Something I’ve noticed in my life during the past 10 years or so, is that I am less interested in acquiring material possessions and more interested in life’s experiences. Why?
I think that one of the main reasons is that over the past 15 years, eight lovely friends have passed away through health issues. Each time, my memories are of the different and wonderful experiences I shared with each of them, which money can’t buy.
As I get older, I realise that I want to make the most of my life while I can. Trying new things, meeting new people, travelling, volunteering, are just some of the ongoing experiences that make life interesting.
These days, I would rather put my money towards activities, than buying the latest……… That’s what makes life worth living and creates those special memories that we treasure.
No matter what stage of life you are in, I so believe that it’s important to make time for enjoying life’s experiences that make you feel happy, relaxed, rejuvenated and most importantly, feeling connected with others. Focussing too much on just work, making money to buy bigger, better things and missing out on enjoying life’s experiences, can cause regret down the track. Sometimes, the most simple things can give the most pleasure.
Once you have retired, is actually a great time to explore opportunities and to have new experiences – as one door of life closes, new ones are ready to open. Brian McB. a follower of my e-newsletters, shared with me an interesting acronym he coined – BAYN, which stands for Bricks Around Your Neck. Bypassing things that weigh you down, things that may be holding you back from doing/experiencing what you would really like to do. Or even things that could be complicating your life. This can be assets or material possessions that we really don’t need. Life is too short to put things off, till one day it’s too late.
When we get to the end of our lives, it’s about the experiences we’ve had, not the stuff we own. Having good health and not weighed down by wealth issues, frees us up to get on with enjoying life, remembering that interesting life experiences do not have to cost a lot of money.
I would love to hear about some of your life experiences that I could share in my August newsletter, to inspire others to try different experiences they may not have thought of.
Cheers, Eva Bennett Email: eva.bennett@bigpond.comwww.plansretirement.com.au
