Ravi Speaks: –
Introduction:
I had written almost one year back an article which was published in the blog and again sent for republishing in one magazine as well. This blog was with the title “What after the Retirement”. I am reproducing the same article again here since I received a few requests for the same. But I would like to add up certain major things which happened between this period-I mean from the time of this article getting published till this moment. Yes, I had an enormous apprehension before getting retired about what would be my fate afterward. Whether I could spend my time carefully with some busy schedule of purpose or it would just be the casual way-as they say “killing the time for the heck of it”.
I have realized one thing for sure: the amount of restlessness that I had earlier has gone to a greater extent. Maybe it was the reflection of uncertainty at that very point in time. I feel somewhat cooler and busier now as compared to my official tenure on one front at least. Earlier I had no time for my person and my family, but now whatever I do, I do it only for myself and to some extent for my family. I had a great desire to go to a very secluded and peaceful place as compared to the official times-when I was living in a very commercial and busy place where there was a lot of hustle and bustle. God was kind enough to me that I luckily got a house which fulfills my desire to some extent and whatever I had asked for -I got it here after shifting to Gurgaon-which is at least away from the intense crowds and market & vehicular noises for the time being.
Another very important thing suddenly after my retirement happened-where my friends started joking with me by saying that you got all the people in the universe retired with you- since they were forced to restrict their movements to their respective houses and not allowed to go out because of the COVID-19. Although it was a hell of a period, yes, one thing is for sure that even those young people could also realize their importance and their duties towards their families and domestic chorus. I wish this period does not extend any further and we all are freely roaming around and doing our work as usual at the earliest.
The third beautiful thing after my retirement, which happened to me, was the intense interest that I suddenly developed in my writing and reading. Last year, when we were all at home trying to save ourselves from this invisible enemy-I could complete my first book-“38 Years Of Selling”. This book gave me a lot of satisfaction and I could realize one thing: all my apprehensions about my post-retirement life were wiped off and I was as busy as I wanted to be after my retirement. I was not expecting the level of response coming for this from different corners. This has given me an impetus to continue my work on the same lines and keep myself busy that way.
I am running two blogger sites-one is only a general one where I too contribute my writeups and small articles on current affairs like the one which I am writing here. The other one is only the one with Lifestyle and Entertainment, mainly the Bollywood stuff. These two websites also keep me busy and that way I realize that my real life has started now after retirement. Whatever I am doing, it is being done only for self-satisfaction and I am not to care or bother anymore for the third party therefrom I had to get the salaries earlier.
All said and done-one thing’s certainly proved that a person in the real sense lives his second innings better than the first one which is bound with certain restrictions and disciplines he has got to obey -whereas in the second innings he has somehow made his own rules which befits his daily leisurely and comfort giving schedule-developed throughout independent thinking and living-I mean the post retired life.
Following is the article-“What After the Retirement?” being reproduced again for your reading and making out the difference in times one year back and present times.
UPDATED EARLIER ON 09.11.2021.
Activities Post-retirement?
It is almost one complete year after retirement that I am scribbling down this brief. I had always this apprehension in my mind about how it would be after retirement and What I would face after retirement? Now that some water has already flown through the bridge depicting the retirement milestone-I feel somewhat reassured and cool about the same word. No doubt I could get this period as the real period of recollecting self-which perhaps had gone missing under the fast and various job responsibilities earlier-when the priorities were mostly attached to the official assignments. Perhaps I had even lost the real meaning of being an integral and responsible head of the family as well. It was just a materialistic run of daily mechanical life during my earlier active phase (my official phase). No doubt all the important and related works were being done and completed earlier also-which were about my home and family but that might have been the just essential work to be performed with no personal satisfaction levels being attained as an integral constituent of the family.
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| Retirement. |
After I retired, I have given weightage to all the domestic assignments and started extracting a certain level of satisfaction. I have devoted 100% attention to the domestic chorus, which earlier was being only handled by my wife, perhaps. Now I get ample time to do so many things which earlier I could not. I could devote more time to my hobbies like seeing the various matches live on TV, writing my own experiences, and devoting more time to social aspects. Trying to be more involved in the development of a frequent connection with my nearest people. Also, I indulge in stock-market activities which help me spend some time on some small profits. Despite the COVID-19, trying to go to places of nature and spend time with the family at such isolated but natural spots on the mountain tops. Also, I had right from the beginning a special fascination for cooking, so I try frequently my hand in cooking as well-with an eager expectation of listening to the good comments of the people who ate my preparations.
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| After Retirement. |
The aim for any retiree is to be healthy and happy and not be a burden on his near ones. Over half of retirees are financially insecure but nearly all are happy, according to a new survey by the “Transamerica The Centre for Retirement Studies”- Less than half are confident they have built a nest egg large enough to carry them through retirement while happiness is the general state of mind for 91 percent.
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| Retirement-Quote. |
Normally to make your second act exciting- One must try the following retirement ideas to keep himself fully busy:
1. Live within your means.
2. Travel the world.
3. Buy a motorhome.
4. Remodel your home.
5. Move to the country.
6. Move to the city.
7. Start a business.
8. Get a part-time job.
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| Retirement-Quote. |
Here again, when I count from number one-I feel I have been doing the same naturally. Living within the means is, of course, the result of not getting any more salaries or not having any earnings. Here I apply what they call the 4% rule of retirement: – One frequently used rule of thumb for retirement spending is known as the 4% rule. It’s relatively simple: You add up all your investments and withdraw 4% of that total during your first year of retirement. In subsequent years, you adjust the dollar amount you withdraw to account for inflation.
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| The Adventure Begins After The Retirement. |
The second in the line-too I did immediately after my retirement. I went to almost the whole of Europe with my whole family and spent almost a fortnight there in different places. No doubt it was a very interesting trip, and I could see the other most beautiful part of the universe with different people and their different levels of development. The third and fourth being interlinked has already been done. But yes, I had a dream of getting my yet another small but beautiful house-that aspiration too seems to get completed within a few days as I have gone in for the new house at the new place near Delhi. Moving to another country had never been in my mind and that way I shall not be including that as my essential move to be taken. Moving to the new city is going to happen naturally when I shift to my new house soon.
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| Rest of Life to be the Best of Life. |
Now the important two points of starting my business or getting a part-time job to keep myself busy- would not be possible for me. Since I have already enjoyed the rest of my retired life with my involvement in my creative abilities and doing various small assignments as a freelancer. I have had enough of “Yes Sir” done to my superiors in official capacities. I really cannot do it again after entering any part-time job. I would prefer spending that time with my family members with whom I could not do justice while being on tours for weeks together and that way remaining away from them.
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| Retirement-quote. |
As you all know that I am into this small creative writing exercise daily-where I have already jotted down sufficient material for compiling the same into my biographic-book-which would reflect my real past as interesting reading stuff for the people who would be interested in reading the books.
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| Cost-Effectiveness Evaluated for A Retired Man-one year back |
Now the question of my earnings would automatically be looked after by my little earnings, which are coming through my various freelance works. I would feel myself to be managing within the means with that comfortably. Yes, as everyone would like to pray to God Almighty for the giving of good health, especially at the closing phase-that would be my plea too, and would like to take all the steps to keep myself healthy to the best of my abilities.
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| Retirement-Quote. |
Rest all the important works which one must perform with the advancement of their maturities coming-would, by the grace of God, be carried out successfully since the focus now would only be on the domestic fronts mainly.
People have many aspirations and even many dreams after retirement-but in my case I don’t have any specific dreams except the fulfillment of my inner satisfaction levels-may, it is through my own creative abilities.
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