Having completed our first 'official trip' in the transitioned state, it's a good time to reflect on the lessons learned and the changes that seem to have been successfully made.
It was very easy to go from the thrill of the travel to the daily life in Albuquerque. I'd done work while I was traveling as I had planned to and it did not interfere with my travel enjoyment. I walked through the door of our home and was happy to be back and thankful to have such a wonderful place (home, city, environment, life) to come back to. Within days I was 1) back to my daily routine and 2) planning our next trip. This is just the way I wanted it to be.
Observing what's happening in the 'semi' side of retirement - meaning the time that I'm devoting to work - I believe that the hard lessons I learned during the transitioning phases have truly been absorbed. I've actually had a really good run since I've been back and have signed up a couple of new clients and have a shot at a third in the next few weeks. But I feel no desire whatsoever to really build on this. In fact it's the opposite. I feel that I need to be careful that things don't get out of hand and I get too much work. So the demons of ego seem to have been put to rest. Nothing to prove to anyone.
Finally there is a real peace in enjoying this time of life. Wife and I have had plenty of tough spells. Maybe not as bad as many in the world but certainly not a breeze. It seems that it is easier in some ways to accept "God's Will" when things are going poorly. I call it the Book of Job effect. It feels guilty somehow to accept good fortune. But I'm working hard at not being guilty but accepting what I have as what is right at the moment...
...because it's going to end. Bad times will come. They have to. It's all part of the aging, dying process. It's not if, it's when. And I want to enjoy every minute of the good times and be as peaceful and accepting when the bad times come.
4 comments:
sigh! I definitely sense that foreshadowing in your current carpe diem of life. But it is ever so.
I'm glad you are enjoying this time, right now.
I'm glad you are enjoying this time, right now.
I love reading these introspective posts of yours. You're delving into things that for me, I'm just seeing the tip of the iceberg. I feel like I benefit from some of your realizations, particularly the Book of Job Effect. I sometimes struggle with feeling good about the blessings we enjoy. I think I should feel guilty, as you described, because so many others have so much less. I guess it's all a matter of learning to give as easily as we receive. Definitely a big learning process!
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