Are You "Making A Living" or Just Using Up the Years of Your Life?
By Alice Henry
@IreneVincent (15962)
United States
March 27, 2017 9:29am CST
Now that I'm retired, I was thinking about this question today, and so I thought I would share with you this morning, and see what you think.
Unless you are born wealthy, you are expected to go to work to “earn a living” as soon as you are old enough to do so. Then, you work for 40 or 50 years, paying your bills and raising a family, perhaps, before you can finally retire.
All that time you were working, or what is called “making a living” you were actually USING up your life. By the time you can retire, you are sometimes too old to enjoy life anymore.
Most people have health issues that keep them from doing things that they could have done when they were younger, but didn’t have the time to pursue them, like traveling, learning to play a musical instrument, playing sports or whatever.
So, there isn’t much left of the life you “earned.
Doesn’t it seem to you that life is just too short? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could retire at 18 years old and pursue all the things we have a desire to do, while we are still young and healthy enough to do them and then when we get too old to do those things, we find a job and work at it for the rest of our lives.
Better yet, wouldn’t it be nicer to be able to live forever? Here’s a link to a video that you might enjoy watching:
https://www.jw.org/en/publications/videos/#mediaitems/VODMinistryTools/pub-wsb_E_x_VIDEO
What do you think?
8 people like this
4 responses
@snowy22315 (170763)
• United States
27 Mar 17
Well with people living longer and longer, I think more people are enjoying their retirement years if they have made adequate financial arrangements during their lifetime.
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (170763)
• United States
27 Mar 17
@JohnRoberts That is why treaing your body as your temple is important. Many retirees are in good shape.
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
27 Mar 17
Some persons do make adequate financial arrangements for retirement, but most do not, unfortunately.
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Mar 17
Yes, but all money in the world cannot make up for deteriorating bodies and just not having the same energy anymore.
2 people like this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
27 Mar 17
Good for you. I'm glad that you have been able to do that. I didn't have a stressful job like some persons do. I enjoyed selling jewelry, and earning FREE trips all over the world, but I didn't really retire early and now I'm enjoying my retirement and wish that I had retired even sooner.
Now, I'm doing some things that I didn't have time to do or didn't TAKE THE TIME to do when I was still working. But, I am limited on what I'm ABLE to do because of my age.
I have a "Bucket List" and I have a "Never Do Again List." Like horseback riding, bowling, and snow skiing, but I had time to do all of those things and MORE when I was younger, and even while I was working. In fact, the FREE trips I earned for my sales, usually included all of those things and more, including white water rafting and cruises and traveling the world.
I have had a GOOD life and I'm very thankful, but I am thinking of those who have difficult jobs and barely make enough money to survive on a day to day basis.
Or even those who have a mundane or boring life, who go to work every day and come home to a small apartment and have little extra money to do the things that would like to do.
1 person likes this
@Ronrybs (17911)
• London, England
27 Mar 17
@IreneVincent One of the things I wanted to do again was cycle touring. This Summer I am plotting to start on a fairly short trip and see how we do
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
27 Mar 17
I have had many joys in life and there is still so much to do. No regrets! Glad I still have a measure of health and look forward to the "real life". Have a beautiful day! 
1 person likes this
@IreneVincent (15962)
• United States
27 Mar 17
Yes, there are many joys in life for some persons, but there are many who have very little to be joyful about. I think about those who live in countries full of war and strife and poverty and how their day to day lives are a constant struggle. I know that they yearn for a better life of peace and happiness that they don't have now.
1 person likes this
@Jon2071 (256)
• United States
28 Mar 17
I am not in the Jehovah Witness religion, but I do agree that what God offers is awesome. This life is so short and as you pointed out, so many of us work most of the time and really don't get time to enjoy it as we would like. If I had my way, I would be able to take an early retirement and travel with my wife and children and give them the opportunity to see the world. There is so much world to see and so little time to see it. Thank you for the link and God bless!
