Retiring from your life’s work is a huge step. For me it has taken time to let go of my role as a therapist and to let go of knowing what is happening in the lives of people I cared about. Time to remember that I no longer have to position my calendar so no one can see what’s written in it. Time to get used to no checks to deposit.
I think it makes sense that when people retire, they might be susceptible to a reality distortion field. See post #25 for reference.
As you will see if you look at the comments related to #25, the meaning of reality distortion field is still somewhat mysterious. But one thing I’m certain of is that it isn’t a field of dreams. Staying out of it seems a good move.
But how?
It occured to me that if I was clear about my purpose in life, it might be easier to stay non-distorted. The following statement speaks to NOW and will, like everything, change:
“In my former life as a psychotherapist, I listened to client stories. Now I will write my own. A life focused on writing will contain daily journal entries, work on creating “product” from body of work, and frequent documentation of personal analysis to discern if desire to create memoir is sustainable. Weekly blog posts and frequent instagram offerings will be creative outlets and provide opportunities for staying connected to friends, family, and writing community.”
I’m sharing this with you because composing it, which took lots more time than you would think, helped me feel more grounded. I thought you might like to write up your own purpose statement, even if you aren’t retired, and send it for us to see or tell us if it had any effect on your life.
Thanks for reading and remaining a part of this evolving community.
Thanks for exploring the mystery – Nicky Mendenhall