Book review: How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
How to Retire Happy, Wild and Free
By Ernie Zelinski
"To fear retirement is to fear life." This is one of the strongest themes of the book, which focuses equally on who you want to be as well as what you want to do in retirement and life.
- It is a great opportunity to pursue your goals and dreams while you are still young, energetic, and healthy enough to enjoy them. In addition, retirement may be your last shot at being the person you would like to be. (p. 23)
- Some people opt for semi-retirement because they like the field that they're in and the people they work with. Writing & consulting were listed as options that fit this profile well.
- Work part time as a transition strategy, mainly for enjoyment.
- It takes courage to retire early, especially if you don't have to. (p. 35)
The Main Point: This is NOT an investment book. If you're looking for financial advice, read something else. If you're looking for advice on what you need to really enjoy the years AFTER you need to work for a living, then this is a book for you.
Retirement may be your last shot at being the person you would like to be. (pg. 23)
LEISURE
- The degree to which you can handle leisure will determine the overall quality of your retirement.
- "Leisure consists in all those virtuous activities by which a man grows morally, intellectually, and spiritually. It is that which makes a life worth living."
- The endless pursuit of status, power, wealth, and fame by achievement-oriented individuals begins and ends in unhappiness.
Affirmation for the Connoisseur of Life
"I am now a Connoisseur of Life. I am too prosperous to work long and hard hours. I have earned my prosperity and deserve the right to enjoy a creative and satisfying lifestyle. I am too spiritually evolved to have an identity based on my work, possessions, and net worth. Instead, my identity is based on more profound things, including my creativity, my generosity, my spontaneity, my sense of humor, my peace of mind, my passion for new experiences, my happiness, and my spirituality."
- The more people are satisfied with the purpose and meaning in their lives, the easier they feel retirement is. As is to be expected, personal and emotional life are greatly enhanced when there is purpose and meaning to one's existence.
Ernie's Worldview
Many people have rejected the idea of retirement for the sake of idle pleasure. Ernie would actually agree with that. This book parallels Halftime and Success to Significance by highlighting the importance of pursuing your calling in the last 30 years of your life. For example, Ernie writes:
-
"A major purpose can take the form of a personal mission, a true calling, or a passionate pursuit." pg. 50
-
"Being involved in activities with a major purpose will not only keep you mentally and physically active, it will also provide you with emotional and spiritual fulfillment." pg. 57
- Ernie quotes from Richard Leider's book, ..Heeding your Life's Calling. He says people can find their calling by answering the following questions:
- What gift do I naturally give to others?
- What gift do I most enjoy giving to others?
- What gift have I most given to others?
FRIENDSHIP
I found one of the most profound parts of the book on page 144-145. Ernie writes:
"The University of Michigan researchers found that solid social support was the dominant factor in determining whether retirees were happy and satisfied four years after leaving the workforce. The people who were most pleased with their retirement years had sixteen friends or good acquaintences that they could rely on compared with fewer than ten that were typical of the unsatisfied retirees. Unfortunately, many retirees, men more so than women, don't have many solid friendships to fall back on once they quit working. All things considered, happiness is one of the chepest things in the world when we secure a good part of it through friendship. Indeed, even ten minutes in the company of a good friend will make any extremely difficult and depressing day worth living. To retire happy, wild and free, virtually every one of us needs friends with whom we can interact personally, philosophically, and spiritually."
