Zen and The Art of Retirement
A Frugalista's Guide to Living an Untroubled Retirement in Troubled Times
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FOUR UNIVERSAL TRUTHS
Truth #1: Stuff happens…then you move on. This is a great cliché for accepting reality and is a big part of Zen thinking. Life is full of imperfections. Things change, so expect surprises. Everyone must prepare for the unexpected emotional, physical and financial realities of retirement in these trying times. Don’t waste time over-analyzing things you can’t explain, change or control. In other words, stop sweating the small stuff. You’re retired now. Everything should be small stuff. I like to say, “If it rains, let it. If life start throwing lemons, grab the tequila.” It’s now time to begin letting go of people and things that don’t nurture your philosophy, needs and spirit. Start investing in yourself.
Truth #2: Age happens. Think of yourself as young and you will be. Don’t believe it? Anyone who has taken basic science 101 knows that “thinking” is a natural involuntary reflex. Like an ocean’s ecosystem, the thinking process floats around and goes where it wants to. But you can learn to control what you think about and when. A healthy mental state is just as important as a healthy physical state when you begin to age. Energy creates more energy. And thinking young means you never need to feel old. Never underestimate the power of thought.
Truth #3: Laughter is good medicine. Life is short and you’ll never get out alive. There isn’t one shred of evidence that life is supposed to be serious. Some days you’re the dog, other days you’re the fire hydrant. Stuff just happens. But by maintaining a positive attitude and laughing more, you will begin to death-proof your life. To quote Quincy Jones (musician/author): “A big laugh is a really loud noise from the soul saying, ‘Ain't that the truth.’"
Truth #4: A dream without a plan is a nightmare. Retirement planning is just not about finances. The sudden (unstructured) freedom associated with retirement can also be just as daunting as financial considerations. But by visualizing, personalizing and reframing a retirement future for yourself that focuses more on the personal, social, health, and lifestyle considerations you expect to have, you can better prioritize those things that are important to you and give your dreams substance. I say personalizing your dreams because through personalization comes ownership and if you own your dreams, then no one can take them away from you. If you know why your dreams are important to you, it will put power behind figuring out how to achieve them. Don't let anyone drive a wedge between you and your dreams.
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About the Book
Everyone wants to live a long time, but no one wants to grow old. Zen and the Art of Retirement was written by a retired man, for retired men. Applying humor to his personal retirement experiences, Dr. Louis Gonzales challenges male assumptions about aging and retirement through integrating his streetwise version of Zen Buddhism with a frugal philosophy for living an untroubled retirement lifestyle. With his tongue in cheek and plain-speaking manner, Dr. Gonzales demonstrates that an active and satisfying retirement goes beyond having sufficient financial resources and that retirement can really be the beginning of renewed life, not the end. Zen and the Art of Retirement provokes the inner realization of the truth and demonstrates that this new stage of life now has only two measurements of time: Now and the rest of your life. Through the integration of Zen philosophy and over 100 tips for living a frugal lifestyle, Dr. Gonzales lays out a roadmap for reawakening a man’s drive to begin implementing healthier (and natural) preventive measures that can generate a more positive attitude, prolong youth, while still enjoying life on a limited income. In Zen and the Art of Retirement you will discover: · How to lay a solid foundation for retiring happy. · How to redefine yourself. · The art of letting go. · How to live retirement life with purpose. · That less is more. · How to live a frugalista lifestyle and have fun with it. · Over one hundred frugal tips for surviving in tough economic times. How are you using your time? What do you want to do next? What are you willing to commit to for the rest of your life? If you still haven’t found the answers, this book is for you.
About the Author
Dr. Louis Gonzales is a retired educator and former CEO of several non-for-profit urban organizations in the Southwest and Midwest where as a seasoned, results-oriented manager, coach and educational consultant, developed great strategies for getting the most out of limited financial resources. Dr. Lou integrates his streetwise frugal skills with his psychology and Zen philosophy to successfully translate much of he has learned from the public and private sectors into similarly effective principles for men coming to grips with retirement.
Dr. Lou attended the California State University where he received a B.A. in English and a Masters Degree in Counseling/Psychology. His extensive work in urban education earned him a Ph.D. from Columbia Pacific University which led him to open his own consulting company and speak nationally on topics relating to urban education and issues, management, and the plight facing the retiring baby-boomer. His colleagues know him as a bright, brash and witty streetwise educator who thrills at attacking today's complacent systems in honest and humorous ways.