Boomers bounce back

In 2011, the first of the Boomer Generation reached the grand old age of 65 and in 2016 we hit 70. 

Boomers have been an energetic, creative, ambitious and restless generation and now with the financial downturn, created in great part by this energetic, creative, ambitious and restless group, it appears that many of the Boomers will have to continue being energetic, creative, ambitious and restless for many years longer than they may have anticipated. Many of us are enjoying full retirement, but many of us are still working part time and contributing to the economy, because Boomers Bounce Back!

Given the tools, we have risen to the challenge of our new career of retirement. Over the last five years, the majority of Boomer have solved his/her own retirement finances and continue to contribute significantly to improving the economy. The fear was that we would become reliant on government handouts, while that has not happened to the majority of Boomers. We continue to stimulate the economy with their own success.

One of the ways we have done this is through our creativity and problem-solving abilities Here is an interesting thought: Step back and imagine yourself looking down upon the World from several thousand feet.

On the surface of the planet, you see over billions of little humans all over the globe, all scrabbling around trying to make a living, and you are trying to compete with everyone of them. As you draw up your plan, factor in originality and creativity, think about the following:

·       What can you create that will separate you from the other billions of humans?

·       What can you conceive that will allow you to be the ant that will glow and be visible from several thousand feet?

·       What can you imagine that will separate you from the crowd?

·       What can you create that others will want or need or will help them?

Boomers have always been able to find a new niche, study it and then fill it and we will continue to do this albeit a bit slower  than we did when we were younger, but with the same passion. 

Happy birthday

Happy birthday to a wonderful lady, who brightens the room when she walks in and who creates a sense of joy within me. Here are some sonnets from Shakespeare to show my feelings

“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? 
Thou art more lovely and more temperate: 
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, 
And summer's lease hath all too short a date: 
Sometimes too hot the eye of heaven shines, 
And too often is his gold complexion dimm'd: 
And every fair from fair sometimes declines, 
By chance or natures changing course untrimm'd; 
By thy eternal summer shall not fade, 
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest; 
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade, 
When in eternal lines to time thou growest: 
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see, 
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.” 
― William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Sonnets

“Not marble nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme,
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone, besmeared with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn
And broils roots out the work of masonry,
Nor mars his sword nor war's quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
'Gainst death and all-oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
So, till judgement that yourself arise,
You in this, and dwell in lovers eyes.” 

― William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's Sonnets

 In Praise of Beauty

Of all my loves this is the first and last
That in the autumn of my years has grown,
A secret fern, a violet in the grass,
A final leaf where all the rest are gone.
Would that I could give all and more, my life,
My world, my thoughts, my arms, my breath, my future,
My love eternal, endless, infinite, yet brief,
As all loves are and hopes, though they endure.
You are my sun and stars, my night, my day,
My seasons, summer, winter, my sweet spring,
My autumn song, the church in which I pray,
My land and ocean, all that the earth can bring Of glory and of sustenance, all that might be divine,
My alpha and my omega, and all that was ever mine.

The web-master, shakespeares-sonnets.com 2002

Do you create memories with your loved ones?

What about our memories as we age? Memory is a complex and not fully understood the cognitive process, and many areas of the brain are involved. As we age our short term memory begins to decline before our longer term memory.

It takes longer to ingrain new learning in the ageing brain, so concentration must be increased on the three stages of memory formation and maintenance: Acquire the information, Consolidate the information so you can Retrieve what you want when you want.

One way to do this is to practice, remember practice makes perfect. Try repetition, repetition, repetition until you have “hard-wired your brain and understood your newly acquired information.

Life had a way of getting in the way of your dreams, so many of us use life as an excuse not to do what we loved. While you had a life before you embarked on this new adventure (retirement) and this life is going to continue.

But, when we start a new venture, it takes us time to become comfortable in what we are doing and this always seems to take much more time than anticipated. Your challenge will be to stay focused on your new role, so as you change your routines to accommodate your new venture, you become more comfortable with your new role. It is time to dedicate time to your venture that previously would have been used in other pursuits. Focus will prevent you from being distracted.

Time is precious – you do not get it back, so, my advice, use your time wisely.

Remember the phrase “It is Time or Money” that was your old Life. You are now working towards “It is Time to live”. To achieve your dreams at the outset, you will have to devote a significant amount of time, putting systems into place to enable you to enjoy the fruits of your venture. Now is the time to create the type of memories with the ones you love so they will remember you when you are gone.

Some quotes for American Thanksgiving

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds. ~Theodore Roosevelt

...all which we behold

Is full of blessings...

~William Wordsworth, lines written a few miles above Tintern Abbey, on revisiting the banks of the Wye during a tour, 1798 July 13th

We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures. ~Thornton Wilder

Give thanks for unknown blessings already on their way. ~Native American Saying

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!
~Grandpa Jones

Nothing is more honourable than a grateful heart. ~Seneca

A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue but the parent of all the other virtues. ~Cicero