On Climbing the Himalayas and Eating a Cobra’s Heart

Don’t you hate it when someone says or writes something that you wish you had said or written? The more I research to write, the more it happens to me.  And it happened again today.

I surfed into an article this morning by Jonathan Look entitled “The Magic of Leaving Your Comfort Zones in Retirement.”  Look is a retired U.S. traffic controller who sold it all at 50 to “travel the world.” He now resides overlooking the Atlantic in Lisbon, Portugal.

Mr. Look has an important perspective on fulfilling retirement.  For him, it includes scaling Himalayan mountains and eating a still-beating cobra’s heart.

OK, stick with me here for a second – I’m not off the rails.  Nor is he.

Look’s point with the article has to do with the importance of, in his words, “pushing the boundaries and seeking new horizons to achieve a fulfilling retirement.”  In addition to the Himalayas and eating a beating cobra’s heart, his activities have included things such as swimming with whale sharks, running the London marathon, rescuing street dogs from the meat trade in Thailand and living for a time on the Mekong River in Laos.

While his activities seem more self-aggrandizing than doing anything to advance humanitarian causes, the principle of moving out to the edge and away from the comfort zone in retirement is the key takeaway from his lifestyle choices.

As I portrayed in last week’s blog, the dark side of retirement in terms of disease, decline, and debilitation is very real, and disturbing.

Comfort zones are so enticing and so – well – comfortable.  We are drawn to comfort which means we are drawn away from challenge.  And nowhere are comfort zones more apparent than in retirement, certainly in the earliest stages.

No more alarm clock, no meetings, no commute, Lazyboy available 24/7, favorite series on Netflix mid-day, multiple daily naps.  After all, this is why we busted the hump for 40 years, to get to this point.  That’s what all the ads tell us it’s supposed to be.

But, as it’s said, “man makes the habits and the habits make the man.”  Comfort zones have a way of holding us hostage.

Here are three areas critical to a fulfilling retirement and optimized aging that comfort zones will hinder:

1. Physical condition. The two greatest fears as we age are (1) running out of money and (2) experiencing extended frailty.  In retirement, our habits can easily make that second fear a reality far too early. We’re made to move, regardless of age.  According to a number of studies, the average retired male watches over 40 hours of TV per week.  The Lazyboy/TV partnership is the ultimate comfort zone. It’s so easy to skip the trip to the gym or to the treadmill in the basement when one is accountable only to his or her self.
2. Mental acuity. Have I mentioned the brain-mapping study that showed that the watching TV generates the same level of electrical stimulation in the brain as contemplating a brick wall?  Unfortunately, the brain is very much like a muscle.  It needs exercise to stay vital.  Educational TV and crossword puzzles only go so far.  Life-extending mental stimulation calls for “pushing the boundaries.” Neurologists favor activities such as learning a new language or learning to play a musical instrument as examples of healthy brain-stretching activities.
3. Social isolation. In my March 5 blog, I referred to the AARP Foundation study that claims that prolonged isolation is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.  The AARP article points out that retirement is on the list of “Risk Factors for Isolation” while pointing out that there is a 26% increased risk of death due to the subjective feelings of loneliness.  New retirees often overlook the fact that they are faced with replacing workmates with new playmates.  Failing to push the boundaries and be proactive in rebuilding a social network is a major contributor to early deterioration.

Mr. Look says further:

“Retirement is the perfect time to explore and take advantage of new opportunities. Comfort zones should be places where we go to relax, reflect and rejuvenate. They should not become permanent retirement destinations where we passively allow time to slip away.”

I’ve had the pleasure recently to work with two very talented ladies, Judy, 77, and Jean, 64, who are thumbing their noses at traditional retirement and pushing boundaries.  Judy, a retired attorney, is passionately driving a non-profit that is improving educational opportunities for over 150 young girls in a village in Senegal.  Jean, a semi-retired veterinarian, is a central figure in the drive to outlaw the declawing of cats and to improve the nutritional quality of pet food.

I am humbled by the drive, energy and smarts these ladies demonstrate as they push their personal and professional boundaries. They reinforce my belief that senescence is not automatic and that vitality need not wane in our later years.  Their only reference to retirement is to say that they retired to something of greater importance.

What are you doing to push the boundaries?  Do you have a story to share with us?  We’d love to hear from you.  Scroll down and share your story with us – or email me at gary@makeagingwork.com.