We can decide to live with joy. Or we can allow ourselves to live looking back with bitterness. We can be bitter about all the things we wanted to do, but felt too constrained to risk. We can be bitter for all the hours we gave to a company that was able to say goodbye to us, without so much as remembering to send a card at Christmastime. We can be bitter because we chose security and independence rather than depth and companionship. We can decide to be bitter because at the end, only the end is left. But whichever we decide, bitterness or joy, decide we must. The rest of our life depends on it.
It can take a while before we begin to realize that retirement really plunges us into joy. But if we decide to live this new, unscripted time with joy, then life will come pouring into us, almost more fully than we can sometimes bear.
So I hope that you are feeling joy in working with your horses. I hope that you are at a place in your life where you are content with your life and the new freedoms that retirement may bring to you. I hope that you can convey joy, peace and contentedness to the horses you work with and the people in your life.
We can decide to live with joy. Or we can allow ourselves to live looking back with bitterness. We can be bitter about all the things we wanted to do, but felt too constrained to risk. We can be bitter for all the hours we gave to a company that was able to say goodbye to us, without so much as remembering to send a card at Christmastime. We can be bitter because we chose security and independence rather than depth and companionship. We can decide to be bitter because at the end, only the end is left. But whichever we decide, bitterness or joy, decide we must. The rest of our life depends on it. It can take a while before we begin to realize that retirement really plunges us into joy. But if we decide to live this new, unscripted time with joy, then life will come pouring into us, almost more fully than we can sometimes bear. This is a quote from the book, The Gift of Years Growing Older Gracefully by Joan Chittister. Welcome to the Almost Daily Second Half Horsemanship Podcast where we talk about using your mind more than your muscles on the path to better horsemanship in the second half of life. The podcast features a thought for the day on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and a more in-depth discussion or interview on weekends. I’m your host, Paul Sherland. Our horses can read our moods. If we’re bitter or angry when we’re working with them, they know it. If we’re joyful and at peace, they know that too. The second half of life can be a joyful time for us if we can take advantage of new freedoms and perhaps new wisdom to put the past behind us and look forward to the future with joy. The magazine Business Insider recently published an article about happiness. Studies have found that when it comes to their financial situation, people are least happy between 45 and 54 and happiest after age 55. People are least happy with their physical appearance from 55 to 59 and happiest after age 70. Overall happiness peaks at two ages, 23 and 69. Most studies agree that the acceptance of aging promotes contentedness and happiness. Your second half of life can be the happiest, most joyful part of your life. So I hope that you are feeling joy in working with your horses. I hope that you are at a place in your life where you are content with your life and the new freedoms that retirement may bring to you. I hope that you can convey joy, peace and contentedness to the horses you work with and the people in your life. Thanks for listening to the Almost Daily Second Half Horsemanship Podcast. If you’re also on the second half horsemanship journey, please leave a comment on our website, second half horsemanship dot com. We’re always looking for topic and interview ideas. When I use links to books, products and services in the podcast, some of those links might be referral links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I earn a small commission when you purchase something through those links, but you will not be charged more by using the links. One more note. I’m not in a place where I can record the podcast today. So I’m using the auto dub feature of Descript to convert my script to voice. If you do any video or audio editing, you should check out what Descript offers. It is an incredible tool for creatives. I’ll also have a link to Descript in the show notes. If you enjoyed the podcast, please leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. Your reviews help the podcast reach a larger audience. Thank you very much!