Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I am nowhere near retirement but wanted to know from folks further down the line with more life experience. I am in my mid-30s. I have worked hard to get a college degree, build up my career, got married in my early 30s and brought a house. We will have our first child later this year. I feel fortunate to be where I am at financially/personally but there's a void inside of me.
Thus far, I have spent my time building up to this point in life. I have been saving for retirement since I started working and have an extra investment account just to be safe. Financially, I think we will be ok in retirement. I am concern with finding contentment and meaning when I am retired. I would like to know from others (without getting into a religious debate) about their spiritual journey as they aged. Did you go through a similar experience at this age? Did you mind meaning as you aged? Did you find contentment with life in retirement or was there a moment where things just clicked?
I also read a recent NYT article that brought up this subject: "Thinking Beyond Money In Retirement"
There is a myth that as you get older you will become more religious. It is supposed to be a good bet if there is any afterlife. There have been a number of threads on this forum. Again, it seems this is an out of date myth. Long before retirement age, most of us have defined our religious or if you prefer spiritual beliefs.
That said, I think most of us do and should change our life goals at retirement. When I retired, I had already looked at the future and had a good idea of what I wanted to learn, to do, and to accomplish. My plans went way beyond taking it easy, or as I call it waiting to die. Unfortunately, a great many people retire and have no ideas, no plans, no ambitions, nothing they want to learn and no efforts they want to make to achieve anything. No surprise. Lots of people go through their entire lives without much self direction. For many people taking it easy and finding some activities to kill time is enough.
I also do not understand the concept of 'spirituality' if not in the context of believing in God, heaven, Christ dying for sins, faith that God and an afterlife exists etc. unless perhaps using the term to mean an appreciation of nature.
As for learning, it takes place almost everyday in reading.....and in selective listening & watching. It need not be formalized, but comes from pursuit of knowledge.
Last edited by matisse12; 04-27-2016 at 01:50 PM..
Nope. I'm the same old same old. I do have more time to walk and enjoy nature and in this I find my spiritual self.
Seeriously, I agree entirely. I have been fortunate enough to spend time traveling in our national parks, but I can also enjoy the neighborhood parks.
I spent most of my first couple of years in retirement in pursuit of what I call special places. I learned that special places can be near or far, big or small and even imaginary. Find those places that are special to you and they will nourish both body and soul.
I also do not understand the concept of 'spirituality' if not in the context of believing in God, heaven, Christ dying for sins, faith that God and an afterlife exists etc. unless perhaps using the term to mean an appreciation of nature.
As for learning, it takes place almost everyday in reading.....and in selective listening & watching. It need not be formalized, but comes from pursuit of knowledge.
Just like matisse, I don't understand the concept of "spirituality" outside the context of the supernatural (by supernatural, I mean all of the religious concepts that matisse listed above as well as anything else outside of scientifically-observable reality).
I do wonder exactly what people mean by "spirituality," and whether they all mean the same thing.
... I am concern with finding contentment and meaning when I am retired. I would like to know from others (without getting into a religious debate) about their spiritual journey as they aged...
@capitalhockey, I am in my mid-60s and will be retiring within the year. My personal relationship with God is a very important part of my daily life, and has always been so since childhood/teen years. So, nothing has really changed in that respect.
I will say to you that I experience the greatest contentment and meaning in my life when I do 'things' for others. I'm really looking forward to the time when I wake up in the morning, it is not to go to a mortgage-paying 'job', but to some volunteer organization where I can do something of value for my fellow citizens, (which also includes things like animal rescue).
Discovered God then became a Christian at age 27. Or was it at age 28? Matters not. People can find God at any point in life, if it matters to them. I've know some who became interested in the matter and did after age 50. Others who felt no reason or interest and did not. Personal choice.
For me who was raised to be religiously devout, and who raised her kids accordingly, it has been a journey. I am neither as religious as I used to be, or as doctrinaire. My secret is, I believe the words of Jesus far more than the words of Paul. I also respect other religions which often are answering different spiritual questions. I really do not think one person or one group has the spiritual answers for everyone.
I have come a long way in my thinking. But I respect others' religious convictions, especially when I see their lives benefiting from their beliefs. I would never, ever diss another's convictions.
If I could fit myself into the "right" religion for me, it would probably come close to the Unitarian Universalist tradition of tolerance. I do think that is too late for me to switch. My beliefs are my private beliefs.
I have no patience for religious paternalism. I believe that surely women have the same religious vocations, as men, and that they should have the same rights and access as men. I believe that the Bible has amazing wisdom but that it is a product of men. I still revere it. I believe what is regarded as holy, is holy because humans make it holy by their belief.
Oddly enough, I find a summary statement of my beliefs in this quote, which is not from the Bible:
“Mankind was my business. The common welfare was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, benevolence, were all my business. The dealings of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
― Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
I don't know how to tell you I arrived at these beliefs. I can't really give you a step by step. Your question is certainly thought provoking.
At age 18, I discovered the same Christ that I still believe in at age 67. There have been a lot of serious struggles in our lives (the valleys) but there have been so many miracles (the mountain tops). My first miracle came at age 18 and my second one was when I met and married my wonderful wife now of 44 years.
I suppose it's natural for some people to begin to think upon their mortality as they approach the far end of life. However, I've always believed, and been taught, that most never give it a second thought.
Best wishes.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
