musings

NBC Nightly News featured a segment which highlighted a couple who had recently retired, only to discover that the current economic situation had devoured their plans to travel. Undaunted, they decided to try a new career--driving truck--long haul, at that!

It was reported that in their initial thriteen week period, they had visited over thirty states. And, instead of spending their hard earned cash, they were handsomely paid.

Second careers are really becoming quite the rage among retirees. Some do it for financial reasons; others do it to keep busy or for the adventure of it, while still others find retirement boring.

These kind of folks inspire me. They refuse to just exist. They push on past the past. Their motto seems to be: "The best years are ahead of me."

Oftern we hear the comment, "If he retires and just sits in a rocking chair somewhere, he'll curl up and die." This is literally true. Studies show that older people who hold jobs from which they do not have to retire get along best. Those who have a chance to do something creative after retirement, like volunteer work or taking a class to broaden their knowledge in some field, get along second best. Those who do neither go down most quickly.

The body is a closed unti with lots of energy in it. Unless the individual has a way to discharge the energy, he gets into difficulty, and the difficulty is often sickness and/or death.

Are you getting along in years and wonder if your best days are behind you? Don't believe it! Some researchers looked into the histories of about 400 famous men, each one the most outstanding statesman, painter, warrior, poet or writer of his time. Of the group's greatest achievemtnts, 35 per cent came when the men were between 60 and 70; 23 per cent when they were between 70 and 80; 8 per cent when they were more than 80. In other words, 66 per cent of the world's greatest work has been done by men past 60. Feel better?

musings


Researchers tell us that people with a sunny outlook on life may be unconsciously beating heart disease. A study of nearly 600 people with a family history of heart disease found that those with an optimistic temperament were half as likely to develop heart disease as their grumpier counterparts.

The study suggests that its possible that people with positive attitudes produce lower levels of stress hormones, which help protect them from disease.

So Dr. Robert Schuller ws right after all! The power of positive thinking works like medicine. We've always known that optimistic people are pleasant to be around. They spread their "cheer germs" everywhere, which are always good for the soul. They have a way of making you feel good about life in general.

But now the benefits of looking on the bright side extend well beyond the psychological to the physical. Logically, I would thinki it appropriate to conclude that folks with a sunny disposition stand a greater chance of achieving wholeness than those who are always looking on the dark side.

I read about a schoolboy who brought home his report card. It was heavy with poor grades. "What have you to say about this?" asked his father. "One thing is for sure," the boy replied. "Dad, you can be proud. You know I haven't been cheating!" Now there's a lad who is well on his way to wholeness.

An optimist believes we live in the best of all possible worlds. A pessimist fears this is true. How do you classify yourself? Are you pleasant to be around? Do others beneifit from your presence or do they recoil at the sight of you? I think its wise to periodically do a little self examination in this area and even make a course change if necessary. In fact, I'm POSITIVE about it.

musings

Will Power

Got my final notice last week. No, it's not what you think! I paid my taxes. I renewed my driver's license. It's about my inheritance, or lack thereof.
About three years ago I received word from a company that specializes in finding lost heirs that I, along with several other relatives, could possibly be the beneficiaries of an estate in California.
Turns out that my father had a first cousin that I knew nothing about. In fact, I didn't even know she existed. After some initial palpitations of the heart, I was informed that there were some 51 other heirs, so my share would be 1/52. Still, not too bad considering the size of the estate.
The process of probating the will dragged on for 3 1/2 years--all the while I was planning my trip to Hawaii in January and deciding which bills to pay off.
Then the notice came from the attorney's office. After all the legal intanglements and over twenty pieces of correspondence, the powers that be had found a hand-written will leaving everything to Michael, a surviving son, who was reported to be living somewhere in Europe. That's not all. There's more. Michael hadn't been in touch with his mother for over 20 years!
So much for the trip to Hawaii. Mentally, I had already purchased the tickets and made the reservations on the beach. I could almost feel the warm breezes and hear the sweet sound of the steel guitar. And that is no small vision in January in Michigan.
From ecstasy to agony--expectations were crushed by the weight of a lawyer's letter. Was God playing a cruel joke on me? Oh well, perhaps there's a lesson of two to be found in all of this. Jesus said, "Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust--or worse!--stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being" (Matthew 6:19-21, The Message Bible).
If your heart is in heaven, you'll never be heart-broken because your treasures will never grow old. They'll never fade away, and no thief can steal them from you.
The best inheritance is spiritual in nature and we get to share it with a lot more than 51 others.

musings