Take retirement positively

I retired from the Indian Army after serving as a commissioned officer for thirty three years. Post-retirement, I have been keeping myself busy - not that I need to but because I want to. There are many lucky people like me. On the contrary, there are other retirees who are not so lucky. Domestic obligations coupled with financial considerations compel people to work after retirement. And it is only retired personnel alone who can comprehend feelings of blues and unhappiness, mental anguish and collapse of elderly employees as their day of retirement comes close.

In the light of the above, it is no wonder that people start looking for post-retirement jobs much before they physically retire. They prepare their resumes and post them on websites, attend rehabilitation programmes, participate in counselling sessions, revive their networking and are on the lookout for suitable jobs.

If retiring employees were to be asked what they thought of their present, most of them would admit to not being able to live their life as they dreamt or visualized. They do not realize that such feelings silently, perhaps unknowingly compel them to deal with unexpected situations and challenges thrown up by them. As a retired individual but happy with whatever I have, my advice to retired people out hunting for jobs is:

·   Don’t allow your fervor to take a beating.

·   You may have retired from your job, but you haven’t bid your life adieu.

·   Give wings to your unfulfilled passions.

·   At this stage of life, you need to be happy and busy.

·   The pleasure of working after retirement would far exceed the aspects of extra money.

More often than not, attempts to look for a job in the same sphere where you served for three or more decades do not necessarily bear fruit. Employers want staff that has flexible mindsets. Hence it is always advisable to avoid taking up re-employment in any setup where you may be regarded as rigid and overage to bring about an alteration to course.

Post retirement period is the best to look at a fresh career, and perhaps the best time to do something that one has always thought of doing. The days of woolgathering and stargazing should be regarded as over. Giving shape to your dreams should now be accorded top precedence by you.

We all know that in ancient times, a person's lifespan was categorized into four distinct periods - Brahmcharya (Celibacy & Learning), Grihastha (Householder's Life), Vanaprastha (Retreat or Hermit's Life) and Sanyas (Renunciation). In today’s world, these stages not applicable. Since the last forty or fifty years, the last three stages have merged with one another. People now seek to experience the pleasures associated with learning; and work and play till they are alive.   

But there is another angle to the above. When young, people dream of retired lives as ones of contentment and relaxation. Such dreams are actually dreams in the current day context. It would be rather presumptuous and even impractical on every individual's part to envision or regard postretirement life as one of relaxation or leisure activity. So, everybody needs to shed such a fallacious approach at the earliest because one does not know the compulsions of time.

It is rather difficult for employees who have been overlooked for promotion and due for retirement to have the same degree of motivation as their other colleagues. It goes without saying that retirement perks are always in consonance with the current appointment. Similar is the case with those who are disgruntled and shifted to insignificant posts. But it is very important to alter such mindsets and make the best out of everything possible. And the maiden step to achieve this is to break mental barriers that may exist.

One needs to be amenable to the suggestion that working, learning and play can coexist, even if one advances in age. And if such a transformation takes place, a realization would dawn that re-employment:

·   Opens up doors to a new world that provides direction. It also leads to fulfillment of aspirations that are in consonance with own morals, ethics and principles.

·   Offers you a motive and a rationale to get out of bed early as also a commune of like to work in. It ought to be remembered that feelings of seclusion associated with old age can be disastrous.

·   Keeps you active and robust. Good health follows and it by itself begets happiness and cheer.

·   Provides a chance to interact with young people and in the process prove to them that aging does not increase rigidity, decrease utility, reduce efficiency and cutback ingenuity.

·   Keeps you occupied for the better. Statistics have shown that people who take up work after retirement invariably outlive those who elect to be put out to pasture.

There is no alternative to the first step talked about above. Once that is taken, the other steps come automatically. You will keep moving ahead and that will be a new worthwhile career by itself. It is important that you discard all inhibitions in this context.