The Boat Has Passed Ten Thousand Mountains
Discussing the road to retirement after a thousand sailings
【Topic】
The Boat Has Passed Ten Thousand Mountains
Discussing the road to retirement after a thousand sailings
Text/Yang Xuejing
▲ When will you quit the workplace? How do you view retirement life? Restart, the dusk of life is still full of dazzling lights.
Many literary works often describe life and old age with melancholy and helplessness. For example, "Poppy Poppy Listening to the Rain" by Jiang Jie, a poet from the Song Dynasty,1 Taking time as the vertical axis, it expresses the mood of facing the turning point in life through the indulgence of the young Ting Yu, the hard work of the mature man Ting Yu, and the indifference of the vicissitudes of life in the old man Ting Yu. However, if there are no accidents, every stage of life is an inevitable process. Everyone will grow old one day, and there will always be a time to take off the heavy responsibilities and change their lives.
According to the global average life expectancy statistics released by the United Nations in 2023,2 Currently, Moroccans, the oldest people, have an average life span of 85.9 years old; Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan are closely followed, and they can all reach 85 years old; the average life span of Taiwanese people is 79.84 years old in 2023.3 In other words, if you retire at that age, your life will last 15-20 years. Due to the advancement of medical technology, our twilight years will be longer in the future. How to make good use of this time? It is the most important issue in life.
This article will consider retirement, think about work and use talents, and discuss with readers how to look at retirement life after a thousand sailings.
retreat? Not retreating? It’s about how you view work
Life is endless, and we unknowingly send away the previous generation and welcome the next generation. Although they are all going through similar generational cycles, their life trajectories are different. How to manage their life after retirement is closely related to their attitude towards work. Facing different stages of change, the mentality is naturally different.
Some people regard work as a means of making a living and are full of helplessness and dissatisfaction. American singer Oliver Anthony's song "Rich Men North of Richmond" is full of heartbreaking pain: "I sold my soul, I toiled all day long, I worked overtime, Just to make some bad money (I've been selling my soul, working all day. Overtime hours for bullshit pay)" The hoarse singing voice reflects the aspirations of many people.
When work becomes a "have to" burden and shackles, looking forward to retirement to dilute the pain is to find an imaginary paradise in the cracks of reality. Many people work to survive. Without a job, their livelihood is cut off. How can they retire easily? Therefore, the first indicator when people consider retirement is often whether the pension is sufficient.
Another kind of "have to" work mentality, although not limited by the pressure of survival, is also due to trade-off considerations: in order to maintain the existing order and stability of life, do not retire unless it is absolutely necessary.
Mr. T is a civil servant working in a government department and has always had a stable income and life. As my children grew up and the pressure eased, I once hoped to retire early and switch careers when I was still physically fit. However, his wife is worried that he will not be able to adapt to other working environments after leaving the public service; she is also worried that investment failure will affect his future retirement care; and she is even more worried that if her husband becomes unemployed, they will dislike each other. Therefore, he frequently opposed his retirement plan. For the sake of family harmony and financial stability, T had to give up the idea of early retirement.
Some people even use work to define the value of their existence, believing that the title in the workplace is the crown earned by their hard work. Once lost, they will not find the meaning of existence and everything will come to an end. A program host said: Many powerful people in the workplace have devoted their whole lives to their work. After retirement, they do not know how to get along with their spouses, relatives and friends for a "long period of time", which makes them more likely to have rifts with their families and need to work hard to reconcile them. Coupled with the title and halo that no longer exist, the sense of existence is quickly lost.
Others view work as a source of happiness. Microsoft founder Bill Gates once said: "I do work that interests me...the happiest challenges come from work, and I don't want to retire at all." Because you get self-realization and satisfaction at work, if your talents are not exhausted, as long as you live Just keep moving forward and retirement is not an issue.
More people feel that work is their responsibility, and they strive to contribute to their families and society in the first half of their lives. Retirement is just the watershed to give their lives back to themselves. As long as you have no financial worries, just live a good life for yourself. Therefore, after retirement, you must do what you want to do: travel; serve; change career paths and create a second career.
It cannot be denied that with physical decline, no matter whether you want it or not, you will eventually have to face changes and accept the end of one career and the beginning of another stage. According to statistics, the adjustment from preparation to retirement takes an average of eight years. In addition to re-examining the economic status and investment allocation, and making preparations for life needs, we must also face the past half of our lives with a healthy attitude, so that we can live the second half well under limited time and physical constraints, and give life a new lease of life. significance.
Do not work in vain under the sun
King Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, had power, wealth, wisdom, and beautiful families... It can be said that he has all the goals that a person pursues throughout his life. But when it comes to this book of wisdom, the impression that often comes to mind is that of "the vanity of vanities." Why did Solomon still lament that "it's all vanity, it's all chasing the wind" when he was old? Question in Ecclesiastes 1:3:“What profit does all man’s labor, his labor under the sun, profit?”yes! After a lifetime of hard work, what can survive forever? What does a man’s years on earth count in God’s eternity? If there is no God in life, what difference will there be between man and beast?"For whatever happens to men, so happens to animals... they all return to one place. They all come from dust and to dust they return" (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20)Why does God allow us to live as "human beings" under the sun? How to avoid trying in vain?
▲ It is a blessing to have God next to a field. No matter how many assets you accumulate, you will be blessed if you have God in your life.
Everyone is a workmanship in the hands of God. He shapes us through circumstances and encounters. God also gives people talents, which become more and more mature through experience, so that we can teach us to be members of each other, care for each other and become one in Christ. His will will not change as people age. Instead, as we age on earth, we will get rid of the bad and keep the good, making it more in line with His will. Accepting the environment given by God and paying attention to the lessons to be learned can teach us to continue to be useful vessels, containing abundance at any stage.
God spoke to Moses and told him to command the Levites"When they are 50 years old, they must stop working and retire...but they must serve in the tent of meeting with their brethren, keeping their commandments." (Refer to Numbers 8:23-26)God sympathizes with the hard work of the Levites in their prime years, and wants them to step down from their arduous positions and into a supporting role, so that they can recuperate and recuperate, and on the other hand, they can pass on the inheritance from generation to generation.
Similarly, in the workplace, we manage relationships like Barnabas, Paul, and Timothy according to God's will; appreciate, support, and teach experience and wisdom to the next generation. Retiring from the workplace can be seen as making way for young people and passing on the legacy generously, giving them the opportunity to grow and improve. If we can nourish talents from generation to generation in the workplace and ministry and open up the future, this is pleasing to God.
Become a light and salt blessing person
God allows us to have more leisure of our own after a life of hard work, so that we can reorganize our rhythm of life. When you spend more time with family and friends after retirement, you can still be "salt" to harmonize each other's lives and enjoy the happiness of being together. May we still "be light" and use the knowledge, experience, and expertise accumulated in the past to assist the next generation and illuminate their footsteps.
But how can we prevent salt from losing its taste? Isn’t the light dim?
Taiwan once conducted a survey and found that 86% people do not want to repeat the retirement life of the previous generation.4 The reason is that the elders have no hobbies, are constantly suffering from illnesses, are overly dependent on family members, and love to nag and complain. These are the reasons why the two generations are separated, the elderly become a burden, and retirement life goes bad.
As people age, their physical fitness gradually declines, but they do not immediately lose their mind to enjoy life. If you open your eyes and mind, you can still learn to accept and learn new things and experience new experiences. For example, in an increasingly digital lifestyle, understand and use new technologies. If you don’t learn anything and don’t know anything, you will really miss out on a lot of wonderful people and things.
Some people say that "money and health" are the two legs of retirement life; "career ambition" that comes from the heart, what you want to do, what you can do, and what you like to do is like the torso. Preparing for retirement funds is the most basic step in retirement planning; maintaining good health is also an important factor in enjoying retirement life without burdening your family. God has given talents to talents, so how can they devote themselves to martial arts after retirement and let them become dusty and become what young people say is a thief who "will never die"? In fact, if you explore carefully, you can still find a "useful place". Whether it is serving, working part-time, volunteering, or developing interests, it can give meaning to life. Leadership coach Chen Dejian uses four questions to discover the new meaning of life, which is a good tool when changing runways (see the stewardship unit in issue 63 of this magazine).
We should also remind ourselves not to "rest on our laurels" and have the mentality of relying on the old and selling off the old, leaning on the plow and looking back, always using the courage of the past, and arbitrarily criticizing and teaching young people. Instead, we should be “transformed by the renewing of our minds, testing God’s good, perfect, and acceptable will” (see Romans 12:2). This not only keeps us alive, but also lives up to the Lord who renews us day by day.
What is more important is to tie your life tightly to your relationship with God. The Chinese word "福" contains a special meaning: if there is a god (礻) beside a field, it means blessing. "Field" can be regarded as the assets accumulated by people's efforts or everything they rely on for their livelihood. How can you be blessed without God in your life? I hope that in the second half of your life, you will be salt and light, good stewards of God’s various gifts and resources, and continue to bless people.
▲ Retirement can be the continuation of a wonderful life. Experience at any stage can be a blessing to others.
Reboot and find unique meaning
The best service is often found in the smallest places. Although some people have dreams and plans for retirement, due to old illness of their parents or frail spouse, they have to provide decoctions and take care of their family members in daily life. Some people assist young and middle-aged children in raising and educating them, reducing their worries so that they can fully exert themselves in the workplace.
H was once the general manager of a well-known American company and an elder and deacon in the church. Before retiring, he planned to study in a seminary and become a preacher. At the time of his retirement, the epidemic was raging and many activities were suspended. In addition, his mother-in-law, who had been bedridden for many years, died of illness. The father-in-law and H's mother, who were over 90 years old, were in declining health and urgently needed help from their relatives.
So he and his wife returned to Taiwan and took on the responsibility of taking care of and accompanying them. Ask him if he regrets not being able to realize his dream because of the burden on his family? He said, "I rely on God's guidance and believe that God will open a way for me. No matter what the way is, I believe it is God's will and it is the best and most beautiful."
These services to family members may seem natural and insignificant, but they contain the command Jesus gave us: love one another. As the 18th century theologian St. Alphonsus said: "The spiritual path lies in loving God. The completeness of love lies in willing what God wants and nothing else." As long as it is according to God's will, every kind of service in one stage of life will be It’s so precious that it doesn’t require a grand and gorgeous stage. The light that touches people's hearts the most is often the glimmer of light that illuminates the road in a dark night.
There are also people who continue to use their God-given talents after retirement, continue their brilliance in the workplace, actively pass on their legacy, and lead the way for rising stars.
Elder Kong Lei Hanqing retired from the position of AT&T Director at the peak of his career. She talked about why she had to retire at the most glorious moment of her career: "I didn't originally want to retire. I also worked hard in my career, hoping to achieve the goals and achievements I set. However, the two years from 2016 to 2017 were very busy at work and there were no opportunities to serve. Yes, a friend said that I was burning the candle at both ends and gave me a reminder, so I followed the five-step process of seeking God’s will through prayer.5Accept God’s guidance step by step. …It’s amazing. I found that my career over the past few decades, whether it was time, money or talent, was like God’s preparation. When I was thinking about retirement, everything was ready at the right time, right place, right people and people. ; We know where to retire, how to retire, and how to continue serving God. … I realized that as long as we seek God’s will, He will make a way. God is leading every stage of life. No matter good or bad times, God has His purpose. Retirement is not retirement, but refirement. "
Kong Leihanqing believes that life stages are like four seasons, each with its own richness, and retirement can be the continuation of a wonderful life. Calling, Career and Community are one; experiences at different stages of life can be applied in different seasons. Today, she and her husband are committed to evangelism and discipleship training. They are also the founders of Called to Work, chairman of WAMSA Workplace Ministry Strategic Alliance, and director of the Messenger Association. They have also compiled past interviews, speeches, and experiences into books.6To inherit wisdom that glorifies God and benefits people.
Elder Lin Fengliang, the consultant of the Christian Association of Kingdom Resources, was once a very successful entrepreneur. He bought Payless Car Rental many years ago and developed it into one of the six largest car rental companies in the United States. The former chairman and CEO talked about the opportunity to retire that year.7
Lin Fengliang has been preparing for the company's entry into China for 20 years. In 2011, I thought the environment was mature and took my eldest son to China. However, I encountered the 311 earthquake while passing through Japan. When we arrived in Xi'an, we were worried about the leakage of nuclear energy. There was uneasiness and chaos everywhere due to the lack of salt. This made him think: "The Bible says that we are the salt and light of the world. What is our identity and role in the world?"
It took him two weeks to circle back to the United States. He kept asking God: "God! What are you going to reveal to me?" Through prayer, God moved the 60-year-old to reflect on the story of Moses and himself. life course. He thought that Moses spent the first 40 years in the Egyptian palace and the second 40 years shepherding sheep in the wilderness. It was not until the third 40 years that God deemed Moses mature and used him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
At that time, Lin Fengliang was at the beginning of the third 30 years of his life. He believed that God made him understand through the circumstances and events he encountered: "The time has come." Today, he uses his personal talents and influence in many ministry fields. Continuing to shine, it also provides an example of service to the younger generation, showing a blessed life walking with God.
From these testimonies, we can see that no matter what stage you are in, as long as you are willing to follow God and offer your trust and respect, you can find unique meaning. Retirement can be a continuation of a wonderful life. Accept the current situation, enjoy every moment given by God, make financial plans, take good care of your body, and don't need to worry too much.
The next article will provide specific and practical suggestions on "how to prepare in all aspects." I believe that the twilight years of life will not be the melancholy of "the sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it's just near dusk", but the richness of "the sky is full of clouds even though there are no more mulberry trees in the evening".
- Note: 1. The full lyrics of Jiang Jie's "Poppy Pops - Listening to the Rain" in the Song Dynasty: A young man listens to the rain song upstairs, under the dim tent with red candles. A young man in his prime listens to the rain in a boat. The river is vast, the clouds are low, and the wild geese are calling in the west wind. Now, listening to the rain at the foot of the monk's hut, there are already stars on his temples. The joys and sorrows are always ruthless, dripping from moment to moment until dawn. 2. Ranking of global average life expectancy in 2023:https://www.ctdsb.net/c1476_202301/1648475.html. 3. Average life expectancy of Taiwanese in 2023:https://www.moi.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=4&s=282793. 4. ETtoday Health Cloud:https://health.ettoday.net/news/1872036. 5. Five steps for seeking God’s will: God’s word, God’s Spirit, God’s people, God’s environment, and God’s sovereignty. Please refer to: "Kingdom of God" magazine issue 69 [Heavenly Worker] column:http://www.shen-guo.org/career-ladder-advance.html. 6. Kong Leihanqing has published works: "Octopus of Communication in the Workplace", "A Life with the Best of All Three Worlds", and "Mission in the Workplace" workplace discipleship series. Wonderful videos and resource sharing:https://calledtowork.org/%e5%ad%94%e9%9b%b7%e6%bc%a2%e5%8d%bf%e8%b3%87%e6%ba%90/. 7. Refer to the video of Lin Fengliang's "The Sunset Is Infinitely Beautiful - Christian Retirement Planning":https://youtu.be/6zlFHwsl7PA?si=OsdkePoe4PlS7CW5.
Yang Xuejing, worked as a planning copywriter for an advertising company and a high school Chinese teacher. After coming to the United States, he settled in Texas and participated in local Chinese education work. I hope that through words, more people will know the gospel and the values of heaven will be spread widely.