Live Younger Longer

Brain function improves quickly
6 months
Based on Neurology. 2019;92:e212.
The power of purpose
For many people today, the retirement years are a long-awaited prize, the
payoff for years of hard work. You may have pictured a life of leisure filled
with hobbies and travel, golfing, and time spent with family and friends.

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And then, suddenly, you’re facing these years faster than you imagined. So
fast that you may find yourself thinking: “Now what?”
You may have difficulty creating an identity outside of your career. You
may be surprised to find that you miss the structure of a regular workday
and the community it can bring. You may worry that stepping away from
your job also means stepping away from the purpose and meaning you
found there.
These are common feelings. But as my physician father — who died at 91,
two weeks after seeing his last patient — told me many times, “You have to
retire 
to
something, not 
from
something.” It’s important to think of
retirement as moving to a full, new life of promise, adventure and purpose.
In retirement, you’re given the opportunity to pursue activities that fill your
soul instead of your timecard. And you’re given the freedom to take action
— whether that means building meaningful relationships, exploring your
creativity or diving deeper into an interest you’ve always had.
Maybe you find meaning in helping an older neighbor take care of her
house or in babysitting a grandchild. Maybe you mentor an up-and-comer
or volunteer with an organization you love. Whatever it is, find that purpose
in your life. Find your “why” — why do you want to wake up tomorrow,
and what do you want to do with every new day?
This is your time to focus on what’s truly important to you — and how
you’re going to make the most of this next chapter of your life. After I had
my second cancer, I found great comfort in focusing on every day as if it
might be my last. Sometimes I would think, “What if I were on a plane that
was going to crash, how would I focus my last moments?” Then I would do
just that.

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