Welcome to The Gray Matter Newsletter

It started with a suspected DUI stop.

It was my dad, pulled over for weaving. The situation was humiliating. My dad was a straight arrow—a retired engineer and an Eagle Scout. He even volunteered with the police department. Oh, and he rarely drank alcohol and was always a cautious driver.

The officer let him go with a warning and suggestion to see a doctor.

His doctor then referred him to a neurologist. The diagnosis? Parkinson's Disease.

That marked a turning point in my parents' retirement journey. Their attention shifted to treatments, moving from Colorado to North Carolina, and coping. It wasn't long until my mom got sick too, and they both declined quickly, passing away in their early 70s.

I share this to explain my interest in rethinking, reframing -- reimagining retirement. Like my parents, I'll soon be thinking about my own next chapter. And I notice more people around me contemplating their futures and what it means to age successfully.

Gray Matter is about reimagining retirement and aging well. It's also about what's going on in our heads - the thoughts, emotions, and conversations we need to realize our vision. It's about turning plans into actions.

My dad had lots of thoughts and ideas about retirement. While he enjoyed life after work, he did not act on his big ideas.

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Retirement today offers so many growth opportunities. It also raises many questions.

• What is a good life?
• What's our purpose? What's getting us out of bed in the morning?
• How do we move from "strength to strength"? As Arthur C. Brooks describes in his work on aging and fulfillment.
• How do we cultivate nurturing relationships?
• Where will we live as we age? And how will we manage it all?
• What does a non-traditional retirement look like?
• How do we make prudent financial decisions? And take care of what's important like family and charity?
• How might we optimize our time, energy, attention, and money?
• What does successful aging look like for us?
• What are we doing to tend to our physical fitness and mental well-being?
• What is my legacy?
• Do we have the right estate planning documents in place? Are the people we're relying on ready and able to help?
• What does the end of our life look like?

This is why I'm launching Gray Matter, and I hope you'll join me in thinking about these ideas. I want to offer you actionable ideas and thought-provoking questions to support you and your loved ones.

Who is this for?

You - if you're contemplating a satisfying and productive life after work.

You - if you're supporting someone who is trying to age gracefully and enjoy life to the fullest.

You - if you sometimes get a little stuck on these big questions.

You - if you're a trusted advisor who has conversations about "retirement" every day.

Wherever you are in imagining your retirement, it's not too early - or too late to write your next chapter.

The best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The second best time is now. - Chinese Proverb

Next Steps:

1. Picture your 80th birthday. What's a perfect day like? Write it down.

2. Identify one person you need to talk to about these ideas. Schedule that conversation.

3. What's one action today that your future self will thank you for? Make it happen.

Thank you for joining me on this journey. Let me know your thoughts and how this might bring value to your life.