Thrive In RetirementSample

What Do You Expect?

The most common reply I get when I ask people what dreams they have for their years after retirement is, “I just want to be happy.” Is that a good goal? How likely is it to turn out well? It probably depends on what you mean by "happy."

It is easy to equate happiness with fun or entertainment. Such feelings are usually shallow and almost always temporary. Ecclesiastes 7:4 bluntly says, “a fool thinks only about having a good time” (NLT). True happiness is more than that. Contrast momentary levity with true happiness. Helen Keller enjoyed a full life and had enormous influence despite being both deaf and blind. Her conclusion was, “Happiness does not come from without, it comes from within.” 

God’s design is for you to have deep satisfaction and a long-lasting sense of well-being. Another word for God’s kind of happiness is JOY. The biblical view of happiness, such as found in today’s verses, is long-term, healthy, satisfying, and godly. It doesn’t depend on circumstances.

Thriving for adults includes the ability to choose joy over fear and worry. One great way to do this is to be self-aware of what brings you true happiness or joy.

There are five essential categories to measure well-being in adults. Consider these five areas of life carefully, and you will understand yourself more clearly than ever. Through this self-assessment you will gather valuable clues about how to make your aging amazing.

• Mind
• Body
• Relationships 
• Soul 
• Finance

Every aspect of your life fits inside one of these categories. How to have a great life, especially late in life, doesn’t have to be a mystery. These categories are the building blocks you will use to make your future the best it can be. 

In the book this devotional is based on, I challenge you to ask yourself questions that will steer you toward greater thriving in retirement. A great place to start is a short online quiz. Go to 20Quiz.com and check off answers for twenty multiple-choice questions. There’s no cost. You will get an instant report after you take it. The results are confidential, although you may choose to talk them over with a friend. That can prompt fruitful conversations. So pause reading for a few minutes, go to 20Quiz.com, and take your self-assessment. 

Do the results of the 20Quiz surprise you? Why or why not?