By Jim Hunt for the News and Journal
I read a quote the other day that said, “The trouble with retirement is you never get the day off”. Several years ago, I considered retiring, but I decided that I liked having an occasional day off. I must confess that one reason I haven’t retired is that I have never figured out exactly what I do. When I was about six, I wanted to be a cowboy. As I got older, I read a book called “Success through a Positive Mental Attitude” by Napoleon Hill and W. Clement Stone and thought about being a speaker. I always thought it was fate that I read that book. I had bought a box of books for fifty cents, at a used book sale at the Clarksburg Library when I was about sixteen. It wasn’t that I wanted to read the books, but I thought they looked impressive on the bookshelf in my room.
One night when I was about seventeen, I looked over at my bookshelf and spotted the book and thought I would see what was so great about having a positive mental attitude. As I read the first chapter, I couldn’t believe that this book had sat on my shelf for a year, without me even opening it up. I stayed up all night reading and started writing lists of things I needed to do to be successful. I was so excited that I checked off item after item in just the first few hours. My life changed that night and I started to believe that I could be whatever I put my mind to.
That book led to me investing in dozens of self-help tapes with people like Zig Ziegler, Nido Qubein, Brian Tracy and others. Later, I discovered Dr. Wayne Dyer and began to live a life of expectation of good things to come. I met Dr. Dyer in person at Fairmont State at one of his public events and thanked him for his mentorship and guidance. I would sometimes get in my car and drive hours listening to my tapes and getting a shot of motivation. It was inspiring and things started happening for me in ways that I could not believe.
As I neared the seventh decade of my life, the notion of retirement loomed on the horizon. Yet, upon reflection, I found myself unable to embrace it wholeheartedly. It’s not a disdain for retirement itself—I firmly believe in individual autonomy—but rather a recognition of the multitude of opportunities that lay before me. The prospect of idling away on a beach or perfecting my golf swing paled in comparison to the excitement of pursuing my passions. With a new book nearing completion and a growing podcast attracting captivating guests, the allure of continued engagement proved irresistible.
Through it all, I’ve never wavered in my commitment to a positive outlook on life. I firmly believe that embracing optimism and resilience is key to leading a fulfilling existence. And so, as I choose to postpone retirement, I do so with gratitude for the blessings of good health and occasional respites. For me, retirement can wait—there’s still much to be done, and I approach each day with a sense of purpose and anticipation.