{"id":833,"date":"2018-02-17T15:48:49","date_gmt":"2018-02-17T15:48:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hispreciousgift.com\/wordpress\/?p=833"},"modified":"2018-02-17T15:48:49","modified_gmt":"2018-02-17T15:48:49","slug":"letting-go-of-our-career-identity-part-3-voluntarily-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hispreciousgift.com\/wordpress\/letting-go-of-our-career-identity-part-3-voluntarily-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"LETTING GO OF OUR CAREER IDENTITY (Part 3 Voluntarily-Retirement)"},"content":{"rendered":"

LETTING GO OF OUR CAREER IDENTITY<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Part 3 Voluntarily-Retirement)<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLetting Go means to entrust into the hands of the Lord, to surrender control of, to relinquish power over, and to trust the Lord with.\u201d Only in Letting Go will our minds, emotions, wills, find rest and cease to struggle<\/u>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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We have been on a wonderful journey since January examining the people and things in our lives we must entrust into the \u201cPerfect Hands<\/em>\u201d of our Lord. As we recall, we had to trust Him with: our past, relationships, children (His), dreams, career identity-involuntary (layoff, illness, forced retirement, or some circumstance we had no control of)<\/em> and career identity\u2013voluntary (children leaving the nest). <\/em>Even though there are other things and situations we are constantly letting go<\/em> of, today, our journey ends here with \u201cLetting Go\u201d of our career identity<\/strong>–voluntarily due to retirement.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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I know you have seen those commercials on television where the gray-haired empty nesters sit with their financial advisor holding hands and he gives them a nod that everything is in order financially for them to retire and sail off into the sunset. Or, you have seen the commercial of a\u00a0couple holding hands walking down the beach together without a care in the world. And, my favorite one is the nest is empty and the couple remodels their home to sit back relax and enjoy the simple life\u2026 until the doorbell rings and their daughter has left her husband and moving back in with the grandchildren, (this is my version of a story). <\/em>\u00a0The truth of the matter is, retirement has its own set of challenges and grief. I know there are wonderful stories where people sail around the world, move to exotic places to live happily ever after, or move here with me into a Dell Webb Resort Community to live out their glory years; but some people don\u2019t experience such an easy transition. Today\u2019s blog is to provide some helpful tips that may guide you through the emotional and financial transitions when things don\u2019t go as planned.<\/p>\n

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First, let\u2019s look at the emotional transition of retiring. There are several phases or emotional challenges retirees may encounter during their journey.<\/p>\n

The first phase is the honeymoon period<\/strong>. This period is a time when retirees begin feeling a sense of relief, excitement, and look forward to a new chapter in their lives. Some people already have plans in place for what they will do and places they will go. This period may last sometimes up to a year or more.<\/p>\n

The second phase is feeling lost<\/strong>. By the end of the first year, people begin to feel lost. The honeymoon period has worn off and they don\u2019t know what to do with themselves. This is a period where depression, isolation, and confusion began to set in. This is when grief <\/em>comes to help. During this period, turn to the Lord within you<\/em> to find comfort and grace when you feel all is lost and you don\u2019t know what to do with your life anymore. Also, talk it over with a close friend or spouse for love and support. The feelings you encounter are natural; they are part of the grieving <\/em>process.<\/p>\n

Natural and common feelings of Grief<\/strong> by Kathryn Patricelli, MA – <\/strong>Grieving<\/em> people may experience the following physical symptoms:<\/p>\n