Looking for a Some Inspiration? 5 Great Retirement Quotes to Live By

Have you ever found when you’re looking for a little motivation or inspiration you find a quote or saying that just happens to say the right thing?

I have. It’s usually when I’m thinking about what I should do next or I’m stuck not knowing how to respond to some situation. I often find it’s at these times some inspirational words seem to cross my path.

For example, years back I was considering leaving a job. At the time I wasn't very happy and wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do. One day while I was in greeting card shop I was thinking about my predicament and I happened to look down and noticed a card on the floor. I picked it up and on it was printed, “Leap and your net will appear”.

Shortly after this experience, I decided to leave my job. I didn’t know what I was going to do next but trusted that something would appear. Within a month of leaving, I accepted another position that I absolutely loved. I’m not suggesting that the card was the only thing that inspired me to move on but it did have an influence.

Over the years as I researched what contributes to a great retirement, I’ve run across some great words of wisdom that I believe embrace, capture and inspire the opportunities this time of life can bring.

So here are five of my favourite retirement quotes. I hope that one of these speak to you!

Retirement Quote # 1

“Rules for happiness: something to do, someone to love, something to hope for.” - Immanuel Kant

The reason why this quote resonates so well with me is that over the last number of years as I researched what constitutes a good later life, these three items always seemed to come up.

Purpose, connection and positivity.

What gets you out of bed in the morning? What is it that will fill your days? Having a purpose is one of the top items that consistently comes up every time you look into what constitutes a good later life. Everyone needs a reason for being. If you don’t, your interest in life and in turn living begins to subside.

Social connections are so critically important as we age. It can help to fend of loneliness, isolation and depression. We all need someone to love (or at least like a lot).

Having something to look forward to helps us to stay interested and engaged in life. It can contribute to us staying positive and excited about things to come which in turn can help our overall mental health.

Longevity Quote # 2

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi

This has been one of my favourite quotes for years. I love how it reminds us that we’re not on this earth forever but we should keep learning as if we were.

Learning is one of the great gifts that anyone can do and follows us right into retirement. It helps to keep our brain sharp, keep us curious and engaged with what is going on around us.

Here’s a great example of this quote in action.

A few years ago at Christmas, I noticed a book on our coffee table. It was titled “Bitcoin for Dummies”. I initially thought it was one of my kids. When I picked it up to ask who’s book it was, my eighty five year old father-in-law said it was his. He told us that he had heard a great deal about bitcoin but didn’t really know anything about it and wanted to learn more. He said that this way he would have a better understanding of what people were talking about and would be better able to engage in the conversation.

Longevity Quote # 3

“Forgive others. Not because they deserve forgiveness but because you deserve peace.” – Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Is there someone in your life that you just can’t forgive? Are you carrying around some resentment that you just can’t let go of? Now is the time of life to forgive. It can be emotionally exhausting lugging these feelings around. You will want to spend your later years unburdened with extra baggage. Forgiveness doesn’t mean you necessarily forget but it does give you the emotional release to move on.

Longevity Quote # 4

“It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot

I don’t know how many times I have heard people talk about things that they wish they had done in their life. Sure, it would have been great to start years before but maybe now is the time you’re actually meant to do it.

As we age, one of the gifts we often receive is the gift of time and experience. So if there is something you’ve always wanted to do in your life – now may in fact be the perfect time.

Longevity Quote # 5

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been.” – Mark Twain

I find this quote just loaded with wisdom. I believe it speaks to us not only on the physical level but also emotionally as well. A life well lived is filled with smiles and will often then be etched into our faces through our wrinkles.

So rather then overly concerning ourselves with our physical appearance and the changes our bodies will ultimately take, why not focus on the joy and experiences that life has to offer.

There are some great reasons to embrace aging. Afterall, it’s a wonderful time of life that sadly many others may not even have the opportunity to experience.