Keeping Active - A Key to Longevity

One of the things that has saddened me on occasions, has been the way some people depend so much on their work that when they retire, they cannot see an alternative way to pass each day. Such people do not keep alert and active after they retire; it can be as if they allow themselves to shrivel up and die, so prematurely.

Each day of your life is precious, whether you have your career job still or not. One of my favorite sayings is "tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life." Oh, how true that is. Every day you can make a decision that changes your future entirely; every day has so many possible outcomes, it should be a crime to close your eyes and let the day pass without making the most of it.

To make the most of getting older, it is wise to remember that saying. In my business and personal life, I have always worked on the assumption that you can plan 5 years ahead, with some accuracy, and transform everything. It really is amazing what new can be achieved in 5 years.

I took an occupational retirement pension at 50 back in England. 5 years later I was settled in a new life on a remote tropical island in the Philippines, a childhood dream come true. I was married for the second time, to the nicest person I have ever met, and have a beautiful 3 year old daughter, then 2.

I learn something new every day about the internet, and how to make money online with my network of new web sites. I spend much of my day writing content for my web sites, and although my intention was to start writing again at 50, I had no idea then that a few years later, I would be earning an income online through writing. I expected to write only fiction.

Now 56, I expect to see a further transformation over the next 5 years, and will keep fully active long into the future. Frankly, I have never believed in "retirement" as such, rather than just a change of activity.

From what I have learnt from older people, it is those who keep both physically and mentally active, and face new challenges, who fare best in the aging game; those who do not promote self defeat in themselves. Whether it be through, getting stuck into new hobbies, or furthering an old one, starting a new business, acquiring new knowledge or setting oneself new challenges, the activity will not put the message across that you are just hanging around in the departure lounge to heaven.

At the present time we rent a property from a Filipino couple in their late 70's. The husband retired from corporate life at 55 and came to Palawan. He has gradually built up real estate rental and farming businesses, providing many jobs and changing many lives along the way. He learnt to use a computer a few years ago, and has just updated his internet connection to broadband so he can get more use from the vast amount of information online, plus easier communication with his children in the US and Canada. He retired at 55 because of a stroke, yet at 78 he continues to manage his little business empire from home, doing all his accounting on the computer with the latest version of Quickbooks; always trying new things on his farms; always planning new building projects.

Now, that's the right attitude.