NFR Life is for the Living, not the Existing.

[RCF]

Looking back, I enjoyed life the most when I was 'living life to its fullest'. At least what I thought was 'living life to its fullest'. I challenged myself and stretched my boundaries. I learned more, realized that it was only the beginning of what is to come. I was happy, satisfied and invigorated to learn more.

As I got older and had children, I helped them 'live life to its fullest'. I lived through their growth and happiness. Yet, I slowed down on my personal growth and happiness. Looking back I should of done both. Hindsight is great but not necessarily the best thing.

Retirement came quicker, a lot quicker, and well before I planned to. I had not planned on what to do with my free time. I fell into 'existing' mode. I became a burden on my family and society. It affected my health, my social environment, and my close relationships with others. Definitely NOT a good thing!

Well, that has been changing slowly recently. It is taking time, effort, and a few funds along the way. I now look for more ways to help others.

It may be taking a young person out and introducing them to fishing. It also allows a single parent some time to themselves or with friends.

Taking someone out on walks in nature and exposing them to things they never have seen nor experienced.

Through the PTA, supporting a child to be able to attend summer camp with their friends for a week. Something their parents could not afford...

Many of us grew up in the middle class. We worked very hard to save every dollar we could. We grew up in a very fortunate time that will probably never to be experienced again. We will pass on our hard work/savings to our kids - as we should. But that does not mean not sharing with others.

As a part of retirement, we should plan to help others. What we have is time, and a lot of it, and a life of experiences. This does not necessarily mean monetarily, but our knowledge and experiences can also be life-changing for others.

Life is for the living, not the existing. Lets make sure we are living life to its fullest.

 

[Paige]

Passing on our passions and knowledge is one of the most significant and important acts of humanity!

 

[flybill]

Mine is to take better care of myself. I've pretty much quit drinking, yeah you heard that right!

I take care of my mother, Nancy, almost full time and love it, despite the challenges!

I am working to repair my relationship with my sister Sue, and some friends I miss dearly like Ron and Kristen.

I've lost some dear friends, James of brain cancer.. going back to my father, Bill, at 39 of pancreatic cancer.

I am teaching myself to code python and use Linux.

I am teaching myself Chinese through the Duolingo app. Written and spoken.

I am reading more books!

I am in therapy, regular and equine therapy.

I am back into photography, thanks to a dear friend, who gave me a Fuji XPro3 and a Norvise.

I will fish more!

I start with a personal trainer, at Kutting Edge fitness in Redmond at 630apm Monday.

I have lost and kept off 45 lbs for almost 2 years.

And I am learning to build a HOTRODZ bamboo rod from Mike Monsos! Started today, am meeting tomorrow again! LFG!

I am taking a CPR/First Aid class tomorrow morning.

My job search is very active again and I hope to be employed soon. I have great opportunities with RNDC being the highest on my list.

I am getting a dog at some point this year, and a two man /woman raft. Does the woman come with the raft? Asking for Ollie and Alex!

I am now a mentor with the Mayfly Project and will be working the booth at the FF show, and start to teach foster kidz how to fly fish!

I'm cooking, baking and loving it. I've started the Mediterranean Diet. Keeping sodium under 2000 mg, and sugar low for mom and I. We're both diabetic! I love making Sourdough anything!

It's all challenging, but I'm making it work and am optimistic. I'm cleaning up the house, organizing and doing the same for my life.

And I cook everything, shop for my mom, take her to her appointments if she wants me too. I just saved her $50 / month with Comcast and got yet another new phone which will replace her home phone!

And I'm actually thinking of going to church again on a fairly regular basis.

 

[Tom Butler]

I didn't sober up to exist. I would think of things I'd like to do, but just too messed up to actually do.
Worked yesterday, skied, basketball practice, dinner at kids. Grandson's getting a perseverance award at this morning's assembly, going skiing, got a rod to check for metal on the way home. Tomorrow?
Living not existing.

 

[Clean Willy]

I am enjoying the downshift that happened when I retired. I've lived an incredibly blessed life (cancer aside) and still feel very alive.

I saw this the other day and thought back to the years I spent racing motorcycles and cars. There is nothing that can make you feel more alive and probably didn't realize his message at the time but I do now.

 

[SurfnFish]

Fresh out of the service in my early 20's I rode my BMW R60 down to Big Sur to attend a three day organized hang with some thought leaders from the Timothy Leary/Ram Dass group.
The one that really resonated with me was from a sculptor gent in his 80's who started his talk by holding up his hand with thumb and forefinger about two inches apart, and 5 decades later his words still resonate:
"Life is this short, and in accepting this inevitability of death it will free you to live with boldness and without fear to periodically reinvent yourself with new personal and professional challenges. Fill your life with as many special, wonderful moments as possible, for in the end they will have defined your journey through life."

Have tried to do so ever since.

 

[Capt Insano Emeritis]

Looking back, I enjoyed life the most when I was 'living life to its fullest'. At least what I thought was 'living life to its fullest'. I challenged myself and stretched my boundaries. I learned more, realized that it was only the beginning of what is to come. I was happy, satisfied and invigorated to learn more.

As I got older and had children, I helped them 'live life to its fullest'. I lived through their growth and happiness. Yet, I slowed down on my personal growth and happiness. Looking back I should of done both. Hindsight is great but not necessarily the best thing.

Retirement came quicker, a lot quicker, and well before I planned to. I had not planned on what to do with my free time. I fell into 'existing' mode. I became a burden on my family and society. It affected my health, my social environment, and my close relationships with others. Definitely NOT a good thing!

Well, that has been changing slowly recently. It is taking time, effort, and a few funds along the way. I now look for more ways to help others.

It may be taking a young person out and introducing them to fishing. It also allows a single parent some time to themselves or with friends.

Taking someone out on walks in nature and exposing them to things they never have seen nor experienced.

Through the PTA, supporting a child to be able to attend summer camp with their friends for a week. Something their parents could not afford...

Many of us grew up in the middle class. We worked very hard to save every dollar we could. We grew up in a very fortunate time that will probably never to be experienced again. We will pass on our hard work/savings to our kids - as we should. But that does not mean not sharing with others.

As a part of retirement, we should plan to help others. What we have is time, and a lot of it, and a life of experiences. This does not necessarily mean monetarily, but our knowledge and experiences can also be life-changing for others.

Life is for the living, not the existing. Lets make sure we are living life to its fullest.

I have spent a lot of time writing and considering what you are discussing here. I have virtually chosen a quieter lifestyle that brings me peace and great satisfaction with a chosen kind of focus. This is my opinion as yours above is. Happiness is definitively personal not a calling card to be handed out as a questionaire.

 

[SurfnFish]

I have spent a lot of time writing and considering what you are discussing here. I have virtually chosen a quieter lifestyle that brings me peace and great satisfaction with a chosen kind of focus. This is my opinion as yours above is. Happiness is definitively personal not a calling card to be handed out as a questionaire.

your words resonate...having spent life in high gear 'getting after it', I find nothing is of more importance these days than peace of mind and reflective time to appreciate what was and is.

 

[krusty]

As a younger man with a family I took many risks during mountaineering, motorcycling, and in the Marine Corps that I now look back upon with a considerable degree of regret. Yeah...I made it, but quite a few of my friends didn't. Other men are enjoying a life with those friends' wives, children and grandchildren.

Were those activities exciting? Of course, but the excitement and my youthfulness obscured the impact of my potential demise upon the people who were depending upon my continued existence...and that awareness slowly developed seeing my 'co-adventurers' survivors' pain and total life devastation because of such pointless tragedies.

As to 'Honnold circus-stunt fandom', I admire much more how Fred Beckey lived his life of quiet and unselfish risk-taking.

Risks are unavoidable, and high risks very often generate excitement, but those taken voluntarily should be taken with some thought of how they may affect others if things go wrong.

 

[Peyton00]

Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.

-Beautiful boy.

 

[Capt Insano Emeritis]

your words resonate...having spent life in high gear 'getting after it', I find nothing is of more importance these days than peace of mind and reflective time to appreciate what was and is.

Being an emotional sort I revel in being with my life long girl ( since 1973)even though we both went different directions for 50 years. That is what fulfills me… this happiness this depth in a world that challenges even those that have receded into a small quiet kingdom

 

[flybill]

CPR / First Aid Class (certification) in Redmond!

 

[Clean Willy]

Risks are unavoidable, and high risks very often generate excitement, but those taken voluntarily should be taken with some thought of how they may affect others if things go wrong.

Very true, and I did everything I could to mitigate the risks I took. But then there's the thought of what sort of person I would have been if I had longed to race but decided against it because I didn't want to chance leaving my family without a father. I felt alive at the time and look back on the accomplishments I achieved with pride.

Again, back to living vs. existing.

 

[SurfnFish]

five decades of surfing waves of consequence and snowboarding the steep and deep = fractured hip, left pec torn off humerus, torn rotator cuff, two herniated discs, torn knee meniscus, broken nose, multiple fractured ribs, a combined three years of recovery over the decades from injuries and surgical repairs and worth every damn minute.
There is no deposit return for wholeness at end of days.

 

[Jim in Anacortes]

I'm an example of a "thrill seeker". There is nothin more exhilarating than knowing that you just almost died. Seriously, this is a fact.
Your woman wants to dump you? You do not care one bit ..because you almost died that day. All you care about is that you are still alive..her issues just make you laugh.
This is a very powerful mindset. When you feel so so very lucky to be alive. It is as if the rest of your life is just "free play". A true "thrill seeker" chases this feeling like an addict chases drugs.

 

[flybill]

I've got more than a few stories! A couple of close calls on the water, live and learn! One on the Yakima, at the E Cle Elum launch (takeout in my case), the Bitterroot too!

I plan on taking horse riding lessons this year or next, so there's some risk there. I love the equine therapy that I do and will continue it and regular therapy for a long time. As long as I feel it's necessary.

And I really want to jump out of a plane.. at least twice! Most people do it only once and I've actually come down to a weight that I can actually do it now. About 260 lbs and heading lower with some personal training, down at Kutting Edge Fitness starting Monday at 6:30am.

 

[headduck]

Most folks think about this way too late... Or never at all. Cool thread.

 

[the_grube]

Don't disagree with what's been said. Just pointing out that life is tricky and circumstances can overwhelm at just about any moment. The option to go thrill seeking or live your best life can be vanquished if it requires doing this or that thing. On the extreme edges of this, Victor Frankl's book, "Mans Search for Meaning" describes his daily struggles in a Nazi concentration camp and some guidance for persevering and I daresay even thrive(*) under dire circumstances.

* I don't mean to be flippant about suffering. There's a section in the book where Victor finds beauty and joy in the camp noticing a flower pushing up through the snow.

 

[Tom Butler]

I'm much more cautious than when young, and even more so since my swim a couple winters ago. Nice to be able to just be there. This one and her mom had a go yesterday evening. Papa's here.

 

[Capt Insano Emeritis]

Knowing who you are or for that matter, looking at your life portfolio-who you have become and are becoming. Reflective is a good practice because all we do in this life is practice.