5 Great Retirement Quotes to Live By

Have you ever found when you’re looking for a little motivation or inspiration you find a quote or saying that just happens to say the right thing?

I have. It’s usually when I’m thinking about what I should do next or I’m stuck not knowing how to respond to some situation. I often find it’s at these times some inspirational words seem to cross my path.

For example, years back I was considering leaving a job. At the time I wasn't very happy and wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do next. One day while I was in greeting card shop I was thinking about my predicament and I happened to look down and noticed a card on the floor. I picked it up and on it was printed,

“Leap and your net will appear”.

Shortly after this experience, I decided to leave my job. I really didn’t know what I was going to do next but trusted that something would appear. Within a month of leaving, I accepted another position that I absolutely loved. Now I’m not suggesting that the card was the only thing that inspired me to move on but it did have an influence.

Over the years as I have researched what contributes to a great retirement, I’ve run across some great words of wisdom that I believe embrace, capture and inspire the opportunities this time of life can bring.

So here are five of my favourite retirement quotes. I hope that one of these speak to you!

Quote # 1

The reason why this quote resonates so well with me is that over the last number of years as I researched what constitutes a good retirement, these three items always seemed to come up.

Purpose, connection and positivity.

What gets you out of bed in the morning? What is it that will fill your days in retirement? Having a purpose is one of the top items that consistently comes up every time you look into what constitutes a good retirement. Everyone needs a reason for being. If you don’t, your interest in life and in turn living begins to subside.

Social connections are so critically important as we age. It can help to fend of loneliness, isolation and depression. We all need someone to love (or at least like a lot).

Having something to look forward to helps us to stay interested and engaged in life. It can contribute to us staying positive and excited about things to come which in turn can help our overall mental health.

Quote # 2

This has been one of my favourite quotes for years. I love how it reminds us that we’re not on this earth forever but we should keep learning as if we were. Learning is one of the great gifts that anyone can do and this continues right into retirement. It helps to keep our brain sharp, keep us curious and engaged with what is going on around us.

Here’s a great example of this quote in action. A few years ago at Christmas, I noticed a book on our coffee table. It was titled “Bitcoin for Dummies”. I initially thought it was one of my kids. When I picked it up to ask who’s book it was, my eighty five year old father-in-law said it was his. He told us that he had heard a great deal about bitcoin but didn’t really know anything about it and wanted to learn more. He said that this way he would have a better understanding of what people were talking about and would be better able to engage in the conversation.

Quote # 3

Is there someone in your life that you just can’t forgive? Are you carrying around some resentment that you just can’t let go of?

Now is the time of life to forgive.

It can be emotionally exhausting lugging these feelings around. You will want to spend your retirement unburdened with extra baggage. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you necessarily forget but it does give you the emotional release to move on.

Quote # 4

I don’t know how many times I have heard people talk about things that they wish they had done in their life. Sure, it would have been great to start years before but maybe now is the time you’re actually meant to do it. In retirement, one of the gifts you often receive is the gift of time. So if there is something you’ve wanted to do in your life – now may be the perfect time.

Quote # 5

I find this quote just loaded with wisdom. I believe it speaks to us not only on the physical level but also emotionally as well. A life well lived is filled with smiles and will often then be etched into our faces through our wrinkles. So rather then concerning ourselves with our physical appearance and the changes our bodies will ultimately take, focus on the joy that life has to offer and the joy and laughter it brings.

There are some great reasons to embrace aging and retirement. Afterall, it’s a wonderful time of life that many other may not even get the opportunity to experience.

So what are some of your favourite quotes?

Susan Williams?is the Founder of?Booming Encore?- a digital media hub that shares information and inspiration to help baby boomers create and live their best encore. For daily updates to help you live your best encore be sure to visit Booming Encore's?website?and join Booming Encore on?Twitter,?Facebook?and?YouTube.

This article was originally published on Booming Encore.