Fulfilling Things to Do in Retirement

I received the following e-mail the other day:

----- Original Message -----
From: Saumya Chandra
To: Ernie Zelinski
Sent: Friday, February 12, 2010 11:58 PM
Subject: Retirement Book.


Dear Ernie,

My father has retired from a top executive position last December. Although he is doing fine, he is also looking for other opportunities, but I am afraid that he is a bit sad about not having anything fruitful to do. I want to help him figure out many different useful, meaningful and fulfilling things that he can do with his time now. I wanted to know which ones of your books might help me with it. It will be great help if you can let me know about it.

ALso, I am in India, so do not know if I can printed version will be available here. Is there a PDF version online that I can purchase?

If you know of any other online resources that I can point him to - it will be great to know.

Thanks.

Really looking forward to hear back from you,
Saumya

This was my reply:

Hi Saumya:

I would recommend both of my retirement books:



How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free

The Joy of Not Working


You cannot purchase a PDF version of the whole book for either book.

However, you can download sample PDF's with parts of both books at:

Creative Free E-books

But there is good news. How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free has been published in in English in India my Macmillan India. So it should be fairly easy for you to get it.

Here is the link where the book is featured:


http://www.macmillanindia.com/book-details.asp?from=gr&bookid=3240&broadid=47&detailedid=93&category=General+%26+Reference&broadsubject=General&detailedsubject=&page=search


And here is a brief review that was published in The Telegraph based in Calcutta.


How to retire Happy, Wild, and Free (Macmillan, Rs 295) by Ernie J. Zelinski provides “retirement wisdom that you won’t get from your financial advisor”. The advises range from “move to a college town” to “plant your get-a-life tree and watch it grow and grow”. But the real enjoyment comes from the cartoons, and quotes such as, “the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time”.



Many thanks for your interest in my books.

So long for now,

Ernie J. Zelinski
Best-Selling Author, Innovator, and Unconventional Career Expert
Author of the Bestseller How to Retire Happy, Wild, and Free
(Over 110,000 copies sold and published in 9 languages)
and the International Bestseller The Joy of Not Working
(Over 225,000 copies sold and published in 17 languages)

http://www.retirement-cafe.com
http://www.retirement-quotes.com
http://www.how-to-retire-happy.com

VIP BOOKS

Here are my three latest posts on websites or blogs:

SPONSORSHIP IS ALL ABOUT PROFITS - THAT'S THE WAY IT SHOULD BE!


10 Reasons to Never Work at a Real Retirement Job When You Retire


Retirement Letters to Announce Your Liberation from Corporate Life

TV Watching Is a Horrible Way to Spend Your Retirement

Research indicates that on the average Americans spend about 40 percent of their free time in front of the TV. For retirees, the percentage is much higher. This translates into 4 to 6 hours a day watching TV — which is about 4 to 6 hours too many.

Contrary to popular belief, one way to guarantee boredom in retirement is to watch a lot of TV. Even people who retire with substantial wealth end up watching a lot of television instead of getting involved in more satisfying leisure and recreational activities.

One problem is that television entertains but deludes people. T.V. as a whole is not very educational. When programs are educational, people don't watch them.

Some retired people say that television is a necessity in today's world. This is nonsense. In summer, I sometimes go for four months straight without turning on my TV set for even one minute. Moreover, I know a few people who don't even own a TV set. Case closed: This proves that TV is not a necessity.

Retired people watch TV without understanding what they are watching. Even if they understand, they seldom absorb anything worthwhile. In my book The Joy of Not Working, I discuss the many more detrimental effects of TV including how chronic TV watchers are more likely to be jerks and to be obese.

Retirement Quote for this Week

The human race is faced with a cruel choice: work or daytime television.
— Author Unknown

Retirement Living Is Better than This Retiree Thought It Would Be

I received the following e-mail today from an individual in the United Kingdom who read The Joy of Not Working: A Book for the Retired, Unemployed, and Overworked and who feels that retirement living is better than he had expected.

----- Original Message -----
From: Mickey White
To: vip-books (at) telus.net
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 8:45 AM
Subject: RETIREMENT: it's even better !!


Hi Ernie,

I took early voluntary retirement from the Mail Service after thirty plus years when

I was fifty seven. My kids bought me your book, The Joy of Not Working as a gift on the day I finished. Mind you I was happy to take E.V.R. and I agree with everything you say !!

In fact, if I'd known that retirement was going to be this good I'd have done it the day after I left school !!!

Good Luck.....

Mike .....

It would be great if all retirees felt this way.


Even The U.S. State Dept Likes The Joy of Not Working

This short review of The World's Second Best Retirement Book ( The Joy of Not Working ) comes from the United States Department of State.

"A delightful indictment of workaholism and ways to counteract it. The author views unemployment as a true test of who one really is."
- U.S. Department of State Book Reviews

Socialism Ain't the Answer to Better Retirement Living

If you are a socialist, a severe recession is the ideal time to promote socialism and to run down capitalism, at the same time helping to snuff out an era of ideological illogic and unconscionable greed.

You may think that socialism is the only answer to make your retirement living a lot easier and financially more secure.

If who really think socialism will have worked better, here are four quotes to consider:

Socialism is workable only in heaven where it isn't needed, and in hell where they've got it.
— Cecil Palmer

The function of socialism is to raise suffering to a higher level.
— Norman Mailer

Socialism in nothing but the capitalism of the lower classes.
— Oswald Spengler

Under capitalism man exploits man; under socialism the reverse is true.
— Polish proveb

How to Retire Happy for Canadians and Australians

According to a new retirement lifestyle survey, the ongoing volatility within financial markets has prompted a massive increased awareness toward retirement savings by Australian baby boomers.
More than three out of four Aussie baby boomers are beefing up their savings strategy as a result of the turmoil, according to a Commonwealth Bank survey.

The majority of changes included making bigger or additional contributions to their retirement savings plan, while about a third said they were investing more in other investments outside retirement plans such as shares or property.

Interestingly, the Retirement Lifestyle survey found almost 40 per cent of those surveyed considered retirement an opportunity to pursue a new career or learn new skills.

"This trend suggests that many people see retirement as a series of transitions where some form of work or community service can continue into the retirement years,'' Commonwealth Financial Planning general manager Tim Gunnin said.

According to TD Waterhouse's first Canadians and Retirement survey of already-retired Canadians, retirement is different from what many Canadians imagined it would be.

Twenty percent of women found retirement quite different from what they imagined, versus 15 percent of the men.

A quarter of Canadian retirees aged 55 to 70 found it hard to adjust to a life no longer defined by their work. Financial constraints meant they could not do all the things they used to do for 22 percent of those surveyed.

Retirement advice was offered by retirees to those contemplating retirement.

• Workers should develop a full life outside of work instead of waiting to do so at retirement
• Workers should take care of their physical and mental health
• Workers should save for retirement as early as possible.
• People should pay off all debt before retiring.
  Above all, individuals should take time to prepare for and understand what they want from retirement.

According to the TD Waterhouse only 15 percent of indiviudals are “completely living out their retirement dreams.” Lack of planning appears to be one reason for this.

Surprisingly, the best part of retirement is simple pleasures, say the retirees. Spending time with family and engaging in hobbies also are satisfying as is volunteering.