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What is “it”? I’ll get to that later in this article…stay tuned.
Many times I hear older adults say that when they retire, they just want to sit down and do nothing. Actually, I have such dreams, but I am not quite old enough to retire now. However, after I think about that, I have to pause. In reality, I think initially it sounds wonderful to settle down for an extended period of time to just rest and clear my mind after working for almost 40 years. And then, I ask myself, “then what?”. I am sure that after some time of doing my favorite things, I will probably become bored. So, again, I ask myself, “what’s next?”
If you have similar thoughts, I urge you to consider the following. Older adults have a lot of wisdom, experience, and time. With some of your freed-up time, are you willing to consider sharing some of this wisdom and experience? You may be wondering, what wisdom? What experience?
Glad you asked! Take for example, if you are a former teacher. Could you on a virtual basis, share tips with a new teacher on how to control a classroom; how to keep students engaged; or tricks for preparation that keep a teacher on point? I believe that this connection would readily be received by a new teacher who is overly concerned about how to accomplish all of the above and would love to have a one-on-one coach who could provide practical advice.
Okay, say you weren’t a teacher but were a stay-at-home caregiver. How you were able to keep the household, schedules, meals, etc. going and not lose your sanity would be a treasure to new parents or anyone needing to learn to be organized. Your organizational skills and time management abilities are sought-after skills in demand.
Okay, so neither of the above fits you. I recall a consultant who I met while working for the country’s largest electric grid operator, who could not wait to retire. He had expertise in intellectual technology and was looking forward to sharing his experiences and expertise with new entrepreneurs. He was so excited about sharing his wealth of knowledge, that I never forgot our relationship because it resonated with me about how to approach the new world of retirement and still be able to give back to our community at my own pace.
So, by now, I guess you know where I am going with this. Whatever your talent, skills, experience, etc., you have something to “pass forward”. Helping the next generation will help you also. I believe that sharing our talents will foster understanding between the generations; and will bring joy to you as a sharer as well as to the recipient who will learn new skills. So, let's bridge the multigenerational gap; share our experiences and skills.
Pass it forward!
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