I read two incredibly encouraging news articles and one, not so much on USA Today's homepage today. I'll write about the first here and then separate posts for the others. The first was on retirement. It excited me and at the same time reminded me of one of the huge reasons I could no longer work in the retirement planning industry. I'll try not to mess up the details, but the jist of it is that five or six years ago a well-to-do couple (nearing retirement age) who spent money as it came in on nice cars, collectors items, and whatnot, was told by their financial advisor that they had to cut back spending so that they could retire and live the dream and settle into a "leisure life of sunscreen and lounge chairs" on a small Caribean island. They did everything he advised - they stopped spending and three years later sold everything they owned (including the nice cars, all the collectibles and their home) and moved to the Caribean - except for the last part. They decided they did not want to waste their remaining years away soaking up sun on the beach. Instead they would live simple and teach impoverished children. The story goes on to detail some of what they're doing, but the point is that they didn't buy into the crap that the American Dream means work only as long as you have to so that you can relax the rest of your life away on some beach or golf course.
I'm not articulating this very well (no surprise there) so here are the two sides of the coin:
1. It reminded me that I just couldn't, in good conscience, continue to help people stash away as much money as possible so that they could bask in the sunshine of their greed and waste away the last 10, 20 or even 30 or more years of their life doing NOTHING of any value!!! I wish I had the ability to put into words what my brain feels right now, but that short rant will have to do.
2. It is soooo encouraging to see a couple who GETS IT! It may have taken them a while, but before it was too late they realized there's more to life than a 30 year vacation to end your life on.
I guess that wasn't as inteligent and articulate a rant as I intended when I started typing...Oh well, I guess that's why I'm a coach and not a journalist...
The article can be found at: http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/retirement/2008-09-22-dream-retirement-teach-island_N.htm
1 comment:
This should be one of the greatest calls to the christian community. We NEVER Retire. If and When we don't have to work for a paycheck then we are ready to full time for being the hands and feet of the church and building the Kingdom of God. That is what we were created and called to do. Not retire - don't see that in the bible anywhere.
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