You used to stay awake at night thinking about how you were getting older? Yes, I have been there myself. With no retirement plans and dreams of a home so far in the distance, the thought of aging used to fill me with so much anxiety that it gripped me like a vice. However, I want to tell that my opinion on aging has completely changed and I wish to tell you why.
In the last few years, I have been able to clearly see that getting older comes with so many positives. Gainful independence, security, and a whole sense of peace of mind. Aside from all these, two other primary pillars that serve as the foundation of aging gracefully while maintaining fear are having a retirement plan in motion and an adequately paying home to rightfully live in.
Consider this for a second: if you possess the home, you possess a foundation both literally and figuratively. Something that brings a lot of comfort is knowing that you have a specific place that is entirely yours, and after the kids have left home to pursue their life, you are really going to cherish it. You no longer have to deal with rent rises or landlords. It is your realm with your regulations.
However, this is where the story becomes interesting. Though having a place to live is essential to life, it is only half of the equation. For me, the most crucial point was securing a reliable income. Advances in technology, like blockchain and cryptocurrency have enabled me to get on my feet. It is incredible how much more pleasant life is when health issues do not plague the mind.
I bet that as your children grow older, they will be in a position to assist you financially and that is truly fantastic. On the contrary, here is a liberating truth that I have come to learn, when you have your very own income stream, any help that you receive from your children is a blessing rather than an obligation. It defines the border between relying on others, versus choosing to take their aid.
With respect to this arrangement, the most right thing it offers is the freedom it provides. When a family home and stable source of income is set a husband and wife will be able to spend their retirement years laid back and in good health rather than stressed.
This isn’t about having millions in the bank or owning a mansion, It is about having a decent amount of stability so that one can live comfortably and independently. And once you've managed to raise your children and get a hold of these fundamentals, growing older is less about surviving and closer to truly living life.
Growing older is a blessing, it’s our situations that could either make it a gift or a curse. Provided that there is financial freedom, old age could in fact be some of the most fruitful years of one’s life.
If you are uncomfortable with the idea of growing old, preoccupy your mind with these two things. Make strides towards home ownership as well as reliable and constant income sources. Believe me when I say that your future self will appreciate your efforts, because with such control, getting older is not an unwelcome arrival, but an opportunity to face the world with assurance and serenity.
Most importantly, in relation to the construction of these pillars, there is no time that can be termed 'wrong' in which one can start building this structure. For sure, a better tomorrow cannot start at a wrong time since the best time to have made provisions for autumn from life was yesterday, and now is the next best time.
The image used is AI generated.
This is a submission for today's prompt in the #januaryinleo daily writing prompts.