 Senior
Brain
Power:
Don't
Waste
Yours
Barbara
Morris
R.Ph.,
SubmitYourArticle.com
On a
talk
show
recently,
the
host
and
I
were
discussing
retirement.
He
related
the
story
of a
friend,
a
CEO
who
couldn't
wait
to
retire
at
65.
The
pressure
and
stress
of
running
a
company
had
become
so
burdensome
he
was
counting
the
days
until
it
was
all
over.
The
time
finally
came
and
he
spent
two
years
playing
golf,
fishing
and
taking
his
wife
on
cruises.
One
day
he
realized
he
was
bored
with
the
"good
life"
and
wanted
to
work
again,
at
least
part
time.
By
that
time,
his
business
skills
were
rusty;
he
had
lost
his
mental
edge,
and
had
gained
too
much
weight.
He
knew
he
couldn't
go
back
to
what
he
had
done
before.
After
much
soul
searching,
he
decided
he
had
to
do
something
–
anything
--
and
he
took
a
job
as a
security
officer
at a
bank.
How
many
retired
people
do
you
know
who
are
putting
to
good
use,
for
themselves
and
for
others,
their
lifetime
of
skills
and
education?
Probably
not
many.
After
the
excitement
of
not
having
to
answer
to
an
alarm
clock
and
the
fun
of
living
life
as a
pastime
wears
off
their
self
confidence
is
all
but
gone.
When
you
see
them
you
have
to
wonder:
What
happened
to
the
valuable
stuff
locked
in
their
heads?
Why
is
it
going
to
waste?
What
do
they
know
that
could
fill
a
void
in
just
one
person's
life
or
benefit
society?
There
are
so
many
ways
retirees
can
spend
their
time
productively.
Many
do
find
ways
to
contribute.
But
clearly,
we
do
not
value
retirees
as
the
treasure
they
are.
Why
else
are
they
steered
into
menial,
mindless
jobs
that
require
little
of
them,
as
if
they
are
incapable
of
anything
more
complicated?
You
don't
have
to
become
part
of a
wasted
generation.
They
key
is
to
preplan,
at
least
by
midlife,
to
know
what
you
want
to
do
with
the
rest
of
your
life
after
you
leave
your
present
work.
Even
those
who
have
done
manual
labor
all
their
lives
and
are
understandably
ready
to
call
it
quits,
can,
and
should
preplan
for
a
new
life
after
retirement.
They
have
physical
and
mental
skills
to
teach
to
others
who
want
to
learn
valuable
"do-it-yourself"
projects.
Now
is
the
time
to
learn
all
you
can
about
the
new
career
or
life
of
your
choice.
Visualize
in
detail
what
you
want
your
life
to
be
like.
Think
about
it
every
day,
constantly
expanding
on
what
you
want
to
achieve.
Make
a
commitment
to
making
your
vision
happen.
Commitment
is
critically
important
because
it
will
drive
the
choices
you
make
about
how
you
live
your
day-to-day
life.
Now
is
the
time
to
start
saving
your
money
so
you
will
have
enough
to
launch
your
chosen
future.
How
do
you
get
enough
money?
If
you
are
saving
in a
401K
or
other
retirement
plan,
you
are
well
on
your
way.
Set
spending
priorities
to
save
even
more.
You
can
stop
wasting
money
on
clothes,
entertainment,
and
just
everyday
junk
that
adds
up.
Whatever
you
do
about
your
future
is
your
choice.
But
you
don't
have
to
become
a
"used
to
be"
–
"Didn't
you
used
to
be a
teacher?"
"Didn't
you
used
to
be a
lawyer?"
"Didn't
you
used
to
be
an
electrician?"
All
the
"used
to
be"
people
are
still
what
they
were
before
they
retired,
and
if
they
plan
wisely,
they
can
say
"I
still
am
the
person
I
‘used
to
be'
but
I've
also
become
the
person
I've
always
wanted
to
be
and
I
now
have
the
life
I've
always
wanted
to
have.
And
by
the
way,
how
can
I
help
you
with
what
I
know?"
What
could
be
more
exciting
and
fulfilling?
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