But does anyone sense a great amount of misconception here? I certainly do! Does the mention of the word ‘retirement’ have to paint such a picture of doom and gloom that leaves the average subconscious mind dreading it like a plague? The danger is that one may have heard these things about pension from family and friends repeatedly that it may have been deeply internalized, ultimately affecting one’s sense of retirement planning. After all, the mantra you get from friends and family is one of preparation for death, half-death and eventual death! Dreary! These perspectives should get all and sundry to think and begin to look at the period of pension along these lines. No matter how much we run away from it, there will be a period in our lives when we must go on pension, approaching it right makes it a time devoid of tension.

Educate yourself; The period of pension can be used to learn something new. We have always had childhood ambitions that we have not been able to fully pay attention to due to life’s diversions. The retirement period can be used to catch up by learning those crafts such as sewing, fishing and so forth that gives joy that cannot be replaced by any amount of money. On top of it, never underestimate the opportunity to turn a favorite hobby or skill into extra income. The period of pension comes with a great deal of responsibility when it comes to managing one’s resources. Being prudent with the resources one has gathered over the period is crucial to the level of peace and sound mindedness one can have, particularly since the financial responsibility of a person tends to increase with age in this part of the world. There are a few instruments that can be discussed here;Fixed Income Funds/Money Market Funds: This type of collective investment scheme invests solely in fixed income instruments such as treasury bills, corporate bonds, treasury notes and commercial papers. The difference between Fixed Income schemes and Money Market schemes is that Fixed Income Funds are able to invest in all types of fixed income instruments regardless of the tenor while Money Market Funds solely concerns itself with investing in instruments with maturities lesser than one year. It’s the time to unwind, enjoy moments of calm, and appreciate life’s simple pleasures. After a lifetime of hard work, relaxation in retirement is not just deserved; it’s necessary for a fulfilling and balanced life. From being concerned about your 401K to worrying if Special K is still in the pantry — you’ve come a long way. Enjoy your well-deserved retirement. There is a saying which goes like ‘we cannot change the direction of the wind, but we can always adjust its sails.’ Pension will come upon us one way or another and what we do in that time can be discussed. Luke 1;23 says that ‘and when his time of duty was ended, he went to his home.’ Our time of service will eventually end and when that time comes, we will return to our homes to lead different lives. In that period, what we do with our time and resources is very important.

A chat with some pensioners with a brighter look at retirement gave birth to some wonderful perspectives into what retirement really and truly meant, as shared by Andy Landis, author of ‘When I retire’; Leaving a Legacy – In Proverbs 13;22, the good book says ‘A good Man leaves an inheritance for his Children’s children, and the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.’ The period of retirement can be a good time to reflect on the legacy you are going to leave behind. Leaving a good legacy does not always have to be about money but could also be in the form of a book you write, a lasting impression you leave on someone or something of the sort. Think about the millions you have earned over the years for your company in your career; then ask yourself why you weren’t able to retire sooner. Travel; Pension can be a good time to travel and see places you have not yet seen. The excitement of seeing and meeting new people can be extremely fulfilling and stimulating. One would not want the period of pension to be boring and depressing and so occupying the time by traveling to see new places can worth the while. Traveling does not necessarily have to be expensive as one can travel within their own country as well just to see nature and admire God’s handiwork. The period of retirement can be relaxing and fulfilling or nightmarish and tiring depending on how well one plans for life before and after pension. The trouble with retirement is you never get a day off. On the flip side, not getting a day off means the joy retirement brings can be endless!Retirement: Goodbye Tension, Hello Pension. We couldn’t be happier for you. So, get your happy on and have a great time. Send postcards when you think of it. It’s no secret that I’ve been passionate about cooking for nearly my entire adult life in New York. First as a single man, then as a Father to two growing kids, then for friends at dinner parties, and finally in my new life. But this past year, as immodest as this sounds, I’ve really gotten a lot better. I love being creative and inventive with my food, and to cook for friends who are bold enough to accept a dinner invitation, remove their masks, and expand their social environment to at least 4 people. I have enough confidence that I always do a dish that I’ve never prepared before for my dinner parties.. I’ve been particularly open about new fish dishes, so I’ve made branzino, cod, halibut, soft shell crabs, scallops, and on and on. I’ve also redefined vegetable dishes with complex ingredients and methods. And pasta being my old favorite, I’m essentially inventing my own sauces without recipes. And as much as I learned to HATE POTATOES while growing up, I’ve now grown to love them. Last night, baby new potatoes with rosemary, and along with practically every meal, the herbs come from my garden. Congratulations on your retirement. Now you have more time to work on everything that you’ve been putting off for so long. That was actually a very conscious decision. As I said in my very first post of “Hello Pension Goodbye Tension!” I would focus my blog on adventurous stuff that helped me go from a career I loved to a new life with new places to go and things to do. Thus I became an Uber driver . . . biked through Cuba . . . went to cooking school in Tuscany and then Mexico . . . sailed to the Galapagos . . .went to Burning Man . . . became a judge in the Soho Film Festival . . .and on and on. I was set to go to Rusia, and then the pandemic came along and spoiled that, and just about everything else. It’s hard to be adventurous when you’re not allowed to go anywhere, do anything that involves people, and most everything was shut down anyway. It’s starting to open up now, and I’ll be telling you in future posts about my upcoming plans, but before I do, we all had to figure out how to get ourselves through this time, and here’s what I did: