Recently I met a gentleman at the farm and home store who was shopping for a new weed trimmer where I work part time. I don’t recall his name so we’ll call him Dale. He asked me if I liked my job, what kinds of hours I worked, etc. Dale explained to me he had just retired last fall and was starting to go a bit stir crazy at home. He had no real hobbies or interests beyond his classic car that he like to show during the summer cruise-ins. Sitting on the couch watching Netflix wasn’t very fulfilling.
Dale’s early retirement was unplanned. His employer had offered some of the legacy employees and early retirement package, so he took it. He had always planned to work a few more years until he reached 65. Dale had worked at the same company for over 30 years, but lately had grown to dislike the direction of the company. The younger employees didn’t respect hard work, many of his friends had already retired, and retiring early seemed like a good thing. So he took the package. And now he’s bored and just killing time.
Dale’s story is not uncommon these days, However, retirement doesn’t have to result in boredom and lack of purpose. It’s my belief each of us is on this earth for a reason and with a purpose.
So how do you find purpose? I’ve pondered this question many times and came to this conclusion; I may never know with absolute assurance that I know my purpose, but I do know two things. First, it’s not about me. I believe God gave me a servant’s heart. I receive more joy through service than I do from anything else I can think of. Secondly, the pursuit of my purpose is worth any mistakes I may make throughout the journey. I try to give myself grace, God knows I’m not perfect and some things I try will simply not work out. I do my best to dust myself off and start again. Never quit.
Have you thought about your purpose? How can you use your talents, skills, and abilities to make a difference in your life and the lives of others?
Dale and I had a great conversation. I asked him to think about using his skills to volunteer his time to a cause he was interested in. He mentioned several times about how much he enjoyed car shows and talking to people about restorations. After our conversation I felt like he may have left with some ideas, and a bit of inspiration.
Sometimes all we need is for someone to tell us we have something worthwhile to offer. The bible says in Proverbs, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.”