been studying retirement for a while now and has come to the resounding conclusion that entrepreneurs simply do not think about retirement at all. They seem to have some misguided belief that their business is either going to carry them through retirement or they're going to be able to sell it and the profit from that sale will tide them over.

He started his own podcast, The Rogue Retirement Lounge, so he could change that point of view. His show is a retirement planning show specifically for entrepreneurs and self-employed people.

He's a firm believer in having a side hustle, to help you along before retirement, but also to help you out afterward. You never know when you might need some extra cash.

He's developed a business plan for retirement that includes three phases:

1. Action Years - you're able to travel, physical ability is high
2. Settling Down Years - age is taking its toll, maybe your hobbies are closer to home now, easier on the body
3. Dependent Years - have to look seriously at long-term care, in-home assistance, family longevity

Check Matt out at rogueretirementlounge.com

The general idea behind the law of attraction is that it helps you manifest your desires and use those desires to your advantage. Basically, it means that our thoughts, feelings and beliefs play a big part in what happens in our lives. And by being aware of this, we can influence our thoughts and attract what we want.

Broken down simply, the Law of Attraction says that “Like Attracts Like”... meaning that what you’re concentrating on is what you tend to see and experience. It doesn’t matter if what you’re concentrating on is good or bad, it just tends to show up more forcefully in your life. For example, when you’re having a bad day at work, you might slam a drawer shut...and catch your finger in it. Then you get angry because that hurt and you jerk your hand free and accidentally knock over your coffee mug and cover yourself in coffee. You don’t have time to clean up before your meeting, resulting in your being uncomfortable doing a presentation and not doing as good a job as you would generally. You know you’ve messed it up and you go home feeling frustrated, recounting to yourself all the things that have “gone wrong” for you today. As you pull into the driveway, your child’s tricycle is in the way so you can’t park properly. You grab the trike and toss it aside, bending the handlebars. Now your child is crying and your spouse is upset with you for getting angry at what seems like a minor situation. Your conclusion? “Nothing ever goes right in my life!”

        You’re probably wondering what this has to do with life beyond retirement... bear with me. I think I can pull it all together in a little bit.

        Another idea stemming from the Law of Attraction is that “Nature Abhors a Vacuum”. This is most easily demonstrated by the phenomenon I’ll call “the clean flat surface” – I’m sure you’re familiar with it, although it’s a very elusive state. It doesn’t matter where it is in your house, as soon as you clean off some flat surface, “stuff” finds its way to it and the surface is once again cluttered with debris. It could be today’s mail – for those of you who still get snail mail, or maybe car keys and a wallet, but most often it tends to be just junk – things that don’t really have a home elsewhere (and probably belong in the garbage, but you can’t bring yourself to throw them out yet). I know personally I’ve given up on trying to keep the flat surfaces in our home empty. It’s just not worth the effort!

        The final piece of the pie that is the Law of Attraction is the concept that the Present is Always Perfect. This one is harder to grasp, for some people. The basic premise is that if you focus on how to make your “present” better, it will improve. And to draw all three of these concepts together, this is the one to start with. As you focus on improving one thing in your current situation, you start to see similar improvements in other aspects of your day (Like Attracts Like) and as the improvements start to clear out the negative parts, there is room for more good (Nature Abhors a Vacuum) and finally these improvements meld together to make your situation better (Present is Always Perfect).

        So, let’s look at this from the retirement and beyond point of view. You’re done with the 9-5 world and you’re wondering what’s going to come

Carol understands the difficulties, as well as the pleasures, of running a business and is eager to share her experiences with other women. She believes in commerce, philanthropy and helping other women find their own path to success. By providing women with the right tools and information, Carol is certain they will find success through informed decisions about their future endeavours.

WoW – World of Women encourages new business owners or those thinking of starting a business to reach out to the WoW community to connect with other likeminded women. By working together, we can make a tremendous difference in the success of any business.

Carol can be reached on Facebook at WOW World of Women Social Network

Please check out the WoW website for more information:

 http://wow-world-of-women.com/product/wow-ambassador-canada/

        So, as I mentioned, Eric says we shouldn’t be “retiring”, but rather “graduating” after we finish off all the prerequisite activities as we go through our life. One reason he gives for not using the term RETIRE is that the British English definition of “to retire” means to go to bed... and that’s hardly what we’re going to be doing when we finish working, right?! At least, by this point in the podcast, you should have developed the basic understanding that I’m a huge proponent of going out and doing something, rather than just sitting back with your feet up through the next 20-30 years. Of course, if sitting back with your feet up is what you WANT to do, then that’s perfectly okay. After all, it’s YOUR life – you’ve done what needs to be done for the number of years you needed to do it, and now it’s time to do what you WANT to do and I’m certainly not going to try to tell you what you want.

        First of all, I want to quickly review how Eric described the four stages leading up to what he calls graduation. He talked about the Freshman years, where you’re just getting started. That’s when there’s usually some debt and you’re focused on cashflow, maybe trying to figure out how to get a job that has some employee benefits, that sort of thing. Then come the Sophomore years, where you’re starting to settle down a bit, maybe getting married and having a family, looking for a house. Finances are important here, of course, as they are throughout your lifetime, but you’re still getting started. In your Junior years, you’ve hit your peak earning time, you’re paying taxes at probably the highest rate you’ll see, you’ve got little spare time for other things, life is busy and you’re starting to think about what comes next. Then your Senior years come along. You’re thinking about estate planning, whether you’re going to get any government or work pensions, when they might start, what you need to do to get them activated, and most important, you’re thinking about what comes next. This is the stage of life when you start to think about what your purpose is...is there some sort of legacy that you can leave for your family, or for others?

        I find it really interesting that this is a topic that comes up a lot in my conversations with my guests, and with people in general when we talk about our future. It’s almost like we hit the point where we realize that we’re not going to be here forever and suddenly we feel the need to be remembered. Or maybe it’s not even the need to be remembered, so much as the desire to do something that we feel is beneficial to people coming after us. We want to leave a legacy – something that will make the world – or at least some small part of it – a better place. It’s something that I spend a lot of time thinking about. I don’t mean that I’m spending hours pondering how I

In his words, retirement "age" doesn't exist. Age is just a number that's arbitrarily assigned to each phase of our life. He believes that retirement is the absence of the NEED to work, rather than the absence of work itself. If you truly enjoy what you're doing and are still able to do it, why on earth would you stop? On the other hand, if you're financially independent, regardless of your age, you can be "retired" if you want to be.

Please check out his FREE resources:

www.lowtaxbook.com - for tax reduction strategies

www.whatisfp.com - what is the financial planning process

Eric can be reached at the following links:

www.bfgfa.com - BFG Financial Advisors

www.brotmanmedia.com - for books, podcasts, and blogs

www.financialplanningforall.com - to schedule consultations

Radon believes that financial planning needs to be both financial and intellectual, so his firm, Peace of Mind Wealth Management, focuses on 3 key concepts – your financial needs, your legacy and your lifestyle – because they all play a role in how your retirement works out for you.

I think Radon and his team have the right idea. Their goal is to help you make the plan and get into the right mindset to be retired. And that’s what this show is all about, isn’t it!

It’s important to pick something that you want to do in retirement. I’ve talked about this before. It needs to be something that you really enjoy, so you look forward to doing it. It’s a passion project, ultimately, so it doesn’t matter if it makes money or not.

It can truly be anything, as Radon suggests, like baking or scuba diving. You just have to find something to look forward to.

The other big point that Radon makes is that there are stages to retirement and you have to plan for each of them, so you know how much money you’ll need to have set aside.

For example, the first year or so after retirement will probably be quite busy as you run around making sure all the proper arrangements have been made and things are all in place.

Then the next 2-4 years are the “fun” years, where you might have grandchildren to spend time with, maybe you’re going to be travelling, that sort of thing. Basically, you’re doing all the things that you thought retirement would allow you to do.

Then along about year 5 and continuing on from there, things start to settle down a bit. You’ve got the hang of it – this retirement thing is a piece of cake, a walk in the park (maybe quite literally). Maybe you’ll start getting involved in your community or in a local charity, or maybe you’ll decide it’s time to offer to share some of your wisdom and experience with others, setting up a consultant practice or something like that.

One of the most important things, in my opinion, that Radon mentioned is the exercise of writing down the IDEAS you have for your future. Not the full-blown plans, but the general concepts of what your future is going to look like. You know me – any chance I get, I’m telling you to “make a list”!

By writing down the ideas you have about what you’ll do in retirement, you give your brain something to focus on. It’s not going to be anything concrete, but the plan is to get things started.

Because each of us has different ideas about what lies beyond retirement, I’m not going to make any suggestions here – I don’t want to mess up your plans by throwing in other thoughts that aren’t really yours.

Just remember – at the start, write down all the things you think of. Don’t censor the list when you’re starting to come up with ideas and activities. You can always scratch something off the list later, when the plan starts to come together. For now it’s just brainstorming. And this is a list that you should probably keep with you because you never know when something in your daily life will trigger the feeling that you’d like to pursue that thing further...so you add it to the list. It’s like a dream board or vision board for your future life.

I’m going to call it a day here and sign off with a reminder to be sure to tune in next Sunday for my interview with Eric Brotman. He’s going to share his own point of view on retirement and preparation for it. Now go start that activity list!

Financial preparation is fairly straightforward, and provided by most financial planners, to make sure that the funds are in place to allow retirement (remember that this is when you start to SPEND the money you've been SAVING all these years!)

Lifestyle preparation is a big part of retirement; there are cycles to retirement and not everyone is prepared for them:

1. Year 1 is busy, getting everything sorted out, so there's not too much time to worry about "what you're going to do in retirement";
2. Years 2-5 are fun, with the expected/anticipated activities (golf, travel, grandkids, etc) and life is good!
3. After about year 5, things start to settle down as a rhythm is developed and people start needing "something" to do; this is the stage when a passion project might come into the picture - something that you always thought you'd like to do but it wasn't a feasible income-producing activity, so it got put by the wayside. NOW is the time to pull those out of the closet!

Radon and POM Wealth Management will help you get some of your ideas down on paper, so you have the framework for the activities you'll be doing in retirement.

To help people prepare for retirement, Radon offers a FREE 4-part video course on their website. Check it out here: https://pomwealth.net/blog

Radon can be reached through his website, https://pomwealth.net/

Email: radon@pomwealth.net

Phone: 919-787-8866

Or on social media:

Twitter: @rnstancil

Facebook: radon.stancil

Instagram: radonstancilcfp

LinkedIn: in/radonstancil/

As you know, if you’ve been listening along, after each guest episode, I reflect a bit about what we discussed, trying to figure out how to relate the information or ideas to retirement life or preparation for retirement. Today is no different. Last week I talked with Joseph Hogue, who discovered early in his 9-5 career that he didn’t really want to spend the next 30+ years doing a job that he hated. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to work; he simply wanted to do work that he enjoyed. So he set about figuring out how to ensure that this happened. If you haven’t listened to Joseph yet, please go back and listen to that episode, either now or after this episode. He’s got a lot of interesting information to share.

This episode is primarily for people who want to do something – they’re looking to fill up some of their time with a productive activity that may eventually lead to an income, however meagre it may be. Joseph’s main advice was “Just Get Started”. The longer you wait, the less likely you are to do anything and the more you think about what you’re going to do, the less likely you are to do it. So just get out there, find a hobby and do something!

Before I go too much farther, I want to say that I know not everyone wants a side business, and not everyone wants to earn money from their hobbies. That’s okay! You still need to get started – some of you will be wondering what to do with yourself all day every day when you’re retired. So Joseph’s advice of “just get started” is true for you too.

This is something that I am attracted to – the idea of “just do it”. Me and Nike, right? Seriously, though, that’s the only way to accomplish anything in life. And starting a hobby is a great time-consumer. Of course, you’ll want to make sure it’s something you’re interested in, because ultimately you’ll be spending time at it at least every couple of days. So spend a bit of time now thinking about what you enjoy doing.

Do you like to write? Maybe you can start a blog, writing about the Netflix shows you’ve seen lately, or maybe you’re a great gardener and you can share tips about what it takes to make the plants grow. I know that’s something I need to read about!

Joseph’s suggestion was to start a YouTube channel. I think that’s a marvellous idea, because YouTube is certainly one of the major search engines these days, right? You can find videos on just about anything. It doesn’t matter whether you want to make money at it or not; if you want to, you can, but it’s not a necessity. There are YouTube channels and blogs out there for any topic or idea you can think of. Joseph’s point was that regardless of whether you start out aiming to monetize whatever you’re doing, at some point you’ll be able to make money at it. And why not do that, if you can? Who’s going to turn down a little extra cash? If you REALLY don’t want the money and someone is trying to force you to take it, you can always give it to charity.

Another great idea for either a blog or YouTube is a journal of your life – just record what you do each day. It’ll be a great keepsake for your grandkids. I wish I had some stories about my grandparents’ lives, because I didn’t really know them very well. I was quite young when they all passed away and they lived in a different part of the country, so we didn’t visit often.

So, how do you figure out what to do and if it fits into your post-retirement life? I guess first you have to decide if you’re really interested in pursuing a hobby that can turn into a side business. I’m going to assume that you are, because there’s no point in taking this topic any further if you aren’t. Then you have to figure out what it is you’re interested enough in to want to pursue so doggedly, because to be quite frank, having your own business isn’t for the faint of heart. This should be a real passion, or at least something that you are willing to

But then he decided that this couldn't be all there is to life... there are other ways to make money that allow one to avoid working as an employee at a job you don't like, just to save money and get out of it someday. And so began his Work From Home journey.

He quickly learned that retiring early wasn't what he wanted - he just didn't want to hate what he was doing as a 9-5 activity. After all, if you're going to spend a third of your life doing something, you should enjoy it, right?

He started with blogs and learned how to monetize them. Then a chance encounter with a YouTuber brought more traffic to his blog than he'd ever seen and he realized that YouTube was a great way to publish and get traffic. Thus his YouTube channel, Let's Talk Money with Joseph Hogue, was born and he's never looked back!

He's working more hours than most people do at their 9-5 job, but he's loving it. He's found the balance he wants and has created the lifestyle he was searching for.

Please reach out to Joseph at any of the following links:

https://www.youtube.com/c/LetsTalkMoneywithJosephHogueCFA/

https://myworkfromhomemoney.com/work-from-home-blog/

https://www.instagram.com/lets_talk_money_josephhogue/

He also knows that life is short - too short not to make every minute count. He's figured out how to work with what he calls the 24/7 Mentality... not the 24 hours per day, 7 days per week that most of us think of, but rather 24 hours per week, 7 months per year. The rest of the time is HIS, to do whatever he chooses. It may be to work on a new hobby, or maybe to bump up some of his existing projects a bit, or it could be to spend time with his family, because they are the reason for all that he does.

According to Mitche, the way to do this is through "systems efficiency". Knowing that the Pareto Principle states that you derive 80% of your results from 20% of your activity, he's pushed that a bit further and he's discovered the 90/10 rule. The efficiencies come from identifying the 10% of activities that you HAVE to do, and delegating the rest or otherwise removing them from your day. You do this by designing your lifestyle first and your work activities around that lifestyle.

His advice for success: Follow the Ivy Lee method for productivity. At the end of each day, write out 6 activities or tasks that you want to complete the next day and prioritize them in order of importance. At the start of the next day, work at the first task until it's completed, then move on to the next. Any tasks left unfinished at the end of the day are moved to the list for the next day.

To get in touch with Mitche or to find out more about him, please visit his website:

https://powermarketing101.com/

During her career, Hannie was an entrepreneur with her own business, so she had to spend time networking and talking to people to get work. That wasn't really what she enjoyed doing, so as retirement time approached, she decided to try her hand at a different line of work, because as an entrepreneur all her life, she didn't like the idea of doing "nothing".

When she retired, her plans changed a bit due to life events. She started to feel a bit stuck in her life and after attending a seminar that had her thinking about her ideal life, she began looking into all the options available to her. Figuring that out of all the possibilities, there had to be a few that were reasonable, and deciding that it was a good way to check out some of those options, she and her partner begain divesting themselves of their possessions. This turned out to be quite liberating and led eventually to one of their current tenets, zero waste.

Discovering that she enjoyed writing, affiliate marketing came to the forefront. Research helped her determine that it would be a great way to continue bringing in a bit of money, without having to talk to people in person... and she could do it from anywhere! She began a few blogs, each focusing on a different aspect of creating a healthy lifestyle. This was going to be their future.

Their sites (Age with Care, No Geraniums and Our Green Health) are all devoted to the ideas of healthy living that they promote: healthy aging, organic foods, and zero waste are big topics. Through these sites, they draw readers to affiliate offers and earn a modest income to augment their pensions.

Hannie believes firmly that aging has no bearing on one's ability to deal with technology and she fights against connecting such ideas. She believes strongly that mindset and interest determine one's ability to do specific acitivities. She also believes that we "make our own luck" and she has created products to help people change their mindset and succeed at what they strive to do.

Her product LUCKI is a 5-day online program designed to help you gain happiness.

She also has a program to teach users how to create a blog that will make money, which can be found on her website: https://hanniemommers.com 

You can find Hannie on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hannie.mommers/

One of the biggest considerations, of course, is how you're going to fund it. Saving up for a number of months - and being disciplined enough to hang onto those savings even in the eye of a "really cool" toy you see along the way - is hard work. There are a lot of people who can't keep their eye on the prize, so to speak, long enough to sustain this long-term.

She knew there were a few options for her:

• ask for extra time off from her employer (probably without pay)
• save up and quit her job and hope the job would be there when she returned from travelling
• save up and quit her job and find new work when she returned
• continue working 50 weeks a year and having 2 weeks off

She decided to save up and quit her job and after almost two years of travelling, she was hooked! From then on, it was a cycle of saving money and travelling.

She travels on her own now, and has a few interesting tips about solo travel - some specific to women, but most are valid for everyone. It's always nice to have a travel partner, at least for part of the time.

Of course, as she notes, it's hard to travel with someone else, because you have to adjust to their timetable a bit. 

Listen to the whole episode! France discusses problems she's encountered, plans that she makes, and great travel tips for all travellers.

You can find France on Facebook or send her an email if you'd like to ask her questions or see photos of some of her travels.

As Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines! Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover!"

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Merri has published a couple of books that are in perfect harmony with both her witty personality and her straightforward message. Her first book is called "Thoughts from the Tub" and gathers together ideas as only a mostly single mother of four rambunctious boys can do...while stealing a few precious moments of alone time in the bathtub!

More recently, Merri has published "Don't Die Before You're Dead",  which is a bit of a roadmap to help you forge your way forward in life, as well as  a journal for keeping track of it as you go. The journal offers a bit of a guide to help you along the way.

You can follow Merri on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/dontdiebeforeyouredead where she's gathering steam (and advice from people in the know) for her upcoming  cross-Canada RV trip, scheduled to begin in May 2021. Join the group and  be part of her journey !

You can also find Merri on her website, or through her Facebook profile:

www.merrimacartney.com
https://www.facebook.com/MerriMacartneyDDBYD

Retirement is one of those moments, for sure, and whether it comes as an expected change or is thrust upon us by some outside force (like maybe a pandemic...) there are changes. What we  with the moment - and the changes - is up to us. Why not make the most of it?

She shares with us the history behind Third Act Quest - which is designed to help people go on a journey of understanding & clarity about their llives -  and describes the various programs that she offers.

We've all got plenty of transitions in our lives and we've come through them all. Diana discusses how to master the changes when they occur.

She provides a quick outline of the group coaching program, discussing the 4 stages involved: assessment, the vision process to identify your WHY, brainstorming to put together a prototype that fuels your imagination, and finally putting together your personal plan.

The Living Forward program involves either group or individual coaching and now has an independent study program as well. Group coaching is done in sessions scheduled throughout the year, while independent and individual coaching can be started at any time.

Diana has also instigated Talking Circles, free Zoom chats that anyone can join. No registration required. They occur on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, at 7:30pm EST. 

Please reach out to Diana on her website at Third Act Quest

Complimentary Discovery Calls can be booked online, to see if you are a fit to work together.

She can also be reached via email: Diana@thirdactquest.com

Time stamps:

4.09 - People say "Life is short", but most of us don't listen until something happens.

5:15 - A podcast gave here the realization that she was not the only person who felt "different"... 

We are generally not taught self-care as we grow. Women are brought up to care for others at their own expense...often resulting in burnout. Take care of yourself! Do not suppress your feelings! 

9:50 - Learn to walk toward things rather than walking around them. You'll find that less time is required to take care of situations if you're confronting them.

10:13 - Use the extra time to figure out your passion...what did you enjoy as a child?

11:14 - Ukulele Project to Guatemala

On her website, Nelia offers a free workbook called "Discover Your Passion" that will help you narrow down the activities that you love, reigniting in you what you forgot over the years. This is the first step to creating the life that you want.

The second part of the workbook is actually an e-book called "Pick A Passion & GO" and it's also available on her website. This workbook will assist you in turning your passion into a full-blown activity, taking you through the process of preparing and executing a mission trip of your own, should you so choose.

Nelia is also writing a book, due to come out on 4 May 2021. The book is a memoir about her relationship with her father, as well as lessons learned and ways to live the life you want.

Please reach out to Nelia at Travel Live Give.

Time stamps:

1:10 - A bit of Stu's background to put thing in perspective

4:34 - Finding Direction University - what it's all about

6:31 - How to figure out your life...Allow yourself to dream

9:24 - The importance of experiential learning

13:40 - How to be vulnerable for a moment, and what it will do for you

15:15 - Beliefs drive every behaviour you exhibit and every action that you take

16:45 - Shifting Awareness...A simple exercise to help you overcome limiting beliefs

18:00 - Reasons come first, answers come second; why & how journalling can help straighten you out

The best way to reach out to Stu is via Finding Direction University

Please accept his free e-book: 5 Steps To Meeting Anyone You Desire, For Introverts

The best way to go about coming up with activities that interest you is to figure it out while you're still working. This eases some of the stress of finding new hobbies or pastimes. If you wait until you NEED to find something, the pressure is on and that isn't good for anyone.

So, spend some time mulling over your interests and what you've been putting off in your life so far. Is there an activity that you really enjoy and haven't been doing because you lack the time or energy after your "day job" is done?

When you figure it out, the next step is to plan how you'll present it to others - if nobody knows about it,  they aren't going to benefit from it, are they?!

And, finally, try to make sure that whatever you decide to do doesn't take over your life... after all, you need to have time to enjoy it all!

Time stamps:

4:48 - How to determine what your brand should be

7:40 - How to build publicity without spending big bucks

11:38 - What to put in a press release so it will get published and people will read it

12:13 - After the "small pond", what comes next?

15:40 - How to fit your new gig into everyday life

You can find Jeremy at the following links:

jeremyryanslate.com

commandyourbrand.com

Jacquie looks back over what Rachel has said - about preparing for financial freedom, as well as when and how to go about it.

She wrote her first book, Money Honey, in 2017 and it was a huge success. Suddenly people had a book about finances that wasn't mind-numbingly boring and dry as dust!  At the same time, she and her husband began investing in the real estate market, purchasing their first duplex. The resulting rental income, along with royalties from her book, provided them with an income allowing Rachel to quit her job and retire, the bottom line being that once your passive income exceeds your expenses, you no longer need to earn more money to live on.

Check out Money Honey here

Of course, that doesn't mean Rachel has stopped working! She is a dynamo, always looking for the next project. Her second book, Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement, is also a bestseller and they now own more than 40 rental properties.

Check out Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement here

Rachel gives some recommendations for getting ready to retire:

1. Pay off all high interest debts
2. Ensure you have an emergency fund of at least 3-6 months' worth of living expenses
3. Invest money where it will grow

When all these steps are in place, THEN it's time to start looking at passive income.

Timestamp 17:06 - Find your passion - Rachel offers some questions to help you sort this out.

You can find out more about Rachel through any of the following links:

Website: https://www.moneyhoneyrachel.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/moneyhoneyrachel/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoneyHoneyRachel/  

And if you go to her website you can get her bonus Passive Income Starter Kit

Cickbank: https://www.clickbank.com/

Warrior Plus: https://warriorplus.com/

JVZoo: https://www.jvzoo.com/

And don't forget that I gave you some homework! You can send your list to me at: retireabc@gmail.com

I'd like to mention also that if you're interested in affiliate marketing, one place to learn about it is through Wealthy Affiliate. This platform offers complete training and a community of support and encouragement. A great place to start!