This blog is written by Lee Gale Gruen to help retirees, those soon to retire, baby boomers, and seniors reinvent themselves in this new stage of their lives called retirement. Her blog, public lecture, and new self-help book on senior reinvention are titled: Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years: Find Joy Excitement, and Purpose After You Retire. Her memoir is: Adventures with Dad: A Father and Daughter’s Journey Through a Senior Acting Class. Books descriptions follow her blog below. Both books are available at Amazon.com by clicking here and here. Her website is: LeeGaleGruen.com
Now, on to my blog:
Joy spots are just what they sound like: spots that bring you joy. Are there any joy spots in your life where you experience a bit of happiness when you encounter them such as a particular vista when you turn the corner or a tree that takes your breath away?
In my case, one of my special places features some exotic animals up a hill from a freeway that I travel often. There’s a zebra, a one-humped camel, four llamas, and most recently two magnificent cows and a bull showing off his impressive horns. I don’t know who they belong to or how they got there. I just know that I search for them each time I come upon the right location. When I’m lucky enough to spot them, it perks me up for that moment, for the next many moments, and sometimes even for the whole day. I’ve written about these animals recently in this forum. (Click here and scroll down to read my blog of 4-3-22 “Bucolicity.”)
Many years ago, while living at my prior residence, I used to pass a mature, weeping willow tree. Its setting was perfect: on the front lawn of a beautiful, Spanish style house. I always considered it my treat for the day. I enjoyed it so much that I often took the longer route to get where I was going just so I could revel in that flora. These days, there are some majestic, full-size redwood trees near where I live. They never cease to amaze me whenever I pass them.
Is there a place or several places which you journey by regularly that give you a bump? Maybe it’s a playground with children frolicking as they scream out their exuberance; perhaps it’s the park bench throne where an elderly person holds court to a kingdom of pigeons as he/she tosses them bread crumbs; possibly it’s a pond where folks in small boats skim the surface; it might be a stretch of road frequented by joggers or bicyclists in their colorful gear; or it could be the local house of faith with its catchy, inspirational message of the week mounted on changeable signage on the front lawn.
It’s a privilege to have joy spots as part of your life. Don’t take them for granted. Pay them the respect they deserve when you happen by. Let your eyes feast on what they offer. Let them calm your anxiety and uptightness.
We all need a joy spot or two or ten in our lives. Find some pearls on the routes you navigate on a regular basis, anticipate them, and give yourself a free, anti-anxiety pill without the possible drug side effects.
Photo credit: miheco on VisualHunt.com
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BOOKS BY: LEE GALE GRUEN
Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years: Find Joy, Excitement, and Purpose After You Retire (self-help): Not a one-size-fits-all approach, this self-help book for retirees, those soon to retire, baby boomers, and seniors offers an individualized, detailed guide to assist readers in discovering activities and pursuits in this new stage of their lives called retirement, based on their own likes and comfort level. I learned the secret the hard way transitioning from retired probation officer to actress, author, public speaker, and blogger. Audience members at my lectures on senior reinvention requested a book on the subject. This is the result, and it contains the content of those talks and six years of posts from this blog. CLICK here TO PURCHASE FROM AMAZON.COM.
Adventures with Dad: A Father and Daughter’s Journey Through a Senior Acting Class (memoir): After retiring at age 60 from my 37-year career as a probation officer, I mistakenly enrolled in an acting class for seniors. A few weeks later, my mother died, and I invited my grieving, 85-year-old father to come to class with me. This is the true story of our magical journey attending that class together for three years, bonding more than ever. I wrote the comedy scenes we performed onstage twice a year in the acting class showcases, and all six scenes are included in the book. I eventually transitioned into the world of professional acting. As my fledgling, second career started going uphill, my dad’s health started going downhill. I would recount to him each of my new experiences while I sat beside his bed at the nursing home where he resided in his final years. CLICK here TO PURCHASE FROM AMAZON.COM.
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Reinventing Yourself in Your Retirement Years 