My wife and I thought we would be able to live at our home for many more years, but I’ve become more and more overwhelmed by the everyday tasks of a homeowner. We’ve been discussing alternatives to the typical senior living situations. What can we do to prepare for this change, and how can we find a place where we can have a community?
— Doug M.
Last winter, my husband Mark and I made what others are calling our audacious move to start the next (and probable last) phase of our lives on earth. For us it isn’t about being bold, rather it’s about following a vision we’ve been refining for years so that the last 5% of our lives will be as we design it, instead of by default left to the winds of fate.
For decades I’ve recommended to clients seeking their next phase and place, to enter into a visioning process based on a shared list of everything they could possibly want. Much like crafting a vision board for the next major life move now filled in with all the “I wants” and “Must haves”. Then comes the big ask: we must agree that no matter what, this is the “what” we are going for!
Then a defining moment came, it was the time to test out the reality of our vision. We rented a place for 6 months to a year to be sure we found our place and new community in Asheville, N.C. Doing so we got ever so clear on what we didn’t want, thus allowing what we did want to emerge. This is a must no matter who you are or where you might consider your next destination.
We all know what the rental and residential buying markets have been like ever since Covid landed. Challenging doesn’t capture the madness of seeking a new home base. Our shared conviction to stick with our process which was once strong was beginning to wane. When we “lost” a long-term rental we thought was the be-all, end-all for transitioning to our new life, I thought it was over and done, we did it. In these moments of buyer-renter despair, I was called to reawaken my trust and belief in the process we originally designed to find our “next!” I reminded us both that “we know deeply in our core that what we are wanting is already here! We just haven’t found it yet!” I proclaimed with deep conviction. It was this sudden aha that all the places we thought were “it” were actually rationalized adaptations to our still deeply embedded scarcity mindset. The reality is that none of the prior places “found” actually had room for us two entrepreneurs to work and live at home. Literally within days, fueled with renewed conviction, we found what is now our “place”…we landed in the best neighborhood we didn’t even consider before.
During our search, I have felt taken by a fresh perspective and an invigorating sense of constant “expectancy” both in the “where” we have landed as well as about the new directions I’m heading with my life’s work.
Think of this as a new phase, or a chance for Radical ReinventionSM and transformational regeneration. After all, no one knows you yet. It’s a new ball game. Go for a home run! The great thing about our living options is that there are now many more options for our active and creative elder years.
The first biggie is to decide if downsizing and simplifying your home may be right for you. Or if you want a new experience like none before. If it’s a community you’re worried about, consider places like OpusNewton, which supports community building. Or like us find a hub that allows you to fill your I want buckets while you still can. Some people have decided to ditch housing altogether and board cruise ships that provide everything you need and more!
It’s time now to clean up our outmoded past stories and our “now” stories about what it means to age, what it means to be Ageless, and how to be firmly moving forward on our Ageless Way. Keep this in mind while you explore all your possibilities with vision and gusto! The Universe always provides what we ask for! So do your due diligence and ask away.
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