After decades of hustle, bustle, deadlines, and anxieties you have earned some peace and quiet. So why is everyone worried about you? There is nothing wrong with living a quiet life, but there is a difference between being quiet and reflexive and being isolated and depressed.
We have been conditioned to equate busyness with happiness. We admire, or think we admire, people who overbook themselves, but is this the way you want to live now?
A senior who wants to slow down and “smell the roses” may be regarded with suspicion, so be sure you make your plan known in advance. Be modern. Assure your family and friends that you need some “space” and that you want to “find yourself.” Believe it or not, this is something that they will understand. It beats being referred to as stubborn, cantankerous, and set in your ways.
By all means “find yourself.” Release your inner creativity, even if you can’t draw a straight line or write a coherent sentence. Creativity is much more than “artistic endeavors.” Think of it as giving yourself permission to be interested, passionate, and joyful about any number of things. It could be something as simple as selecting just the right throw pillows for your couch, painting your kitchen yellow, or starting to journal your thoughts and ideas.
It may be hard but slowing down to “smell the roses” is a good thing. It means that you are free, perhaps for the first time since childhood, to feel passionate about something beyond having a good work ethic.
Recreate some of your dreams. Think back to when you promised yourself that “someday,” when you have more time, you revisit some of those dreams. Guess what? That “someday” has finally arrived.
Statistics confirm that fewer seniors complain about being lonely than you might imagine, and why not. The world is still filled with possibilities, and you are finally free to do what you want. You can meditate, grow in your faith, pursue new interests, and find ways to reconnect with your community.
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