Hello Friends,
Recently, I have been talking to many friends & colleagues about their life experiences, & their future outlook towards life in general & retirement : A Canadian lifestyle vs the Indian way of living.
Some of my friends of many years, are in the process of either retiring soon or have already taken an early retirement.
We're immigrants & people of a different mindset. Many of us are torn between 2 mindsets: a culture we were born into (being frugal & conservative) vs the North American environment we chose to live in (live for the day).
We have come a long way from the small towns & villages to a life in Canada. Some of you are still in the process of settling down.
Many of us have gone through tremendous hardships along the way & have amazing stories of courage & sacrifice. The journey has been tough, however it's been worth the effort for most of us.
Recently, I was discussing among friends about the story of a man, who died suddenly just before retirement. He had worked hard all his life, saved money for future & lived a frugal life, with a dream to enjoy a hard earned retirement. He died much before his time & his dreams of having long walks with his spouse, & relaxing on the porch with his grand kids, are now unrealized.
This incident has got me thinking quite a lot...
I believe all of us need to think hard about retirement planning, estate planning, having a life insurance & having a Will in place, however we also need to balance it out with enjoying life to the fullest & taking every day as it comes. Make sure to laugh a lot, love your family & hug them everyday. Forgive & Forget.
"Today will come only once"
Have a Great Day.
Rahul Vashisht
