Apr 25, 2011

Retirement Can Be Much Better Than Work




Here is the latest e-mail from a fan (name has been changed) who read one of my books (likely The Joy of Not Working).

If you are having a bad day at work or in retirement, the e-mail will cheer you up, in that your situation won't appear to be all that bad.

It may also make you decide to not pursue that retirement job that you were thinking of pursuing.




    "Dear Mr. Zelinski,
    My name is Sam and I work for a community college as an administrative assistant in the worst department. The department is totally dysfunctional. I have tolerated this crazy place for 14 long years. I ended up working here because I did not know what I wanted to do with my life professionally speaking. This still remains a problem. Perhaps, if you don't mind, you might be able to suggest a starting point, to begin to be happy at work and to have some career direction. I just turned 48 yesterday. It was difficult to celebrate my birthday when I am so unhappy. I received this memo from the person in charge of the entire department about being tardy to work. She went on to explain the hours that I am required to work as if, after 14 years, I would not know this. I felt like I was in second grade. I am sure even second graders would not need to be told this.
    Thanks for your time.
    Sincerely,
    Sam D."


No doubt in this guy's situation, retirement can be better than work.




Perhaps he should try to do something that will attract a much better job in the work world keeping in mind Why the Law of Attraction Does Not Work for Most People.

Here are a few quotes about work to put things in proper perspective:


    Get happiness out of your work or you may never know what happiness is.
    — Elbert Hubbard

    I believe you are your work. Don’t trade the stuff of your life, time, for nothing more than dollars. That’s a rotten bargain.
    — Rita Mae Brown

    You are what you do. If you do boring, stupid, monotonous work, chances are you'll end up boring, stupid, and monotonous.
    — Bob Black

    In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it: they must not do too much of it: and they must have a sense of success in it — not a doubtful sense, such as needs some testimony of others for its confirmation, but a sure sense, or rather knowledge, that so much work has been done well, and fruitfully done, whatever the world may say or think about it.
    — W. H. Auden

    My father taught me to work, but not to love it. I never did like to work, and I don't deny it. I'd rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk, laugh-anything but work.
    — Abraham Lincoln

    All paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind.
    — Aristotle

    Don't be a salary slave! If you are going to do anything in this world, you must start before you are forty, before your period of initiative has ended. Do it now!
    — Robert Cochrane (a Chicago advertising executive, to Carl Laemmle, who took the advice, quit his job as a clothing store manager, and eventually became a movie mogul)

Apr 15, 2011

Retirement Planning Test - How Much More Are You Than a Damn Job?


An important element of retirement planning is the nonfinancial aspects of retirement. In other words, what are you going to do with all the spare time if you don't get yourself a retirement job to fill some of the extra leisure time that you acquire?


There are many other issues relating to your leisure time as well such as including your spouse in your retirement plan. As a participant in a retirement planning seminar said to the seminar leader, "I now have half the income and twice the husband." I received the following letter about my retirement book The Joy of Not Working from Cary H. of Salem, OR on April 15th, 2011.

    Hi Ernie: I am a 69-year-old general contractor, semi-retired, and eager to quit! A friend of mine gave me your book The Joy of Not Working. Delightfully your book has enchanted me and turned me around. I am now looking for ways to live with less and to quit work NOW. What I have known and practiced and forgotten, is that attitude adjustments are what produce change. I have bought into the concept that I am my job. My big excitement is what is going to happen now that I can stop work-work and be alive with my creativity. Dylan Thomas's retirement quotation was perfect. I remember my father being curious to the day he died. What a great trail. Now I look around and wonder how much more I am than a damn job! Thank you, thank you! Cary. H.

Note: The Dylan Thomas quote that Cary was referring to is "Somebody is boring me; I think that it is me."




Also see details of my other retirement book How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free on Amazon.com , actually The World's Best Retirement Book.