Reflect – Enjoy – Thank – Yodel – Recharge – Express
When I was 15, I thought 65 was ancient. There are negative connotations about this age. Phrases like “over the hill”, “the best is behind us”, “take it easy” etc. characterise this important milestone age.
But what if it does not need to be this way. What if you do not need to let these negative views and words define you. What if we had a new definition of what it means to be 65. What if we called it the “Re-Tyre-Ment” age? What if we said “Re-Tyre and Thrive at 65.” When your car tyres are wearing out, you get the thread re-tyred. What if instead of retiring, 65 was a time when we “re-tyred” our tyres ready for the next journey.
Take the “re-tyre-ment” definition seriously, and it changed the way you celebrate.
- Give staff the day off.
- Stay in bed til late
- Do not answer any mails or make any facebook posts
- Travel with a loved one to the east coast to play in nature
- Watch your favourite TV programs
- Take your dog for a fun walk
- Marvell at the sky and at the wonder of being alive
- Remember who you are and vow to be true to yourself
- Reflect on how lucky your life is
- Tell your wife how much you love her
RE-TYRE
It’s a time to Reflect – Enjoy – Thank – Yodel – Recharge – Express
R eflect
We take too little time to stop and think. At 65 you now have great wisdom and experiences that help you understand life better. It’s time to look back and remember all the good as well as the difficult periods of your life. It’s a time to remember what you have learnt, and re-pack your bags ready for the next phase. It is a time to quiet the mind so he soul can speak.
TIP – take one hour to reflect on all that life has taught you
E njoy
Go for it and enjoy yourself. Be crazy – do things that you have been putting off for a long time. So often in our “busyness”, we postpone enjoyment. At 65 its time to enjoy the present moment and savour all the great things that you have in your life. And I mean really enjoy – don’t hold anything back.
TIP – recall all the things that you enjoy and vow to do them more often
T hank
We often get caught up in living life we forget all the people that have enabled us to get to where we are today. The teachers, parents, brothers and sisters, the aunt or uncle who believed in us, the great friends who surround us right now. When we give thanks it does not just help the person we are thanking – it also makes us feel good.
TIP – make a list of all the people in your life that helped you get to where you are today and if there are any who you have not thanked – contact them and give them a heartfelt thankyou.
Y odel
Yodel? A wise professor friend of mine recently told me “if you can find one sheep that can yodel then there is a possibility that all sheep can yodel.” So often in our life, we “shelve” interesting and crazy ideas because people tell us they are impossible. 65 is the year to revisit those “impossible” dreams or desires. Time to turn a deaf ear to those who said it couldn’t be done. Take some giant steps or some baby steps towards re-living those dreams. It’s time to yodel.
TIP – revisit those ideas that you once dreamed you wanted to try – play the piano, visit the north pole, look up an old flame who you never told how much you loved them. The crazier, the better. Then find a way of doing something that brings them to reality.
R echarge
It’s probable that you have spent your life at full speed – not taking the time to recharge your batteries and thinking that you will rest when you reach 65. This is a wrong notion and causes us to burn out early. Remember that when you have exerted yourself, you need to stop and plug into a regenerating power source.
TIP – remember when you felt on top of the world and recall what you were doing that made you feel that way. Experiment with a variety of things – it could be yoga, massage, laughter, music. Whatever it is, find it and do it.
E xpress
How often in your life have you been your authentic self? How often have you said – “Yes this is me – this is what I was put on earth to be or do”? Far too often we sacrifice who we are and suppress our real self for the needs of others. Well, 65 is the age to leave that all behind you. It’s time to stop living other people’s notions of what they want you to be – its time to be YOU. Remember you are unique – out of 7 billion people on earth, there is only one YOU. At 65 you now have something to say, and the world needs to hear you express yourself.
TIP – ask yourself “what is it I do which even when I do it badly I do better than anyone I know” – then go and find a way to do it. EXPRESS YOURSELF.
So if you recently passed 65 or are about to be 65 – don’t “retire but “RE-TYRE” and get ready for the next exciting phase of life.
Philip Merry – CEO & Founder, Philip Merry Consulting Group
Philip Merry, CEO/Founder of Singapore’s Philip Merry Consulting Group, helps leaders access the power of the heart and self-leadership for personal and business transformation. He has conducted leadership and team projects with global organisations for 41 years in 61 countries, boosting mindsets that grow inter-cultural cooperation and optimise personal excellence. Just about to graduate with his PhD in Leadership and Synchronicity he is a Senior Facilitator with United Nations and Duke Corporate Education, Regional Representative Belbin Team Roles, Marshall Goldsmith Coach, Appreciative Inquiry Certified, HeartMath certified, Philip is the author of The Search for Singapore’s Happiest People, and one-time London taxi driver.
