Creativity is Key to a Meaningful Retirement

This month I was reminded by my clients and my own personal experience that creativity and changing your surroundings, how you think and what you do each day contributes to a satisfying third stage of life, or life 3.0 as someone recently called it.

I experienced this in Tulum, Mexico a few weeks ago when I walked through a gallery created from trees, rocks, sculpture and hand-built paths you see in the picture above called "Configurations" that is unlike any gallery I’ve ever been to. The entire structure is handmade and that’s what we’re creating for this next stage in our lives - our own new way of designing and building a life that satisfies us and inspires others to do the same with their lives.

Back to everyday things, and thanks to those who placed orders with Amazon for my new softcover version of the book which should be delivered in the next 2 weeks, or so they tell me.

I have also just gone into production for the Kindle/ebook version which the publisher says should be available for global distribution on all online sites including Amazon in the next 3 weeks.

We’ll see how quickly that happens, but I’m ready to have the book available to be ordered from any bookstore or any online site. Sales of the hardcover version will continue to only be available on my website and at local bookstores in the Bay Area including Book Passage, Books, Inc. and Readers’ Books.

A shout-out to those who have ordered multiple copies of the book from my website like Cathy Anderson who just purchased 10 books for clients and friends of hers after receiving one for her birthday from my client, Kathleen Metcalf.

Cathy sent me a great quote I’ll share part of . . . “For my birthday in September I received your book. As I was reading it I read - “…they had satisfying careers, or at least jobs to go to, and now they no longer have them to rely on for a large part of their identity and purpose.” …and I realize retirement is one of life’s major transitions, yet most people receive no help in making the shift from looking outside themselves for meaning and structure to creating these internally.”

“Wow, that did it for me. As a business coach for real estate agents for the past 20+ years I feel the need to help my clients and friends with this transition. I ordered 10 copies of your book to share with them, and I’m so excited to have a path to follow!"

Thanks, Cathy. It’s very satisfying to hear others passing on parts of my book to their friends and clients to help them have a more successful third stage of life. There’s a lot of anxiety in the world today for good reason, and I hear many people saying they’re anxious about how they’re going to spend their time in the next stage of their lives.

Anything we can each do to help others feel confident they can create a plan and focus their skills and creativity to make an impact and change even one person’s thinking about what these years can mean will be an important contribution.