living bridge

Saturday 25 October 2008

IDEAL RETIREMENT PLACE

IDEAL RETIREMENT PLACE:

Let me first discuss retirement plan for a couple.Husband and wife agree towards retirement.. I am sure that lady more than the husband will be more willing to retire early considering the fact that she has been all these years looked after the house keeping, cooking, cleaning, washing etc . Sure enough she looks forward to a relaxed life which will free her of the burden. All the more these days when getting reliable house help is a daunting problem. It is often said that after retirement the wife gets a full time husband. Not many husbands are keen to help out with the house keeping since either they are unwilling or too lazy or unfamiliar with job .Now we have a case when the lady feels enough is enough with the housekeeping and the husband not keen to give a helping hand to the lady. Both of them are eager to retire and there will be no need for house keeping and the husband also is free..They will have to find a place to be taken care of reg.their food, health, security..Food preferably vegetarian should be easily digestible with less oil, salt fried foods etc .basic health care, emergency medical aid should be available with in the campus. Facilities to take care of them till their end with nursing assistance, physiotherapy are essential. Having lived in urban surroundings all these years retirement place should be free from noise and air pollution. Security for the residents with round the clock watch and ward, intercom communication system, fire extinquisheretc are essential
For a bachelor, divorcee, or spinster the retirement plan is much simpler since he /she are alone to decide without the need to give respect the views of the spouse.
Living in retirement homes will open up avenues for socializing with like minded citizens, form a platform for discussion, to create opportunities like part time education, teaching embroidery, toy making etc.These will impart a sense purpose in life with commitment. Here we have something to live for, where there is no room for brooding over the past or worrying about the future.
Facilities for supervised yoga, meditation will help to inculcate compassion, empathy etc

Like minded citizens are free to get together and take picnic tour to hill stations or pilgrimage to temples..
Keeping pets like dogs will ensure a sense of belonging. Opportunities to take up a hobby like gardening, bee keeping, vocal or instrumental music, taking part in laughter club or indoor games like chess, scrable, and dart will help to rejuvenate the aging mind..

All such activities will prevent the aging mind sinking into depression.

Sunday 19 October 2008

PLAN BEFORE RETIREMENT

PLAN BEFORE RETIREMENT

During our professional or business life we chart out a plan for next day, next week and so on. Similarly we must plan well in advance for our retirement, whether we are planning for a second career or just sit at home as care taker of the family, looking after the children paying bills etc. if one chooses to take up an income generating second career then we are back to square one living with our ego to build up an image in the society. If one chooses to be a care taker of the family then we are open to criticism, abuse by children etc. which will eventually lead to depression. We should not consider retirement as a set back but look forward to it with advance planning so that we enjoy our retirement.

FULCRUM OF RETIREMENT PLAN

A]High morale; First we must accept that aging is a biological inevitable process and in order that we don’t decay develop mind set to give vent to our thoughts open our mind to keep ourselves active with our chosen hobby or activity. With low morale our immune system is depressed and it means new diseases are likely to engulf us.

B] Finance planning: plan well in advance say 4 years earlier and take into consideration 1] inflation,2]reduced income 3] our needs and expectations.mediclaim insurance is essential to cover for hospital expences.we must accept to spend within our reduced income and avoid buying things which we don’t use regularly. when we have saved enough wealth we need not look forward to financial assistance from children or relatives.

3}Health: learn to accept aging with a positive out look ,compassion, forgiveness. All these ensure boundless happiness. Happiness adds years to life but more so life to years. Your immunelogical competence gets a booster.

Food: avoid non.vegetarian food,alcholol,smoking. Good easily digest able organic vegetable food are preferred

Exercise: Moderate regular physical activity helps to keep the circulatory,respiratory,and excretory system in a healthy state.

Hobbies: we must open our mind and give vent to our thoughts and take up a hobby. Hobbies in our retired life give immense joy, pleasure and satisfaction .
Indoor hobbies: painting, handicrafts, bridge card game, chess,reading, correspondencepuzzle solving etc
Out door hobbies: apiculture, gardening, golf, photography, table tennis or tennis. These are some of the hobbies which can be undertaken.

Hobbies with social contacts: teaching, health care of poor people also ensure immense satisfaction. Hobby is the attitude of the mind. In order our mind does't become a devils workshop developing a hobby is a must

Attitude towards other people: don’t try to dominate, don’t insist that your advise is followed, don’t seek sympathy, don’t brood over the past..
As I have mentioned earlier aging is inevitable biological process and as long as we live we should delay the onset of age related disease.
Laughter club:becoming member of a laughter club and group laughing is a good exercise for the body especilly for the respiratory system and also it invigorates the mind adding alertness with a positive frame of mind

Monday 13 October 2008

AIM AND NEED FOR RETIREMENT

3 ] AIM AND NEED FOR RETIREMENT

We should accept that aging is an inevitable biological process .our cells loose their vitality and diseases like diabetis, hypertension are more common these days as one advances in their life cycle. In addition restricted mobility, diminished memory, diminished eye sight, and hearing etc are bound to happen. But we should not sink into depression and make life miserable to oneself and to the family members.
In these days of highly competitive world it is a rat race in all profession and business. In chasing our competitors we have created a life full of stress and tension. What happens then we have sacrificed our leisure, fail to socialize with friends and families. Because our ego we are only trying to live in relation to our society to build up a image. Once we retire we have all the time in the world to live for our self and expectation, where there is no goals to score, no hurdles to jump, no roads to cross, no targets to achieve,, no need to please your superiors or take orders from them.. As we grow older we seem to recognize that life is only to go on so much longer, time is starting to run out and we start to shift our goals to socialize and enjoy rather that achieving..Wealth, reputations are necessary for a comfort living but how many rich aristocrats are happy and contended? We attain inner peace and contention once we start to live for our self that has been eluding all these days. We have all the time in the world to do something different, cultivate an individuality that has too often been denied for the sake of work.

Wednesday 8 October 2008

INERTIA TO RETIREMENT

INERTIA TO RETIREMENT:

I am sure each one of us during our tenure with the professional or business carrier must have experienced flashes of thought to to take up a hobby like golf ,billiards, photography, gardening etc. But didn’t have the time since we are pre occupied with our intention been focused on climbing up the pyramid with material gains and to build up an image in the society. On attaining the retirement age we still want to cling on to the name and label as chairman or C.E.O. Hence the reluctance to call it a day and retire. one cannot expect to live with the same comfort zone as before. People don’t want to loose their social status and dignity. people who held high position In the government service have enjoyed free residence, manpower at their command and after retirement feel they are worthless without a label. If only they have planned well in advance for retirement this self pity and worthless feeling will not surface. Some desire to continue as the care taker of the family giving advice and holding the financial control of the family expenses. This is another factor for reluctance to retire.