Is Youth Wasted on the Young?

Is wealth really wasted on the old? Many enter retirement on the back of a shoe string and progress to live out a modest life. On the other hand, there is no doubt that youth is wasted on the young but it’s not too late to reclaim your youth.

We all know a teenager who spends their days locked in a dungeon playing video games or a 30-year-old adult who can’t share a meal with someone without habitual Instagram and Facebook outbursts. When we are young we take life for granted, and it’s only until you reach a certain age that the epiphany kicks in.

Physically they’re in the best shape of their lives and their minds are sharp but they lack a sense of introspection, wisdom and perspective – those wondrous things only age and experience can bestow upon you.

Now older folk have a tendency to resign to the fact that you can’t buck arithmetic – the older I get, the older I am, it’s math, mentality. But when you begin your retirement there’s no reason to automatically give up on your dreams and youthful ambitions. It’s the life in your years that matter, not the years in your life – and with that mindset you’re likely to prolong your days.

If you and your loved one are of relatively sound body and mind, then the freedom of retirement can be like a second chance at being young. Here’s some inspiration to get the creative juices flowing.

Play a lot of golf…just kidding. Take up a sport that is challenging and exciting. Go deep sea diving, join a touch rugby team or wack a few balls around on the tennis court with some friends. Taking up a team sport will keep you active, in good shape and mentally balanced. If that doesn’t appeal, go on long daily walks. Who knows where you’ll end up 😉

Then there’s the fun encore career – on the face of it, who leaves the workforce only to come back into it? But a part time, or casual job that is just down the road from your retirement living is a great way to stay in touch with the local community or to learn something totally new. Why not become a barber or work as a barman? That supplementary income, in tandem with your pension, can mean more money to spend on enjoying life.

Or perhaps you don’t need the money, then why not find some fulfilling volunteer work? Helping a small start-up business you believe in get off the ground, supporting refugees or immigrants, working with the homeless, volunteering with the local church – the possibilities are endless!

If you’re more of the self-indulgent type you can stuff all your dreams in that old canvas sack and go out and see how the wide-world has changed since you last visited. One of the best things about travel is the anticipation, the planning and scheming and the motivation it gives you to get through the mundane. If you’ve never seen the South Island of New Zealand or if you’ve never left the country – it’s certainly not too late, and yes many people your age are on the backpacking trail!

Above all, show them that youth is not only wasted on the young but in many cases it’s wasted on the old.