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With life spans heading into 90's the idea of 30 years of retirement is even more of a joke, both financially and intellectually.
Trouble is only 1 in 4 make it to 90. Therefore it still isn't 30 years yet for the 3 out of 4 who do not make 30 years. Then you also need to see who has the resources to not work after 62 which is probably more than half of those 75%. Not much of a joke when at 63 you get laid off from your $14.00 an hour assembly job and you haven't got a degree in medicine or law. Not much of an opportunity to continue in the work force.
Oh and SOON2BNSURPRISE sure he probably didn't mean to denigrate us low wage earners but he did. He is out of touch with reality when it comes to common folk. Sure a well to do person can relate. But take the common person struggling to make ends meet getting to 60 and beyond and not be beat physically. As I said above 3 out of 4 of us will not reach 90. Many of the people who work in mills and factories will be lucky to see 80. Even the farmers who never seem to retire feel the aches and pains of aging. So if after 30 or 40 years of working at GM assembling autos or Tupperware running a molding machine if a person isn't ready for a change then great. I will though say that I don't know anyone in those circumstances that would not want to hang up the work gloves and just relax and enjoy life.
Oh and SOON2BNSURPRISE sure he probably didn't mean to denigrate us low wage earners but he did. He is out of touch with reality when it comes to common folk. Sure a well to do person can relate. But take the common person struggling to make ends meet getting to 60 and beyond and not be beat physically. As I said above 3 out of 4 of us will not reach 90. Many of the people who work in mills and factories will be lucky to see 80. Even the farmers who never seem to retire feel the aches and pains of aging. So if after 30 or 40 years of working at GM assembling autos or Tupperware running a molding machine if a person isn't ready for a change then great. I will though say that I don't know anyone in those circumstances that would not want to hang up the work gloves and just relax and enjoy life.
I get your point. I understand what you are saying. Many of us are scared to make a switch to something that will get us out of a low wage situation. I did the same for years taking security of a job over making changes that would give me the lifestyle that I wanted to have. My problem has not been low wages so much as getting just enough to live a life I can live with. Many people earn what they need to get what they want and stop looking for anything else.
I don't see struggling to get by as a reasonable option for life. If my job is not giving me what I need to build the lifestyle that I want then I need to make a change. I have told people for years instead of getting a job and having it pay the bills, write down the lifestyle you want and find something that will pay for that lifestyle.
Up until maybe 5 years ago I had what I considered my perfect lifestyle. Sometime within the past 5 years I decided to look back and reevaluate what I have and where I want to be. My job is not going to do it for me anymore. What I did was create scenarios and place those on paper to see what a possible outcome that I could rise to. What I did was create three possible ways to get me where I want to go. I did not want to give up the security of my job at this point. I did want opportunities that I could participate in while I am working. I set out to find these possible opportunities. A couple years ago I looked into social media marketing for a MLM that I was involved with. It turned out that I was not able to do much with that product and for me the cost to continue using it was out of the picture for me. But what I did learn was how to build an online marketing campaign. Earlier in the year we purchased a new product for the hospital from a small company. After going back and forth with them and getting to know them, they approached me with the idea of joining them as a manufacture rep and dealer for the product. They have no one here on the West coast or western states. This is a business model that I have the freedom to add other products to the mix and build my own business selling the products to dealers and end users. To top it off I can do this from the comfort of home and build it to the point that I can choose to leave my job if I want.
I include that because their are opportunities all the time that for those that are looking one will find something that will get a person to where they want to be in their chosen lifestyle.
I find that generally the people who want to retire ASAP usually dislike their jobs. Or if you have a physical job that becomes more difficult to do as you age.
When you're a billionaire like Branson, a lawyer, or especially a politician, such fields can often be done well into ones 80s or beyond.
I get your point. I understand what you are saying. Many of us are scared to make a switch to something that will get us out of a low wage situation. I did the same for years taking security of a job over making changes that would give me the lifestyle that I wanted to have. My problem has not been low wages so much as getting just enough to live a life I can live with. Many people earn what they need to get what they want and stop looking for anything else.
I don't see struggling to get by as a reasonable option for life. If my job is not giving me what I need to build the lifestyle that I want then I need to make a change. I have told people for years instead of getting a job and having it pay the bills, write down the lifestyle you want and find something that will pay for that lifestyle.
Up until maybe 5 years ago I had what I considered my perfect lifestyle. Sometime within the past 5 years I decided to look back and reevaluate what I have and where I want to be. My job is not going to do it for me anymore. What I did was create scenarios and place those on paper to see what a possible outcome that I could rise to. What I did was create three possible ways to get me where I want to go. I did not want to give up the security of my job at this point. I did want opportunities that I could participate in while I am working. I set out to find these possible opportunities. A couple years ago I looked into social media marketing for a MLM that I was involved with. It turned out that I was not able to do much with that product and for me the cost to continue using it was out of the picture for me. But what I did learn was how to build an online marketing campaign. Earlier in the year we purchased a new product for the hospital from a small company. After going back and forth with them and getting to know them, they approached me with the idea of joining them as a manufacture rep and dealer for the product. They have no one here on the West coast or western states. This is a business model that I have the freedom to add other products to the mix and build my own business selling the products to dealers and end users. To top it off I can do this from the comfort of home and build it to the point that I can choose to leave my job if I want.
I include that because their are opportunities all the time that for those that are looking one will find something that will get a person to where they want to be in their chosen lifestyle.
Understood and please do not think I am yelling at you. The point is and you still kind of missed it. Most people cannot change. They lack education, resources, drive, and or the ability to get out of that low wage situation. I may have exaggerated how low that income is. Many of the factory workers do move up in pay by taking on supervisory jobs or maintenance jobs but that still only increases pay but not physical labor so much. They will still have a shorter lifespan to enjoy retirement.
I don't think half of you even read the article. He is not even saying no one should retire, just that retirement shouldn't be the end goal that you give up the rest of your life to achieve. If that doesn't apply to you, simply move on, but it applies to many, both low and high wage earners. He is not making any sort of comment on whether anyone should or shouldn't work just saying it won't make you as happy as you think it will so make happiness in the entire journey your goal. That applies to everyone regardless of how much you make or what you do.
I know many low wage earners who love their jobs, and many high wage earners who hate theirs, btw, so not sure what that has to do with the article.
I don't think half of you even read the article. He is not even saying no one should retire, just that retirement shouldn't be the end goal that you give up the rest of your life to achieve. If that doesn't apply to you, simply move on, but it applies to many, both low and high wage earners. He is not making any sort of comment on whether anyone should or shouldn't work just saying it won't make you as happy as you think it will so make happiness in the entire journey your goal. That applies to everyone regardless of how much you make or what you do.
I know many low wage earners who love their jobs, and many high wage earners who hate theirs, btw, so not sure what that has to do with the article.
Isn't it just word salad? His interpretation of "work isn't work, and play isn't play", what does that mean? He knows what it means from his frame of reference, but I may interpret those words differently. We can just as easily say, let's get rid of the word 'retirement', so that now we work until we are ready to transition into our next phase of enduring life. If the goal is happiness, I agree, I am going to be happier in a couple of years when I cease to be a daily drone and have the time for more rewarding pursuits.
Understood and please do not think I am yelling at you. The point is and you still kind of missed it. Most people cannot change. They lack education, resources, drive, and or the ability to get out of that low wage situation. I may have exaggerated how low that income is. Many of the factory workers do move up in pay by taking on supervisory jobs or maintenance jobs but that still only increases pay but not physical labor so much. They will still have a shorter lifespan to enjoy retirement.
They choose not to change. We do not live in a nation where anyone is being held back. These people are choosing to stay where they are. Everyone has a choice. My wife has a sister that lives in housing. She makes just over minimum wage. We had openings at the hospital that she could have qualified for. Even in our Housekeeping department she would have made more than she does now. I could have gotten her in. She made every excuse why she could not apply or take the job. My wife and I answered all of her concerns. She does not drive and we would take her to work. She can't get off work to go to an interview and I arranged to have the manager interview her after she gets off work. Nothing we could do would get her to leave her job, that pays a little over minimum wage. She chooses to stay in a job that she hates with people she thinks do not like her.
I know plenty of other people just like my sister in law. We make choices and that is why we are where we are. No one has taken our ability to choose from us. We can still decide the outcome of our own life. We can still choose.
I here people complain about where they are in life and when asked what they are going to do to change that, it comes down to nothing. They want to complain but they fail to change.
They choose not to change. We do not live in a nation where anyone is being held back. These people are choosing to stay where they are. Everyone has a choice. My wife has a sister that lives in housing. She makes just over minimum wage. We had openings at the hospital that she could have qualified for. Even in our Housekeeping department she would have made more than she does now. I could have gotten her in. She made every excuse why she could not apply or take the job. My wife and I answered all of her concerns. She does not drive and we would take her to work. She can't get off work to go to an interview and I arranged to have the manager interview her after she gets off work. Nothing we could do would get her to leave her job, that pays a little over minimum wage. She chooses to stay in a job that she hates with people she thinks do not like her.
I know plenty of other people just like my sister in law. We make choices and that is why we are where we are. No one has taken our ability to choose from us. We can still decide the outcome of our own life. We can still choose.
I here people complain about where they are in life and when asked what they are going to do to change that, it comes down to nothing. They want to complain but they fail to change.
Don't be so hard on your SIL. Yes, we live in a country that gives us the opportunity to be or do anything, but some people just cannot.
The older I get the more I realize that some people are just not able to function the way WE want them to function.
I am surrounded by people that are full of anxiety disorders. A couple have told me of their issues, but the others wouldn't ever admit it but their actions speak louder than words.
ABC had a special last night about Elizabeth Vargas and her alcohol addiction. Shocking to see how far she went, but could still function until it was too late. She said she was terrified the whole time she was broadcasting, but some other crazy force made her do it. They had a scene with other people going through addiction treatment and they said the underlying issue was anxiety so they turned to drugs and alcohol to feel better. Vargas said her first drinks of wine finely gave her the calmness she was seeking. Don't know what she is doing for that now. She has had several relapses.
Anyway, I was wondering why do people drink and do drugs - it is an escape.
A young relative has been reaching out to me daily. I give her encouragement and ideas on how to get through her day. She has a lot going for her and you would think that would be enough - but not always. Slow steps for her.
I have some issues myself, but I guess not as bad as others.
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Haven't missed the work a day world in the least.
