Look around at all those who are truly ageing joyfully and they will all have one thing in common – they will be actively involved in the community in one way or another, whether it be continuing in paid employment long past the ‘official’ retirement age, volunteering in schools, hospitals, aged care homes and the like, or pursuing their own projects.
​
As one writer shares “Coming out of retirement and volunteering is one of the wisest choices, if not the wisest choice, I have made during my lifetime, which has resulted in me living a very joyful and fulfilled final stage of my life”.
 
Some writers tried what they considered ‘retirement’ for a while but as Elizabeth shares, “I began to notice how insular I had become and how my life was lacking purpose”.  . . 
 
“Slowly, I came to realise what was missing in my life was any kind of engagement that made a contribution to society. No matter what position or job we hold we all make our uniqueand invaluable contribution to what makes up the tapestry we call life”.
 
If we stay actively engaged in some way until our last breath, our elder years can be a time of new learning, new experiences and new beginnings, a time to reflect on our life and how the choices we have made in the past have made us who we are today. It is also a time to appreciate the wisdom we have gained through our life experiences and to share this with others.