Nancy Kruh didn’t realize she was retired until we asked her to be a guest on the Happiest Retirees podcast. She never really liked the label “retired,” and she certainly doesn’t fit neatly within it.

Nancy’s not the first person to struggle to accept and embrace retirement. And, to be fair, it’s not like she isn’t still out there, doing impressive work. She covers country music for People Magazine and People.com. But unlike during her 25-year career at the Dallas Morning News, she’s not tied to the grind. She works for fun and creative fulfillment. She only writes about the topics that interest her.

Nancy says people call her a dabbler, but she prefers “dilettante.” She’s not afraid to try all sorts of new tricks: oil painting, knitting, video editing, home renovation, playwriting, screenwriting, fiction writing, life drawing, singing in a choir, photography . . . you get the point.

But she’s also not afraid to quit the pursuits that don’t bring her a sense of purpose.

It’s slowly dawning on Nancy that she’s in a new phase of life that allows for more freedom. She’s driven to feel relevant, purposeful, and creative. She doesn’t expect to change the world, but she does want to matter.

I’d say that’s a fairly ambitious retirement plan for a dilettante.

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BONUS: Check out Nancy’s curated Spotify playlist featuring some fantastic female country music artists! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2LXSCnDgZHhPp2rDnorZzy?si=76a30b268ad545b0

00:00-Start

02:26-The Glitzy World of People Magazine

11:42-Volunteering Victories

15:35-Be Choosy

21:37-Semi-Retired, Fully Alive

23:19-Retire the word ‘Retired’

25:27-Scriptured Up

29:34-Selfless or Selfish? Nah, Self-ful.

32:32-Wellness Wisdom

40:43-Happiness Blueprint

46:09-Family Bonds & Vibrant Energy

51:47-Dilettante

53:52-A Feast of the Senses

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