I am going to hazard a guess that most people have a bit of an identity crisis when they retire. We no longer carry the job title that defined and identified us for so long. People can feel disconnected from who they once were, confused about who they will become and feel a lack of purpose.
We all walk different paths in life. Whether it be a daughter to a wife, a wife to a mother, a mother to an empty nester, a daughter to a caregiver or a mother to a grandmother. It is inevitable that we will go through identity adjustments in our lives.
These changes can elicit a range of emotions from joy to anxiety to grief. All we can do is try to manage our reactions to these changes as we do not always have control over what happens in our lives.
If one of these roles change it is important to remember that we remain many things to many people. Each role is only a part of us, no individual one completely defines who we are.
Even though my full-time employment status has changed I am still a daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, sister-in-law, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, mother-in-law and friend.
Retirement can bring with it feelings of uncertainty and insecurity but maybe we can reinvent ourselves if we choose. The possibilities are vast and the prospect of it can be exciting. Opportunities will present themselves if we are open to them.
“To get something you have never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” (anonymous)
Listen to this episode on my
If you think your friends would like this post,
I’d love you to share it.
Comments