Retirement Rules

I saw this today on Facebook. A lot of people were commenting on it and saying things like "I can't wait to retire." or "Just 2 more years and this will be me." Upon closer inspection of the list, I got to thinking. Hey, this is me NOW! Why do we think we have to wait to retire to do things? Why can't this be a list for life and how to enjoy it. So I am going to comment on each item on the list and how I fulfill it at this point in my life and still manage to work 40+  hours a week. 

The wake up smiling is easy. I try to get a good night sleep every night. Then when I wake up, I stretch and let myself lay there a few minutes before I get up. Of course, I am blessed because I'm a morning person and always wake up fully awake. I never even set an alarm unless I have to be somewhere before 8:00 a.m. If you can't wake up smiling, try to think of something that made you smile lately. For me it was a lady walking her horse down the streets of Pigeon Forge. Oh the humor around us!

Go for a walk. I have spent many mornings take a leisurely walk early in the morning hours or shortly before the sun starts to set. I put my ear buds in and list to music from my phone and walk about an hour or so. It is so relaxing and really helps with weight control.

Read a book. Since I post every time I go to McKay's to do a book exchange, I guess you have concluded I read a lot. There is not one single day in my life that I am not reading. Sometimes I will read for an hour or so and sometimes I will read from evening till the wee hours of the morning. It all depends on the book and what else I have going on.  

Travel the world. Obviously, with working a full time job I can't travel the world. And I really have no desire to travel the world. Although, I do like to travel for quick trips. I did fly for the first time this year when I went to Miami. Next year, I want to fly to New England in the fall. And sometime I plan to think about going to see the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.  Not sure I want to fly that far just yet but it is something to consider. I'm planning a trip soon to Nashville, TN. So see you can still travel the world even if it is only 3 hours from home.

Make memories. This is something I do constantly. That's one reason I blog. I have a place to share my memories and record them. I have tons of photos from all the things I do with family and friends and even things I do by myself. I like to squeeze as much joy from my life as I can.

Take naps. I do this once in a blue moon. I'm just not a nap taker. But I do like to sit in front of a warm fire on cold winter nights and just relax. When I take a nap it is because I make the mistake of laying on my couch which is extremely comfortable. It is hard not to fall asleep when you are on it.

Visit family and friends. This one is a hard one. My family has busy lives and we don't get together as much as I would like. This summer my schedule got changed due to staff changes and I haven't had the time off with the Grands that I wanted to have. But I did get to do several special things with them and have them over some this summer. Colby has been in sports most of the summer and my days off ended up a lot on the weekend when he was traveling for ball. I didn't do much with friends over the summer either. But for the next couple of weeks, we are in our off season and I am not working as much. So Friday, I went shopping and out to lunch with my friend Sherrie. Sunday I had to work, but I have several of my senior friends who decided to go with me to Shoney's for the Senior Buffet special after work. Yesterday, I hung out most of the day and went to out to eat with my friend Aaron. Today, I am meeting my friend Catherine at Cracker Barrel for lunch before I have to go to work. And recently when I went to the Stampede on my day off for Shelby's birthday, I got to visit with my friend Sharon for awhile. So even though it comes in spurts I do still get to visit with family and friends.

And last but definitely not least....BE GRATEFUL FOR THE DAY! I am one of those Pollyanna type people who find happiness in the simplest things. I recently went to Dollywood with my grandchildren, Alexis and Colby. We had a wonderful day. Alexis stopped to look at some hats in a shop and I realized it had Steampunk themed items for sale. I have recently come to love Steampunk stuff. All the cogs and gears fascinate me. I saw this shirt in that shop and I fell in love with it. So I bought it. See? Just some little something can make you happy and bring you joy. So be grateful for each day you have. If you really want to enjoy your life, don't wait for retirement or any milestone. Simply take the time to do things you like and find joy in every moment.