Happiest Retirees

The Biggest Risk Of All With George Jerjian


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Albert Einstein once said, “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” George Jerjian gave it a shot. What he noticed was that nothing in nature retires. Polar Bears don’t leave with severance packages, and Komodo Dragons don’t get a gold watch or cake in the office kitchen. Wildlife is typically either growing or dying. 

In short, George says the word “retirement” is past its sell-by date and prefers “rewirement” or “refirement.” He says happiness isn’t found by losing our former identity but rather by creating our new one. That might include continuing to work if you enjoy it. But it also might mean going on a safari, eating Ostrich steak in South Africa, or cycling through the rain in Vancouver. The point isn’t that it has to be something exotic but that it should be something that excites you. Maybe even something that scares you.

George says sitting on the beach is not a retirement. It’s a vacation. You can’t vacation for the rest of your life. So figure out what you want to do, then take some risks to do it. It’s hard to venture out of your comfort zone, but as George points out, the biggest risk of all is never taking a risk. To play it safe and then get to the end of your life and realize you never lived. 

You get one, wild, wonderful life? What are you going to do with it?

00:00-You Can’t Vacation The Rest of Your Life

03:59-Not a Binary

09:26-An Ego Death

12:55-George’s Epic Break

23:47-Life is a Risk

26:12-DARE Method

32:30-The Fool

35:43-Don’t be an Ostrich

42:44-A Bird with Two Wings

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Happiest RetireesBy Ryan Doolittle