This is the fourth of five posts on what it’s like to be newly retired – this one on Re-creating – infusing our lives with dimension and enjoyment. This is the playful, creative, silly, adventurous and exciting sides of ourselves that may have flattened during our years of executive gravitas, moreso during the pandemic.
During that surrealistic period when we all went home, friends expressed that they adopted a cycle of WORK-EAT-WINE&TV-SLEEP-REPEAT that they are still weaning from. Eye strain and sensory overwhelm from prolonged video conferencing were not conducive to pursuits that required attention and focus…the pull of passive entertainment too magnetic.
When I ask friends about their fun these days, I typically hear about bucket list travel, decluttering empty nests, downsizing into new homes in warmer climates, sports and activities, and – for a lucky few – playing with grandkids. However, folks light up in a special way talking about their attempts into self-expression – arts, crafts, writing a memoir, developing a sitcom, dancing…whatever makes their heart sing.
I dined with treasured friend the other night and, after we caught up on three years of living, she enlivened when she pulled out creations of her new craft – decoupaging oyster shells. She self-describes as “not having an artistic bone in her body” but here was beautiful evidence to the contrary. She began making them in her final months of working, getting up at 4am to craft some before heading in. It is many things to her – creative outlet, solitude, therapy, meditative flow, achievement. Above all – the joy of gifting them to friends…a piece of love shared.
- Unleash your Kefi – That spark reminds me of the word Kefi, which loosely translates from Greek to “profound passion” or the feeling of uninhibited joy in the moment, squeezing the juice out of life. Giving yourself permission to leave behind self-limiting beliefs (I’m not _____, I can’t do ____) to just go for it enlivens, opening rewarding possibilities.
- Dabble – There are so many ways to try something new without commitment. Mosaics, ukulele, Tai Chi did not spark joy, but watercolors, Italian, mindfulness meditation – love! I take a pottery on wheel class with a friend tomorrow night….who knows? A side-benefit of taking these classes is learning among a wider circle of people with shared humor/humility.
- Lean toward joy – We have many north stars in our lives – perhaps a Financial north star as we provide for our families or an Achievement one as we cultivate careers and work identity. As we Re-create, a good compass point is to lean toward whatever joy presents. Coulds and shoulds recede creating space to flourish.
Channeling Walt Whitman: We are large, we contain multitudes. Our worlds may have narrowed due to demands, expectations or circumstance. Re-creating is a time of expansion. Feeling Kefi course through our veins enlivens us. I invite you to weigh in – how are you Re-creating?