If we go by the ancient Vedic principles of life cycle, the early years of retirement can be equated to the Vanaprastha stage and the latter years to the Sanyasi stage. These are the last two of the four stages of life. One enters these stages after satisfactorily crossing the earlier two stages, that are the Brahmacharya and the Grihastha stages.
The Vanaprastha stage is more about giving back and finding a new purpose or meaning in life. At this stage, typically, family responsibilities come to an end, with children settling down. Usually, it’s only at this stage that individuals begin to live for a purpose, reflecting upon and integrating the learnings from their earlier phases and applying that towards a purpose they want to fulfill in their lifetime.
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In modern-day society, the second innings can often become an exciting new phase of life, with several new avenues opening up in keeping with the skills and passions of individuals. This phenomenon is often referred to as active ageing, which is being discovered and embraced by several seniors these days. In our experience, many now prefer spending time meaningfully rather than biding it.
Take the case of Bharathi, who is based in Bengaluru and is in her 60s. A few years ago, Bharathi and her spouse found themselves with fewer responsibilities as her children moved out of the country. What started with making premix recipes in her free time to send to her children eventually became a business idea for her when she won a competition. It boosted her sense of self-worth. “I had the urge to learn new things and the opportunity to start my business. It was an excellent opportunity to learn alongside other entrepreneurs; we all together learned from the basics of starting a business.”
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Like Bharathi, when we start seeing this phase of life as an evolution, we open ourselves to more opportunities and experiences. But more than that, it lays the foundation for “active ageing” and offers an opportunity to share lessons learned through a lifetime of experiences.
With lifespans increasing and the ageing population living longer lives, their valuable experiences and expertise can power social good through community contribution, fostering social connections and community involvement, reducing loneliness and isolation, and promoting a sense of belonging as well as a purpose.
That was what happened with former banker Anjoo from Mumbai, who, in her late 50s, is actively taking her passion for learning to the next level by sharing her knowledge as a guide online, “Teaching is helping me connect and remember old skills and pick up new ones. Peer-to-peer learning allows one to share experiences with others, of like-minded thoughts and interests.”
Whether you want to pursue a long-held dream of painting, writing, travelling, starting a venture, or picking up a new career, reflect on the Vanaprastha stage as a time of liberation than a limitation, and discover what you want to do. It is not the time to await the end but to enjoy life fully. And with increasing life expectancy, there may be a lot of time left. As Mahatma Gandhi says, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
By Deval Delivala, Co-founder and CEO India, GetSetUp