MY LIFE AFTER RETIREMENT

WHY I RETIRED ?

First of all when one is alive and active how can there be retirement in life ?We disengage from one career and engage in different profession
to remain active and happy. I t is oft quoted that Surgeons don't retire since either their hands are itchy or the relatives and his patients don't allow them to retire for their own selfish reasons. I have achieved most of my professional ambitions and having my children well settled I have drawn a line of contentment and decided to pursue a different life style after convincing my family and my grateful patients. This is response to my inner voice calling to do something different somewhat different for some years now. It took nearly 2 years to plan to choose a different life style I have chosen a different life style engaging myself with agriculture and promoting activities of my mother’s trust establishing a senior citizens retirement home, day care centre, and possibly establishing a pre school. My wish is also to construct a free marriage hall at my native place..Analysing what i am going to miss or loose and what I stand to gain after choosing a different life style the gain features scored over loss.. Let me narrate what they are.

WHAT I STAND TO MISS?

It is more of miss rather than a loose

First of all I miss my patients. the challenge of diagnosing, the thrill of operating, and accepting the gratitude of the patient. the smiling face and the body language says it all. In no other profession one can get such heart felt gratitude. This cannot be bought for any price.

I miss my colleagues and fellow doctors very dearly. The gettogether, reminences of good old days, healthy discussion, helping hand under difficult situations will remain green in my memory.

Opportunity to get exposed to newer developments, attending conferences seminar etc Attending conferences at different cities is an opportunity to meet old friends ,specialist in a chosen field, and also sight seeing the important places, going on a safari etc..These are badly missed


Reduce income: During my active professional life I have enjoyed certain luxuries and materialistic wealth. With reduced income after retirement I should think twice before buying things which are not basic necessities .then that will amount to robbing my own back account. I have saved enough wealth for my future life so that I need not depend on my children. I have also taken mediclaim policy to take care of any future health problem

I am fully aware that whatever I miss can never be regained. I have pondered over these points for a long time. The longer the time I took, the picture emerged clear that I will be experiencing the same benefits and contacts much like my earlier years. I am always reminded the golden words of LORD BUDHA that human birth is a s rare as a morning star. I am also fully aware that I will not be called up for a second opinion, or advise and slowly the image I have established as a surgeon will fade away. After great contemplation I have decided to seek a different life style wherein I will be able to answer my inner voice. Now it is time for me to draw a line of contentment regarding professional life. All these years I have lived for my children and patients and now it is time to live for myself.



WHAT I HAVE GAINED?
1] TIME
a] Time for myself


The most valuable gain is the time for myself. I am free to choose what I want to do rather than what I have to do. I am free to alter my schedule to suit my other engagements,, programme etc even at the last minute. I am only answerable to my inner voice. Daily wakeup time, bed time may be changed to suit my engagements. I am able to spend time for yoga, exercise, meditation etc at a leisurely pace. There is more than enough time to remain in solitude, introspect with, conscious breath. to remain in solitude is indeed is a great boon for seniors like us wherein we realize our shortcomings, egoism. Silence in solitude motivates us to become compassionate with love and empathy. I am able to spend an hour a day with my system wherein I am able to see many of inspirational thoughts, motivational anecdotes. Retirement jokes etc gives me food for thought, while rejuvenating my spirit and self belief. I have ample time for leisurely reading magazines like readers digest, eternal solutions, dignity foundation, national geographic Tamil magazines like pasumai vikadan, naveena velamai, and books like Taming the tiger by Rinponche, How to live life a digest edition, art of happiness a conversation with Dalai lama, Sphere of silence by Vijay Easwaran,reflection by Akbar Ali Jetha, I find and achieve immense joy and happiness by daily repeatedly reading golden words by Vijay Easwaran and Akbar Ali Jetha Another most valuable asset is that I have established contact with citizens with different life style people in the forest department, agriculture and other social activities. It is really soul satisfying to meet people with alternate interest and learn from them and exchange views . I have been fortunate to become a member of laughter club and tree growers association I love trees and as such I have stated planting trees like Milia dubia, kumil, pungai, etc. Plans are also to start organic farming at mangarai.

B} Time for my family with children.

Now I have enough time to be with family and children. It is a pleasure to take my grand children for a walk, horse ride and around the park when they enjoy I feel fulfilled with contentment. Children also fell free relaxed with our company and not afraid to express themselves freely. at times we are loss for words to reply to their why? When? And how?. As I used to quote often it is joy to become a father but becoming a grand father is really an ecstasy beyond compare .Now I have time to attend family functions and spend some time with them

2} THE ART OF LISTENING:

The value of this art I have realized only after retirement. Listening to my patients and family members they are happy after having expressed their sufferings opinion in their own words and develop confidence in me . I am also able to understand their character, behavior, temperament etc.I am also becoming more mature and influences me to develop compassion, and care.
Quite likely the lingering I ego in me will be got rid of soon. I have learnt a lot and still learning .Slowly I have become to respect others opinion and views and not trying to contradict them

3} STRESS FREE LIFE:

For a surgeon there is always a certain amount stress operating and until the patient is discharged. Now I don’t worry when cell phone or the front door bell rings. In fact I sleep better undisturbed and wake up fresh. I have leisurely meals enjoying every bite of it as such my digestion and bowel habits are at ease.

4} ROLE AS P.R.O [i.e.] PATIENT REFERAL OFFICER

Over the last 40 years of professional carrier I have developed wide circle of patient clientele. To maintain the rapport and the confidence of my grateful patients I continue to see some of my grateful patients, do only the basic tests and refer them to appropriate specialist if my service by that way is going to help my patients I am happy for them.

TIPS FOR AGING GRACEFULLY

TIPS TO AGE GRACEFULLY

Aging is a inevitable biological process wherein the cell replenishment is not keeping pace with cell death changing the anatomical fair complexion to a wrinkled skin, defective vision, hearing and worse of all memory loss. We all know it . Then why try to mask the anatomical aging with cream, cosmetic surgery, botox injection etc.. Will it reverse or stop the aging? To age gracefully one should accept their age and adapt a life style suitable to their age rather than trying to improve their external look. Further aging is not synonymous with disease .Young adults want to become elderly, get married raise their children and when they get to the age of 40-45 they take U turn and want to become younger dyeing the hairs, wearing Bermuda shorts and so on. What a comedy of age. If your thinking, words, and action are in tune with your conscious mind then your body language will be more attractive irrespective of your grey hair or false teeth
The cell division and replenishment are influenced by the inherited gene and the environment. We have no control over the gene. On the other hand we can to a certain extent control the environment for a healthy aging by taking care of diet,exersise, and keeping our mind active with reading,hobbies,indoor or outdoor games, social service and above all prayer and meditation.

DIET FOR HEALTH

Anti aging diet should begin before the symptoms appear say by the age of 40.

What sort of diet should we have to delay the aging process?

Rich fat and carbohydrate diet produce free radicals which cause the cell death and delay the replenishment should be avoided
High acidic foods like deep fry, oily masala foods, and wayside fast food with added toxins also produce free radicals.
Diet rich in antioxidants, fresh fruits, green vegetables, nuts, green tea, olive oil, containing omega 3 fatty acid protect from free radicals.

Fresh carrot, tomato, bracoli, lettuce, apple, orange, beetroot
.





Green tea contain polyphenol which helps to lower the cholesterol, weight, blood pressure,.
The Epigallocatechin gallate {EGCG} present in the green tea deactivate the carcinogens.

Japanese green tea making



Dark chocolates, vitamin C and E also reduce harmful effects of free radicals.
Orange, amla provide vit.C, nuts and seeds provide vit.E
Minerals like selenium zinc etc are plenty in onion, garlic, whole grain.
Flax seed oil, olive oil provides Essential fatty acids.
We have to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day .if you wait till thirst develops then you are already dehydrated.



Benefits of calorie restriction:
Increase in learning ability
Sharper and clear mind
Better sugar control
Less oxidative process
Less osteoporosis

EXERCISE:
Aerobic endurance exercises which increase the pulse and breathing rate
are essential for the circulatory and respiratory systems. Out door walking at brisk space
for about 5k.m covered in about 30 mins is preferable to indoor treadmill.

Muscle strengthening exercises build the bone density and helps to prevent osteoporosis.

Stretching exercises like yoga helps to maintain the balance, with flexibility to avoid injuries

KEEPING YOUR MIND ACTIVE AND ENERGETIC:

The brain is learning machine and like all machines it needs to be continually maintained
With regular mental workout like solving a crossword puzzle, suduko,hobbies social interaction
Games etc.

Now is the time for you to take new activities you have longing to do after retirement.
Make an effort and enjoy whatever you are doing which gives a fuller and enjoyable life.
We have faced many challenges, problems in life which has made us more wiser, accomadative, and compassionate to fellow humans..
We may be aged but not useless spending time in the rocking chair as conjured by the society. Who is the society to label us as useless it is for us to decide to live a life for ourselves for we have lived all these years for others..

WHEN SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT I AM TOO OLD TO START TO START A NEW PROJECT
I START IMMEDIATELY.{PICASSO]

WHEN YOU DO WHAT YOU PLAN TO DO GIVES IMMENSE PLEASURE.. SUIT THE ACTION TO THE WORD AND THE WORD TO THE ACTION {W.SHAKESPHERE}
Becoming wiser, compassionate and contended is the reward as we age.
Each and every day is not a carbon copy of yesterday or an almanac for tomorrow.

GETTING ALONG WITH PEOPLE:
To maintain a cordial relationship with family members, friends, neighbours, it is not just enough to say hello, thank you etc. To have long term relationships inculcate the art of listening. Your body language and voice message should synchronize to convince the listeners..
Enjoy the companionship of friend who has interest in the world around us.
Always maintain the friendship of an old friend for they are like old wine.
It is also important to develop new acquaintances as we age or else we find ourselves
Left alone.

Good friendship is a great asset wherein you can share your sorrow and happiness. Laughing with him takes away your fear, and infuses a sense of self esteem.

Don’t judge the actions of children in a hurry and advise them. Advise only when asked for and don’t insist on implementing it. When your feelings are hurt take time, critically analyze and give your opinion in simple language so that you retrain you long term friendship
.
“IF YOU ARE IDLE BE NOT SOLITARY, IF YOU ARE SOLITARY BE NOT IDLE’ [BOREWELL]

Don’t just sit around and mull over the past and your existence, then you are asking for age related illness, depression, loss of cognitive function etc

BIOLOGICAL CLOCK:
After retirement we are free to do what we want to do rather than what we have to do.
But stick to a biological clock for your waking time, morning walk, yoga, meals, and meditation, game, sleep etc,

To remain intellectually healthy be curious about the happenings around the world. Ask questions yourself as to why to day be age of terror, war, and not the age of peace . Have healthy
Discussion with friends regarding the news in the paper.

These food for thoughts and discussions are healthy booster for the brain thereby delaying the atrophy, avoid depression, loss of cognitive function.

FOOD FOR HOLISTIC HEALTH

FOOD FOR HEALTH:
Food gives us the energy and nutrients necessary to maintain health and life, nourishing our brain, circulatorary, respiratory, digestive, and excretory systems.
It is quoted” YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT”
What better example can we get than from the life style of a colony of bees.
In one colony of bees there are worker female bees,male drone bees and a single queen bee.worker bees are sterile ,their job is to take care of the hive ,collect nectar from flowers, feed the pupa with the nectar mixed with their saliva. Only one pupa which is fed with what is known as ROYAL JELLY becomes aqueen bee latter. Royal jelly is fed only when the present queen bee is weak and there is need for new queen bee. Rest of the pupa blossom to become either a male drone or a worker bee. The queen bee mates in the atmosphere only once and it will lay eggs as and when required. What is this royal jelly? How only that pupa which is fed with royal jelly becomes a queen bee? No definite reason or answer is forthcoming sofar.I am really spellbound by the intelligence of these tiny creatures the way they dance to communicate, utilize sunlight as their guide in their search for nectar,keep their hive warm and clean by the scavenger bees etc.
I am totally convinced that it is the food that we eat decides as to what we are ,regarding our physical health,mind ,intellect, outlook to life ,how we respect other’s views and opinion without egosim

Food decides the nature of your mind. Mind is born of the food you take.” SATHYA SAI BABA”

Three Types of food are consumed by the citizens.
1}SATVIC FOOD:
It is basically total vegetarian. Fresh fruits, vegetables,sprouting pulses,tomatoes,nuts almonds, walnut ,plantains, milk buttemilk,ghee etc.These are small in bulk, but great in providing nourishment and vitality. no doubt the vegetarian diet is rather poor in protein and minerals. But can be to a large extent compenstated with the addition of more green vegetables,nuts,fruits, with less of carbohydrate.
Satvic foods produce cheerfulness, mental clarity and help to maintain mental equilibrium. It supplies the maximum energy to the body and the mind, as it is very easily assimilated and absorbed.
According to SRI SATHYA SAI BABA satvic diet includes the air we breathe, the noise we hear, the sights we see, and the objects we touch and feel should be pure
RAJASIC FOOD:
Fried foods, meat, fish, eggs, sweets, carrots, black-gram, onions, garlic, lemon, , tea, coffee, betel, tobacco are all Raja sic foods. Chillies,cloves,mustard etc are also rajasic food. These foods produce restlessness,egosistic mind with evil thoughts,
TAMASIC FOOD:
Non vegetarian diet,meat, garlic, alcohol and tobacco are Tamasic foodstuffs as they fill the mind with ego, anger,hatred, and lethargy. Stale, dry, unripe, burnt or overcooked is all Tamasic in nature. Fermented foods like cheese and leftovers also fall under this category.

FOOD PURITY:Food prepared by a person with good thoughts,intentions impart subtle vibrations which makes the food more palatable and nourishing whereas the vibrations produced by evil thoughts harm the consumer. That is the reason that same food prepared by two different persons by the same tecnique tastes different.

EATING HABITS: Gone are those days when the entire family used to sit together for all three meals in the day at fixed time, how they used to talk about the delicacy of each preparation the idly, dosai, vadai, payasam etc , the entire conversation is centered around the menu only and appreciation and congratulation of the chef.
Now a days no family togetherness no talk about the menu, sit in front the idiot box and watching soap opera, terror etc and gulping the food without enjoying the taste. Discussion only reg terror strike,politics,family dispute, court cases etc

WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO:
TO DO:
1]Eat only when you are hungry. If one disciplines to take food at fixed timing hunger pangs will come at same fixed time.
2]. As far as possible eat only home made food
3] Eat at leisure; enjoy every bite of the meal. Digestion starts at the mouth level with proper mastication mixed with saliva the digestion and assimilation are simplified
4] Eat only in moderation
5]Family members sit together, relaxed, engaging with healthy conversation.
6]sit down and relax to eat
7]Drimk 2to 3 litters of water in 24 hrs.

WHAT NOT TO DO:
1]Eating at odd timings
2]Eating in a hurry
3]Eating wayside hotels
4]Eating while watching T.V. or working with a computer.
5]Eating without proper mastication
6}Eating old cooked meals, deep fried foods, foods with artificial preservation
7] Drinking water in between
8] Engaging in conversation with animosity, anger, hatred ego etc while eating
9] Failure to say a word appreciation for the chef and the quality of food.
10]Do not eat when you are angry, depressed or bored.
11]Donot waste food

WHAT ARE THE ILLEFFECTS OF BAD FOOD AND EATING HABITS
Nowadays youngsters lured by the fat salary offered by the I.T. sector they fail to understand WHAT TO EAT, WHERE TO EAT, WHEN TO EAT, HOW TO EAT AND HOW MUCH TO EAT.I will never accept when they say that no time to eat because of their commitment to job. As a result they eat sitting in front of the system, munching on whatever they can lay their hand on. Within a year or so they develop all sorts of digestive problem with flatulence,indigestion,belching,heartburn,constipation or frothy motion. It will not be long before they become irritable ,restless, loss of weight, appetite, and spend time with anger ,hatred, jealousy, and sleepless night.
I must say a word or two regarding constipation. most of these youngsters get up very early and in hurry to commute to the office go to the toilet and try hard to evacuate before they get the urge to do so. As a result their is incomplete evacuation, flatulence irritability etc. latter they develop piles, fissure ,fistula. we eat only when we are hungry similarly we should evacuate only we get the urge to do so. no office will punish or terminate you for coming to office prior to evacuation. There is toilet in the office why not use it when there is a need. This is IRRITABLKE BOWEL SYNDROME and the disease is increasing at an alarming rate for reasons well known
Bad eating habits will lead to ulcers,malnutrition,diabetis,cancer, obesity, hypertension, depression etc.
One who eats one complete meal a day is a YOGI (a healthy person)
One who eats two complete meals a day is a BHOGI (a connoisseur)
One who eats three complete meals a day is ROGI (a sick person)
One who eats four complete meals a day is DROHI (a greedy person)

As the Food So the Mind, As The Mind So the Thought, As The Thought So the Actions"
SATHYA SAI BABA