Using Art and Culture to Improve and Lengthen Your Life

We recently saw an article how Engaging with the Arts May Help You Live Longer.  It was centered on a research study from University College London. The study focused on people over the age of 50 who were involved in some cultural format. It could be painting, going to a museum, going to a concert, or watching dance, etc.  The study followed individuals for 14 years and found out that if you regularly included arts activities in you life, you were 31 percent less likely to die than individuals who had no art or culture in their lives.  Pretty impressive.

We live in New York City, where a museum, a concert hall, art gallery, and universities are easy to access.  That is one of the reasons we continue to live in the Big Apple.  It is a cultural smorgasbord.  We witness a tremendous number of people over the age of 50 enjoying what the city has to offer.  The experience is often enhanced by meeting friends at cultural events and continuing discussing what you experienced long after the event occurred.

If you live a distance from a cultural venue, today you can enjoy it virtually.  People all over the world watch performances in HD from the Metropolitan Opera.  YouTube has videos of all kinds of cultural experiences.  Invite friend over to watch with you. Make a night of it or day of it.

It is not just extending life that is important. It is making the time we have enjoyable, nourishing, and giving us wonderful things to contemplate in a world that is less than perfect.  So if you want quality time, not just quantity, go online and look up the cultural events in your area. Then start going!

A REWIRED Relocation

There are many ways to REWIRE your future.  One of them is packing up your belongings in boxes, loading the van and relocating.  Some people thirst to begin their next act in a new home or in a new area of the country with better weather or job opportunities.

Since we wrote Don't Retire, REWIRE! we have seen so many articles about the glories of retirement relocations.  They are endless.  We love the list of the top 20 places to retire outside the U.S.  Most center on the a lower cost of living with a slower paced lifestyle.  At the beach, in the mountains, in friendly cities with great views.  The lists include destinations so far off the beaten path that friends and relatives would have to travel for three days to get there.  Really convenient? Not.

The reality is that a very small percentage of retirees move.  Somewhere between 5% and 10% is probably accurate.  Retirees who do move or downsize do so very close to where they have lived up until they retired. The majority who move do so within a twenty mile radius of their current home.  Remaining close to family and friends is important.  The older we get the more we will rely on our social networks and our social networks will rely on us.  It goes both ways.

For those intent on going somewhere else, it is best to test market new locations.  Rent for a month and see how you like it.  Draw up a list of criteria and measure your potential new home against the list.  Is it close to an airport, good healthcare, museums, performing arts venues. places where you can expand your hobby or interests, is there a college or university nearby.

If you want to continue working, do some research on the job market in the targeted area.  Is unemployment low? The lower the unemployment rate the better the opportunity for older workers.

If you decide to move to be near your adult children, be realistic enough to imagine that they might get a job transfer or a better offer somewhere else.  Best to make sure you like the area with them or without them before you take the plunge.

Your Brain and the New Year

Every day we read about the need to conquer Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. The Mayo Clinic gives excellent information about these conditions.   Around the world doctors and research scientists are working to find a way to rid us of the scourge of a brain that doesn’t work properly. Longevity has made it even more important.  We are living longer and healthier lives.  We need to make sure are brains are part of the equation.  Anything we can do to further this effort is a benefit for each of us, as well as all mankind.

But what about our own brains?  In order to REWIRE and get the best of what our future has to offer, our own brain health and cognition are key. REWIRING to pursue new activities, new work, pursuing long postponed goals, or engaging with family and friends requires our brains to be as sharp as possible.  

So what can I do to help my brain function at its best ?  The Harvard Health Review periodically publishes multiple suggestions on what we can do as individuals.  To quote them, “…cognitive impairment is not inevitable.”  Getting mental stimulation, physical exercise (walk, build muscles, build new nerve cells, etc.), and improve your diet are the first three steps.  Click here to read their complete list.

2019 is ending.  2020 will be starting soon.  Even if you don’t make New Year’s resolutions, add some or all of these suggestions to your daily life.  Your brain will thank you and so will everyone you know who cares about you.

Happy Holidays.  Enjoy the season and a REWIRED future!

Give Yourself Permission

We are a goal driven society with a focus on having accomplishments and a roster of completions. It’s not just the TYPE A driven personality, that some people call overachievers or workaholics, that I’m referring to.  Rather the normal individual who works hard and smart and wants a good and fulfilling life for themselves and their family wants accomplishments. It’s in our DNA and studies show that

people are the happiest when they are in motion toward a goal.

Some find the word, or the concept of goals defined by work.  They prefer the concept of having purpose, of living a purposeful life. The two ideas, having goals and having purpose, are inter-twined and take on greater relevancy when people retire or move into their next act.

For many at this stage of life, work ends or becomes part-time.  The positive and negative trappings of work end, also.   When there is no new financial deal to be closed, legal case to be won, patient to be saved, client to be advised, new widget to be sold or career path or ladder to explore, they can feel lost without a goal or purpose to pursue. Their views on undertaking new activities becomes blurred.

Many rewirees who we have interviewed have difficulty pursuing an activity just for the sake of fun or fulfillment. We get it. The truth is we often need to get a new perspective or point of view on goals as we age. One person can take a continuing education class because they love architecture or history and just want to learn. Others cannot take a class unless they are going for a degree. Continuous learning could be a goal with meaningful purpose for both of these people, but every person has many things going on that need to be recognized and assessed. Give yourself time and permission to understand what you need. It may be a great opportunity to start a new adventure.

  

What's a Competitive Retirement?

In the Second Edition of Don’t Retire, REWIRE! published in 2007 we briefly mentioned that in our research we noticed the emergence of a trend we called…”competitive retirements.” The best way to describe it is to say that we saw retirees trying to one-up their fellow retirees in terms of how great their retirements were compared to others.

We understood that now that work was off the screen, and people were not talking about their next big deal or promotion, (and many were tired of talking about their children’s successes) that these retirees were making their retirements the next and newest pawn in the competitive game of life. 

Now in 2019 and our Third Edition has been published, this competitive mentality is more pronounced than ever. People don’t just ask about where people traveled but rather grill them with questions like “Was this your first time to Paris?" Only to respond ..”we’ve been there so many times already." Instead of asking, "What did you do/see on the trip?” they  ask them where they stayed? Translation: can you afford a fabulous hotel? We understand that some people are really into hotels  but it can be off-putting if you are the one being interrogated. These types of competitive scenarios are rearing their ugly head, even among the best of friends, and many are finding pain and insult in the nature of the questions. 

There has been much written on the Psychology of Competition  throughout human history and sadly human behavior doesn't change all that much.  Hurtful competition and one upsmanship are boorish realities.  If you think people don't feel your questions are offensive, think again. Find other ways to be competitive.

REWIRE your life on your agenda! Importantly, be happy for others as well as yourself.

How to Grow an Interest

As people plan for retirement, or their future, or whatever they want to call it, words like Passion, Purpose, Hobby, Busy, Fulfillment, and Fun come on the screen. Unfortunately, there is a lot of pressure on people (put on us by ourselves, our children, friends and society overall) to get the future right.  What "right" means is different for everyone. Creating a future is an individual project, not a collective movement.  Trying new things can lead you to a host of enjoyments.

In our work we have made many suggestions about how to find new activities when you rewire…beginning with the idea of doing some self-discovery and excavation.  Go deep and think about childhood memories and accomplishments. We all have dreams and ideas that have been lying dormant and may now be ready to pop in some manner. There are many articles written on this topic.

People admit that they get stuck on how to investigate an idea once they decide to go for it. 

Here are a few simple basics: Start with the Internet. GOOGLE is your friend. 

      1.View your interest from a variety of angles. Don’t narrow your initial search; you can edit your ideas later. 

      2. Go local and global in your search. Read, read and read more.

      3. Look for local/national/international organizations that support your activity. Attend a meeting/event as a non-member. Check it out and see if you like it.

      4. Subscribe to the organization’s newsletter; they’re usually free.

      5. Determine if you know people already doing this activity. Reach out to them. They can introduce you to others, but don’t expect them to do the work for you!

      6. Take classes. Take notes. You are a beginner so ask tons of questions. 

      7. If the activity you select isn’t fulfilling your expectations, dare to discard it and try something else.  Readers tell us that it is often the second, third and sometimes the fourth idea they have investigated that leads them to where they want to go.  So be persistent.

     Enjoy the challenges and have fun.

The Power of the Rocking Chair

When people traditionally think of rocking chairs, images of "old folks homes," or parents or grandparents lulling babies to sleep come to mind.  For many the rocking chair is viewed as a bimodal piece of furniture...for the young and old only.  Personally, we think that rocking chairs have gotten a bad rap!  After this summer, we have a whole new view on the potential power of the rocking chair.

Many resorts and inns have wonderful wrap around porches often with rows of rocking chairs. These chairs beckon to us.  They challenge us to stop and sit awhile (and yes you can even have an iPhone, iPad or a little libation in hand, when rocking!). Straight back chairs allow you to sit, but they’re static and rigid. Some rockers are very traditional. Others are very stylish. Take a look next time you are at a luxury hotel …you might be surprised at the variety of rocking chairs available. 

Let’s face it, once you get over the idea that a rocking chair connotes “old” you are in for a real treat. In this fast paced, ever changing world a rocking chair can help us unwind; allow us to relax, even manage stress. This summer we met many people who had their pending retirements on their mind.  We told them to sit in a rocking chair as they began to plot their futures. The rocking movement slows us down and can even help us get some focus and clarity as we think about our rewirements. 

So let’s ROCK ON as we REWIRE!