When I was born (1953), the life expectancy of Singaporeans was 60 years. Today, 69 years (2022) later, it has improved by 24 years (40%) to 84 years. People can expect to live longer and progressively have longer post-retirement years to savour the joy of living. What should we do during our encore (post-midlife) years?
The concept of retirement (and, for that matter, encore years) is relatively new. It wasn’t long ago that people worked till they could not work anymore. With increasing affluence and longevity, we begin to talk about our encore years and look forward to the fulfilling years in the third stage of life.
Central to living a fulfilling life is a purpose – a sustained commitment to meaningful goals that contribute to our well-being and to something larger or beyond ourselves. According to John Gardner (Stanford Professor and cofounder of Encore.org), true happiness involves the full use of one’s power and talents. During our encore years, we can renew or recreate our lives in highly meaningful pursuits, contributing to our well-being and the well-being of others, other communities, and the wider world. The Japanese call our life purpose “Ikigai“. The expression defines our personal meaning of life in relation to your talents, passions, and profession, and the and the wider world.
Dr. William Wan will share some ideas on using our “second spring,” our encore years. You can register your interest here.
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
