Balancing Mind and Body

When is the best age to retire?

My learning continues. I was thinking the other day, why the retirement age was fixed at 58 years, and later to 60 years? Because, I felt, you can still be agile and active to work at that age. Then I started looking at our families. Particularly, the housewives. They do the most difficult engaging work to manage home, raise the children, and also participate in intricate decision- making process for the family, and assist their husbands. It is definitely greater/equal to the husband’s professional work environment. But, as their children grow, their engagement reduces, things fall in place in the family, and their family work turn a bit lighter. Let us for discussion purpose, use the same age matrix, as males. That is 58/60 years.

Now, what happens? What do the families, mothers in the house, or the wives do? Have you watched them, objectively? Have you noticed closely? If you do that, you will perhaps get the answers, to their male counterpart’s engagement at the same age. Let me now get specific to my life. Till very recently, say, 2/3 years back, I was operationally involved in running our Group’s business. My sons, used to assist me. Then, slowly over a period of time, I transitioned them into becoming the total boss of the businesses, which was Higher Education and Technology. They started managing the PnL of their businesses. In addition, I gave them, Group responsibilities, based on their acumen and skill for the Group, and I engaged myself hugely into the new love of my life, Philanthropy. Working to make people more self-reliant, confident and engaging them, to positive meaningful life.

But still the disengagement from ‘making things happen’ or a ‘problem solver’ to the problems of the Group, are getting mostly addressed by my sons now. My basket of innovations, relevant to my age, time and passion, is reduced or factored into a narrower space, but I have realised my wisdom to ‘give’ has enhanced manifold. One key element at this time in our lives remains engaged into some kind of creative work, which one would love to do, and keep building the world, into a better place for people to take it up, when we are not there. There is so much to think and do. World is becoming complex by the day, variables are growing by the hour, and the mind-body combination, needs tweaking all the time. This balance is the key. Rest of the time, seek to relax, take your space to think, and think and think further, what more you can do for the people around you. Philanthropy is an excellent vehicle around us, as you genuinely can see for yourself, that your effort is making a difference.

Let’s keep thinking and evolving by maintaining the true Mind-Body balance. Try!!