Seventeen months ago I retired from my full-time job of more than 32 years.  My retirement gift was the traditional UAB rocking chair, which I cherish.  The reason I retired when I did was to have more time to share the message of abundant life that changed me so much.  I want to help other people understand how fulfilling life can be when we really get to know ourselves and live and walk in our own personal strengths.

I have recently found myself disappointed that my ministry/business is not where I thought it would be by now.  Although I have been working consistently, when I took a close look I realized that I have not been working on it as much as I could have been.  As I examined why that might be, I realized that I have been in a semi-retired state of mind.  I retired from my full-time job to pursue two part-time jobs, one in the UAB family and the other being Live!.  However, I realize now that is not the way I have been living.  It’s kind of like when you get a promotion and a sizable pay increase.  It feels like you have so much money, but then you realize there are still limitations on what you can spend.  There are still a limited number of hours in a day and I must budget and plan for it ahead of time in order to put it to the best use.

Now I am making changes to ensure that the proper amount of time and effort goes toward my priorities and purpose.  I enjoy seeing my beautiful rocking chair in its special place in my home, and I do sit in it occasionally – just because I can.  But no, I am certainly not ready for retirement.  In fact, this is one of the most exciting times of my life because I am progressing toward fulfilling my true purpose in life.

Don’t sit down – for long anyway.  Find and fulfill your own purpose so you can live . . . your life to the fullest.