Hello and Good Day! Hope You have been doing well and making the most of your days! As always, greatly appreciate You taking the time out of your day to check out ‘Terry’s Thoughts’ and spend your time reading my article.
It’s June and so far, it’s been a Tremendous 2024 and I’m enjoying the days’ moments!
In past articles, I have mentioned the transition to our ‘Encore’ years can bring a mix of emotions ranging from the long awaited freedom to live our days according to our schedules, dreams and passions to uncertainty and loss of identity that was so tied to our career.
I believe it is true that we did build our sense of self around our career and achievements; why wouldn’t we fall victim to this identity trap since we spend a huge amount of our time, (life), building our career. During our career years, we might have limited ourself to only focusing upon our career and not ourself?!
I am not convinced that all of our identity fell victim to this, (career development), trap. We, of course, should have had more of our identify defined by our values of who we are -and- who we want to be as an Individual living our life! Although, sometimes, that Individual (self) would get lost along our journey as we continue to shape our life as we grow older.
My Wife, (Denise), always reminds me that; “people fall in love with You because of who You are -and- to be careful about looking to change who You are.”
This ‘Encore’ phase of our life should renew our journey of self-discovery, where we might confront the question: “what makes me me?”
As our identity is comprised of our traits, beliefs, values and experiences that shape our uniqueness. Our identity is shaped by external factors, mainly through our jobs and societal expectations. However, our true authenticity lies within the age ole saying; “being true to ourselves” -and- shaping our life based upon a deep understanding (and appreciation) of our individual uniqueness.
You will discover as You transition into this ‘Encore’ phase of life, our identity determines our purpose. The (partial) fulfillment will be come from living out your purpose. Retirement can bring about new challenges and potential feelings of failure, ( not intended to be a downer statement). It’s important to acknowledge this phase of discovery could occur and continue embracing your true self!
As physician and best selling author Rachel Naomi Remen stated: “often finding meaning is not about doing things differently; it’s about seeing familiar things in new ways.”
Finding a new way of doing the same old thing expands our creativity and invites discoveries about ourself and the world around us we take for granted!
This thought serves as a gentle nudge, reminding us of the preciousness of every moment. It urges us not merely to exist but to truly live, to seize each day and extract its full potential. Don’t let a new day come and go without embracing it —not just meeting it, but making something of it!
And always remember to; “Never quit searching, never settle and never give up seeking your greater purpose!“
Terry's Thoughts 
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