Trying to do something truly meaningful

D

Donald_S1

New Member
I sold my business last year and now I have to figure out what I'm going to do when I grow up. I'm in my 60s, but haven't grown up yet.

However, I have a problem. Deciding if what I am doing has any real meaning.

I am now about to share a boring story, but it was a life changing experience for me.

Sometimes you do stuff just to kill time. My life example. Years ago I volunteered for a political campaign. They had me come in and fold brochures. Well I know for a fact that having humans fold brochures is a wasted effort. A machine can easily do 20,000 an hour. A human might do 200. You might say "Well they did it to save money".

But they had to have people supervise the folders, which cost a lot more than the machine time. No they were having people do it so that the donors who gave them what they really wanted (i.e. money) could do something to feel like they were helping. It was a meaningless activity. I see people do this kind of thing all the time. Just basically killing time, doing something that feels meaningful but really isn't.

I'm trying to figure out how to avoid that.

I don't want to 'retire'. My health is really good, and I don't have kids. Trying to figure out how to proceed. Suggestions are very welcome.

Thank you very much for reading.

Don
 
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Donald_S1 said:
I sold my business last year and now I have to figure out what I'm going to do when I grow up. I'm in my 60s, but haven't grown up yet.

But I have a problem. Deciding if what I am doing has any real meaning.

I am now about to share a boring story, but it was a life changing experience for me.

Sometimes you do stuff just to kill time. My life example. Years ago I volunteered for a political campaign. They had me come in and fold brochures. Well I know for a fact that having humans fold brochures is a wasted of effort. A machine can easily do 20,000 an hour. A human might do 200. You might say "Well they did it to save money".

But they had to have people supervise the folders, which cost a lot more than the machine time. No they were having people do it so that the donors who gave them what they really wanted (i.e. money) could do something to feel like they were helping. It was a meaningless activity. I see people do this kind of thing all the time. Just basically killing time, doing something that feels meaningful but really isn't.

I'm trying to figure out how to avoid that.

I don't want to 'retire'. My health is really good, and I don't have kids. Trying to figure out how to proceed. Suggestions are very welcome.

Thank you very much for reading.

Don
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What was your business and why were you in that business? Is that a clue to the kinds of things you find meaningful?
 
A few years ago I quit work because they changed the start time, which changed the dynamics of the commute to work.
In less than a week I knew that I wasn't ready for retirement so I went back to school and now I have a Diploma of Community Services and a casual job. I also have a sense of purpose, an income which lets ride a motorcycle to work and pay for the running costs.
I work for a not for profit organisation and we have mental health recovery villages and a facility for men at risk of homelessness. I finish work knowing that I have made a difference to someone's day.
 
I would say if you are looking for something with real meaning, politics is not the place to go.
Without knowing what you know and your background, it would be hard to 'tell' you what is meaningful and useful.
Here is an idea I'm working on.
I'm putting together a small group of retirees in my field in which I retired from and will be doing free consultation work for small to mid-sized companies that typically couldn't afford the services on a retail scale. Anything tangible there would be a small fee, that would then be part of a charity donation to a cause we could agree on.
 
I'd suggest you look and think about two things: Skills, and passion.

On the skills front, have a think about what you bring to the table. Sure, at times there's a simple need for a body to fold a brochure, but beyond that what else can you offer? For example, there's a guy on Youtube who does landscaping as a job (own business). He donates a day at least once a month, where he goes out, finds the worse looking garden he can find, and does the work for free. He has the tools, the skills, he has the aptitude.

On the passion front, think about what you're passionate about. Is it helping addicts, children, old people, sick people, etc. Think of something that won't only be appreciated, but would also scratch an itch for yourself personally. Could be education, helping the immobile, or something related to your work. If you have a passion for it, it'll feel more worthwhile.

I don't know what you did for a living, but we all have skills of some kind. Good luck finding something.
 
VaughanJB said:
I'd suggest you look and think about two things: Skills, and passion.

On the skills front, have a think about what you bring to the table. Sure, at times there's a simple need for a body to fold a brochure, but beyond that what else can you offer? For example, there's a guy on Youtube who does landscaping as a job (own business). He donates a day at least once a month, where he goes out, finds the worse looking garden he can find, and does the work for free. He has the tools, the skills, he has the aptitude.

On the passion front, think about what you're passionate about. Is it helping addicts, children, old people, sick people, etc. Think of something that won't only be appreciated, but would also scratch an itch for yourself personally. Could be education, helping the immobile, or something related to your work. If you have a passion for it, it'll feel more worthwhile.

I don't know what you did for a living, but we all have skills of some kind. Good luck finding something.
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(y):)
 
After I retired from my job as a researcher in the TV & Film industry.. I changed tact and went to work on the retail side of a world renowned charity...as an Area manager in charge of 30 stores county wide... It was a very rewarding job...

You might want to see if you could work for a Charity where you live.. it needn't be volunteering if that's not your bag....mine was a paid position.. but I gave a lot of my time for free also..or if you have any kind of legal expertise, you cold volunteer to work for charities which provide support for families who need free legal advice .. just google volunteer opportunities in your area..
 
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For me, it's been volunteering a variety of skills & areas of knowledge to local environmental work. I'd been aware of ecological degradation for decades and, as a journalist, had included stories about situations & about people involved with amelioration. I had also done some spare-time work with forestry reform. For the last six years or so, I've been working with a group of locals including a botanist, wildlife biologist, water-quality expert, a streamside conservationist/restorationist, outdoor educators, and others. It gets things done, and it feels really good.
 
There are all kinds of opportunities out there, depending on your passions and interests. Here are a few examples of what I did:
Note: This is NOT virtue signalling)
Helped food prep at homeless shelter
Repaired wheelchairs, walkers and other devices at a Hospice
Performed statistical analysis of clients at a food pantry to qualify for grants
Flew patients at no cost to and from their far away appointments
Flew rescue dogs to forever homes
Restored a 1941 switch engine for a RR historical society
Volunteered as Conductor on tourist railroad.
 
bowmore said:
There are all kinds of opportunities out there, depending on your passions and interests. Here are a few examples of what I did:
Note: This is NOT virtue signalling)
Helped food prep at homeless shelter
Repaired wheelchairs, walkers and other devices at a Hospice
Performed statistical analysis of clients at a food pantry to qualify for grants
Flew patients at no cost to and from their far away appointments
Flew rescue dogs to forever homes
Restored a 1941 switch engine for a RR historical society
Volunteered as Conductor on tourist railroad.
Click to expand...

Amazing. I'm sure you've helped make the lives of others better! And doggies too!
 
I went back to school, got my PhD and am now teaching online classes at the university level. I am participating in the senior
center, learning new crafts and music, and recently, I have been contacted by a charitable organization to become a member of their Board of Directors. I am looking into that. So, I gravitated toward these things. Like it was mentioned here, look at your skills and your passion. What drives you?
 
Thank you all very much for sharing your stories about how you approached your latest chapter of your life. It's food for thought for me.
 
I had wanted to volunteer at an independent cat shelter. I applied and had an appointment to meet the woman on a Sunday. Of course I got trapped working a double shift the Saturday before and I was exhaused with only 5 hours sleep. But I didn't want to cancel.

She seemed fine, told me she would call me but not that week. Two weeks after that week (3 weeks total) I never heard back so I e mailed and stated I was no longer interested. She tried to call me but I didn't answer. I felt blown off and I wasn't going to deal with her anymore.
 
I'm sorry that happened, Remy. I had similar problems with volunteering. I had a lot of paid jobs since we moved often, and all my employers were happy to have me and I did well with glowing references when I left. With volunteer work, either my offers were blown off like your car shelter experience, or my work would be unfairly criticized in some way. In volunteer work I found cliques, no particular training, unclear expectations, more bosses than workers, no vacations, unpleasant working conditions.

On the other hand, my has husband volunteers with a non-profit for almost 20 years, does just what he wants, when he wants and loves it.
He does what @Gary O' and @VaughanJB suggested uses his skills and passion.
 
I think I have reached a point where I want to say what I mean without being politically or socially correct. It is bound to ruffle some feathers, but I will not be feeling like I didn't communicate my authentic feelings and thoughts. There are many things I feel deeply about. I have branched out on social media platforms and am speaking my own mind. The trick is to not be distracted my peoples responses. They can really throw me off, trying to please everyone. Well, enough is enough. :) If you want to do something meaningful you can't compromise yourself to please others. Unless THAT is what is truly meaningful for you. :)
 
palides2021 said:
I went back to school, got my PhD and am now teaching online classes at the university level. I am participating in the senior
center, learning new crafts and music, and recently, I have been contacted by a charitable organization to become a member of their Board of Directors. I am looking into that. So, I gravitated toward these things. Like it was mentioned here, look at your skills and your passion. What drives you?
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PhD in what field?
 
Della said:
I'm sorry that happened, Remy. I had similar problems with volunteering. I had a lot of paid jobs since we moved often, and all my employers were happy to have me and I did well with glowing references when I left. With volunteer work, either my offers were blown off like your car shelter experience, or my work would be unfairly criticized in some way. In volunteer work I found cliques, no particular training, unclear expectations, more bosses than workers, no vacations, unpleasant working conditions.
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Same thing too much of the time in my area too.
 
Sippican said:
I would say if you are looking for something with real meaning, politics is not the place to go.
Without knowing what you know and your background, it would be hard to 'tell' you what is meaningful and useful.
Here is an idea I'm working on.
I'm putting together a small group of retirees in my field in which I retired from and will be doing free consultation work for small to mid-sized companies that typically couldn't afford the services on a retail scale. Anything tangible there would be a small fee, that would then be part of a charity donation to a cause we could agree on.
Click to expand...
Whoa! That sounds like a wonderful idea! Lots of younger people have the drive and energy but not the experience to get themselves over that developmental hump they all hit eventually. Your group would be a sort of mentor to them! And tying the smaller income to an agreed charity is the icing on the cake. Good luck with your efforts.
 
Remy said:
I had wanted to volunteer at an independent cat shelter. I applied and had an appointment to meet the woman on a Sunday. Of course I got trapped working a double shift the Saturday before and I was exhaused with only 5 hours sleep. But I didn't want to cancel.

She seemed fine, told me she would call me but not that week. Two weeks after that week (3 weeks total) I never heard back so I e mailed and stated I was no longer interested. She tried to call me but I didn't answer. I felt blown off and I wasn't going to deal with her anymore.
Click to expand...
Isn't that the worst! People who never return calls or follow up like they promised! We're dealing with a couple of issues like that from a couple of tradespeople and it's a real effort to not lose our minds over it when we call back over and over with no response!
 
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