New Purposes

We all live with many sets of purposes in our minds. We have lots of things we want to do before the sun sets every day. It is important to have clear purposes.

Many people live day to day, without a real purpose. Is there something to look forward to today?

We lost our sense of directions when we recovered from a major blow in our lives. We just do not know where to head to. We seem to forget that we still have the talents and gifts. We seem to forget that we all have acquired skills before all the unhappy events happened. We have forgotten that we still have families and friends who care enough to help us through.

Search in your heart, what was your passion before the unhappiness? Why must you let the unhappy event take over your passion? Can you somehow rekindle the passion?

Do you know how compelling passion is? It is able to to create that urgency in you that separates you from the external events of your life. Passion also allows you to live with a sense of purpose! You will be truly alive!

If you somehow cannot rekindle the passion as it may be linked to a painful experience, then, creat a new passion. Be renewed! Have new purposes to live!

Fit in

It is difficult to fit in a day with nothing interesting to do.

Maybe you can start by sorting out the clothes in your closet, or even the documents lying around the house. Maybe it is time to learn housekeeping again after so long. What about the garden?

Focusing on something to do will take your mind away from unwanted thoughts. You will feel energetic again.

If you need to avoid your friends and neighbours who don't seem to understand you, then don't bother to talk to them. There is no rule that says you must announce everypersonal event to others, not even to your family. If you need the privacy, get it yourself, nobody is going to leave you alone.

It is always difficult to fit in a family if you have nothing to do. You will feel that you are wasted and not contributing. You are afraid what others will say. That's when you feel depressed. You start to feel that everyone is giving you the pressure to achieve something. You can even hear them whispering about you behind your back. (The truth is, nobody does that!)

Get all the rest you need the first few days. Some go for a short vacation. Some prefer to stay at home, minding his or her own business. Nobody can tell you what to do. It is all up to you.

Then, maybe it is time to re-live yourself again. At the juntion, choose a road you want to go. It may be difficult, but if you focus on the solutions, there should be problems at all.

Learn A New Skill

Skills are acquired, not born. That's my principle.

I remember a few of my former retired colleagues signed up for computer classes the week after their retirement. Sad to say, they did not attend any of the classes eventhough they paid for them. I did not ask as that would seem impolite. Someone realted to me that these 'senior citizens' as they called themselves were burned out. I did not believe that.

In one of my macro photography classes, there is a 'senior citizen' too. He is almost 70. He bought a low end digital camera and attended my classes faithfully. He even follows us to many outings in the parks around the city. He makes it a point to show me his work. I know he is proud of his results. I am proud of him, because he has found a skill. He told us the other day that he has taken a few pictures of his grandchildren. His family displays the pictures all over the house. He is now a proud owner of a new DSLR which he does not know how to operate! A gift from his children as a graduation gift.

My father reads a lot of books on health after his retirement. He buys books and even goes to secondhand bookshops to get these books. He is forever excited with his treasures. I also wish that these books are in English Language so that I can also read them ...... Now, he has plenty of time to read them and to put them in practice.

My mother is already a very good cook. After her retirement, I can say .... she cooks better. She can even cook any food by just looking at the name! She has of course, a great collection of recipes!

There is never an end to all one can do ......... Start living again.

Wake Early

I think the best way to start your day is to wake early. Look out your window and take a deep breath of the morning fresh air.
It would be better if you can even see the sun rises. It always fills me with a new hope for that day.
Join in the morning walk or exercise with your neighbours. They are always there, weekends and weekdays.