Without a doubt, the best gift retirement has given me is the time to explore and embrace my spirituality and religion.
I have acquired a full-on attitude of gratitude, thanks to the studying and learning I’ve done in the past 19 months.
I know that not everyone is wired this way, or even interested in pursuing spirituality and religion.
To tell you the truth, it came as a bit of a surprise to me, too. Especially having come from a non-religious background. But here I am.
I recently returned from a national religious retreat, and came home a better version of myself.
I’m all about exploring more than just what’s in front of me, and that’s an enormous gift. Like someone once told me: “Just because you can’t see around a corner, doesn’t mean that there isn’t something there.”
It all hinges on faith, trust and commitment: The spiritual trifecta.
Over the course of six days, I attended 30 lectures, given by world-class speakers. I attended sessions on: The art of really listening; facing challenges the healthy way; the power of prayer; souls and the afterlife; the future of religion in the 21st century; legal dilemmas and how religion approaches them; why challenges are placed in our path and how to handle them; the responsibilities that go along with having free will; how to see divine providence in our lives every day; seizing life’s moments with openness and gratitude; the intersection of feminism and religion in 2017; the ‘positivity bias,’ and more.
So, what did I learn? Here are just a few nuggets I came away with:
We need to listen not only with our ears, but with our eyes and our heart, in order to empathize;
How we deal with challenges is what defines us;
Our higher power gives us what we need, when “he” believes we need it;
No prayer is ignored, but the response is not always in the form we expect;
When bad things happen to us, it enables us to discover a strength we never knew we had;
Faith is not a pill we swallow. Faith is a muscle we use;
When you live a life with purpose, happiness will find you.
The retreat was far more meaningful than, say, spending 14 days at an all-inclusive resort in Mexico. Since retirement is seen as one big R&R event, why not fill it with quality stuff instead of fluff?
Let learning surprise and delight you, and fill you up where you had empty spaces before.
Nothing can give our lives meaning quite like discovering our purpose. With teachers aplenty, and nothing but time, why not answer the call with an open heart and mind?
Shelley Civkin is a retired communications officer
