The Autumn of our lives

Driving is a great time for thought, or listening to the radio and having conversations with the host, sometime disagreeing others yelling at them because they can't see what is obvious to me! Yesterday I had to visit a client and go to an event in Victoria, about two hours from where I currently live.  I was able to listen in peace to the radio and then after stopping for coffee, listen to music.  I have an eclectic collection of music, everything from bubble gum to opera, and all spheres in between!  
Yesterday I was pondering a course I'm putting together with some colleagues and started through my collection of Chris Rea albums. The course is about transitioning to a different life, it's based on my friend Dr. Edward Kelly's work in Ireland 'The Third Act', and as I was driving Rea's Winters song came on, never mind that the music is wonderful, it's also got great lyrics 'Autumn begins', turn you in from the storm, from your Autumn through Winter, darlin I'll keep you warm', I felt it was a great synonym for what I have in mind, and for the work I'm doing with clients who are transitioning from one season to another moving from Summer into the Autumn of their lives.  Ed, talks in terms of a play, I talk in seasons.  Autumn can be wonderful, the colours of leaves turning, red, orange yellow, time is less frenzied, the outdoors calls for long walks, and we have thoughtful discussions over red wine and comfort food as dusk falls earlier each day, much like how the Autumn of our lives should look like. However for many of us life just charges ahead, 'okay I'm now here next is retirement and then I'll do what I've always wanted'.   What was that?  One thing I'm certain of, life happens, things change in the blink of an eye, so why do so many of us think 'I'll do that when I retire', rather than what would I have to do to do that now.  What would happen if we were more focused in planning this next evolution in our lives?  What would it look like?  For the first time in our lives, we have the opportunity to plan what the next 20 - 30 years might look like, don't we want it to be the best if can be?  
At the event yesterday, I had a conversation with one individual who spoke of how disappointed she was in her retirement; she had gone into it, she thought, thoughtfully, she had sufficient money to stop working, but that was the extent of her planning, yes she was involved in causes that interested her, but she was disappointed, retirement wasn't what she had thought it would be.  I asked what she thought it would be, she really couldn't answer!  We're probably the first generation to have this Autumn time, and we deserve to make it a glorious, joyful, colourful season, so why do we go into it without any firm plan?
What do you think, have you planned the Autumn of your life?  Leave your comments below, let's start a conversation.

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