retirement and mental health, the demon of usefulness, What do you need in retirement?
The closer I get to retirement, the more I realize that health is first, finances is second and friends is last on the list.
I retired from my full-time job early, six years ago. I also have faced some health issues including bladder cancer. It's a process of transitioning into retirement. I feel gratitude each day when I am able to do the things I can do. As a yoga instructor now, I'm learning to also practice what I preach. To stop, breathe, and be…because I can.
Long term illness keeps me away from a fulfilling life of productiveness. Ironically, I find that the things I do now, chosen carefully from a very short list of things I can still do, are in my view more productive when compared to what matters in life. I've always held the philosophy of passing on what I get given as a way of repaying, and it shows in my lifestyle. And it's what keeps me going.