Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life Refire! Don't Retire (Hardback) - Common

by Kenneth H. Blanchard

After you reach middle age, what are you going to do with the rest of your life to make it healthy, joyful, and meaningful? Bestselling author Ken Blanchard and leading psychologist Morton Shaevitz say too many people see the rest of their lives not as an opportunity but as a kind of sentence. But both research and common sense say if we embrace the years ahead with enthusiasm and engagement rather than passivity and withdrawal, we can make the rest of our life the best of our life. We can refire, not retire. Using the popular and entertaining story format Blanchard pioneered with The One Minute Manager, he and Shaevitz tell how to approach our lives with gusto and energy and see each day as an opportunity for adventure and learning, no matter what our age. We follow a couple, Larry and Janice Sparks, as they discover how to infuse passion and zest into every area of their lives emotional, physical, intellectual, and spiritual. This is an entertaining, easy-to-read book in the trademark Ken Blanchard style that offers simple truths, profound wisdom, and practical advice in an area of increasing interest for millions."

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Business, Audiobook

Hardcover

First published February 2, 2015

About the author

Ken Blanchard, one of the most influential leadership experts in the world, is the coauthor of the iconic bestseller, The One Minute Manager, and 60 other books whose combined sales total more than 21 million copies. His groundbreaking works have been translated into more than 27 languages and in 2005 he was inducted into Amazon’s Hall of Fame as one of the top 25 bestselling authors of all time.

Ken is also the cofounder and chief spiritual officer of The Ken Blanchard Companies®, an international management training and consulting firm that he and his wife, Margie Blanchard, began in 1979 in San Diego, California.

When he’s not writing or speaking, Ken also spends time teaching students in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership Program at the University of San Diego. Ken can be found at www.kenblanchard.com.

Reviews

[Jay French · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author of the "One Minute Manager" takes on retirement. Well, not really retirement, more of the funk people can get in from doing the same thing for a long time. In his fashion, Blanchard turns the lessons into a story, relatively short and sweet, of a couple in a rut. Blanchard's couple have differing issues, the husband wanting to slow down from a high speed career and his wife wanting to stretch to new responsibilities. They meet with their former high school teacher who connects them with a number of people to illustrate the goals of optimizing their intellectual, emotional, physical, and spiritual sides. This felt a little like "A Christmas Carol", but it worked well enough. The guidance was not groundbreaking -- it was simple and mostly obvious, but presenting it in a story like this makes for a good reminder of how to think about your life and how to get out of ruts, or "refire".

I won a copy of this book in Goodreads First Reads program.

[D · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the title, I thought this was strictly about going back into the work force and enjoying it, but this book is way beyond that. It is way beyond just retirement. It is actually about doing the things that you enjoy to do, and picking things that give you purpose. I will share this book with my husband. When we first met, I was the old fuddy duddy, and my husband was very active. Over the years, it has been like we have traded places, and I have felt so stifled from doing the same things over and over again. This book is very positive and does provide inspiration. It is also not just meant for older people. People of all ages can and do get stuck in a rut. This book gives advice on how not to be bored with life. You don't have to be rich to have a great life. That is what I am discovering. We are struggling now as much as we did when first married. We had our house paid off, but with a son going to college, bad economy, and cutbacks to my husband as well as inability to even find permanent part-time work for me, life has been rough. However, this book shows how you don't have to stay in your own misery waiting for your situation to change.

[David Marshall · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 84-year-old mom read this book and recommended it to her friend in her retirement community. I got a lot out of it as well as a 59-year-old, even though I'm not retiring anytime soon. Ken Blanchard and his co-author Morton Shaevitz tell an interesting story about how a retired couple reclaimed their later years by learning to speed up their minds, hearts, and bodies instead of letting them slow down and atrophy. Very inspiring!

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick and easy read. I would say this book is not really about retirement, but things that we all know we should be doing no matter what stage of life we are in: Build relationships with others, Be a life-long learner, exercise and eat healthy, and work on your spirituality.

I received a free copy of this book through GoodReads FirstReads.

[Lisa Kosak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Refire! Don't Retire is written in the comfortable storytelling fashion that only Ken Blanchard can tell. The book is an easy and relaxing read about a middle aged couple, Larry and Janice Sparks, who are in a funk in their lives. They meet Dr. Jeffrey who carries them on an adventure throughout the book meeting different people and learning each step of the way how they can approach life with "more gusto". The book really got me thinking about how I can approach life differently and make changes that bring inner peace and a satisfaction with life.


The early pages of the book offer a great picture of what Blanchard and Shaevitz want us to remember. We should "Approach life with gusto. It's to see each day as an opportunity for adventure and learning. It's to infuse passion and zest into every area of your life - emotional, intellectually, physical, and spiritual. Heart, head, body and soul." They continue to illustrate how achievements and money aren't truly what make people happy. It helps for awhile, but eventually people crave more. Cravings include happiness, significance, generosity, service, and loving relationships. You can't argue with that!

There are four life areas that Dr. Jeffrey leads the Sparks through within the pages of our book:

1. Refire Emotionally. Love and strong relationships are important. We need to reconnect with others and let people know that we care. Ask them how you can help them and focus on making the world a better place. Do something different. Jump out of your comfort zone and out of your rut. Be more spontaneous and be ready to get up and go to try new things. Don't be a "stick in the mud" as my Mom used to say and just do it! I lovingly refer to my husband as "Last Minute Mike". He's always wants to do things at the last minute with friends or to just go somewhere with no planning or advanced notice. I'm more of a planner and always putting a halt to "Last Minute Mike" adventures. Reading this area in the book made me do some self discovery. I need to be more "last minute" and spontaneous. I need to Refire Emotionally"!

2. Refire Intellectually. Intellectual growth is a key to the fountain of youth. You need to partner intellectual grow with emotional growth. It keeps your mind sharp, gives you purpose, presents challenges, and prevents you from becoming a zombie. Learn something new every day. Afraid of technology? Face it and take a class or have your kids show you the ropes. Always wanted to learn to speak French? Start now and get those brain muscles firing away.

3. Refire Physically. You are as old as you feel and if you don't physically take care of yourself, you will age really fast!. Take care of your body. Set goals to be active. Hide the cookies and eat healthier. You will find that your mind is sharper, your emotions are healthy, and your attitude will be jumping off the scale.

4. Refire Spiritually. Blanchard and Shaevitz wind our journey down by showing a glimpse of strain between the spiritual beliefs of Larry and Janice. Larry has life long strong spiritual beliefs while Janice only knows that there are "higher powers" in the world bigger than her. Eventually after some soul searching they agree that there are higher powers and that they need to respect the individual beliefs of others without prejudice. They learn how critical refiring spiritually is to the overall satisfaction in their lives.

Our lessons are further reinforced at the end of each chapter. Each chapter includes a Code of Conduct for living out each of the life areas. We are also given Pause, Reflect, Take Action suggestions. Some sample suggestions include; Be aware, Be Forgiving, Be Playful, Be Friendly, Be Open to Learn. These are wonderful reflecting points to ponder after each chapter and really bring new meaning to the story that we were included in.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Twenty years ago Ken Blanchard's story-format was cute way of presenting information; now old and tiring. Not much unique or interesting here (ex. "take a car ride to somewhere you've never been", "identify at least one way you can eat more healthfully"). Skip this one and just get on with living.

[Kara of BookishBytes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Insulting and patronizing tone of the book made it easy for me to quit. No one wants to be talked down to.

[Kat Riethmuller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takeaways:
Focus your life on “significance” as well as success.
Significance has three aspects: “generosity, service and loving relationships.”
“Refiring” means recharging yourself, being enthusiastic, taking risks and facing life with zest.
The refiring philosophy addresses the “heart, head, body and soul” to reinvigorate the “emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual” dimensions of your life.
“Refire emotionally” by being positive and showing others you love them.
“Refire intellectually” by continuing to learn.
“Refire physically” by eating sensibly and exercising regularly.
“Refire spiritually” by recognizing the presence of a loving “higher power” and striving to be the best person possible.
Refiring works for people of all ages.
Refiring is not a one-time event; it’s a way of living.

Summary:
“Old Geezers” of the World, Unite!
At Lincoln High School’s 45th reunion, Larry Sparks asked his wife, Janice, “Who are all these old geezers?” She replied, “I’m sure they’re thinking the exact same thing about us.” When a tired-looking man with grey hair approached them, Larry needed a few seconds to recognize Rob Briggs, the smart student who had helped him with science during high school. “Hey, Rob…How you been?” said Larry. “Ah, you know, not great – but consider the alternative, right?” said Briggs.

To ‘refire’ is to see each day as an opportunity for adventure and learning!
Two nights later, at the weekend reunion’s concluding dinner, the Sparkses bumped into Briggs again. They discussed their mutual observation that many of their classmates acted as if they were enduring prison sentences rather than enjoying their lives. Seniors are not the only ones who seem exhausted, said Briggs, noting that his young colleagues often had the same air of being worn-out.

Meeting the Mentor
“I want to embrace what’s left of life, not complain about it,” said Janice, an active volunteer, and Larry agreed. Briggs told them to take up that topic with the good-looking man standing near the dance floor. “Is that our ninth-grade biology teacher, Mr. Jeffrey?” asked Larry. Briggs said that the teacher, now Dr. Jeffrey, had become a well-known expert on how the senior years can be the best part of your life. He headed the local university’s psychology department and taught in the dual psychology/philosophy program.

There’s this feeling you get when you’re refiring. It’s like you’re running on all cylinders.
“Excuse me, sir,” said Larry. “You were my favorite science teacher. What are you up to these days? Are you retired?”

“I’m not retiring – I’m ‘refiring’! To refire is to approach life with gusto,” said Jeffrey. “It’s to see each day as an opportunity for adventure and learning! It’s to infuse passion and zest into every area of your life – emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual.” He explained that he had spent the previous 10 years studying “how the later decades in life can be rewarding and dynamic,” and he offered to give them some coaching.

We don’t want to be one of those couples that are always talking about what they used to do, what they used to learn, what they used to know.
On their way home, the Sparkses discussed how poorly some people their age had fared: They looked ailing, as if they were stagnating and their dreams were dying. Janice wondered if she and Larry might also be in a rut. “Life really is a grind,” Larry replied.

Back home, Larry learned that his twin brother, Kevin, a driving, successful businessman, had died of a heart attack. Kevin’s death rattled Larry. He thought about pulling back from work and enjoying his life. Janice had recently applied to become director of the nonprofit where she volunteered. They decided to talk to Jeffrey about his refiring philosophy.

“A Visit with Dr. Jeffrey”
“Happiness is an inside-out job,” Jeffrey told them, explaining that many people see success as the accumulation of externalities – money, recognition, power and status. When you define yourself by what you acquire, you must constantly get more and more things to be happy. Jeffrey warned, “At the end, it all goes back in the box.”

We try to stay emotionally engaged in our relationships with family and friends, as well as with each other.
Jeffrey advised the Sparkses to concentrate on “significance” rather than success. He explained that three factors build significance, “generosity, service and loving relationships.” And he advised the couple, “Make sure you are solid emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually…in the heart, the head, the body and the soul.” When all four factors are working together, Jeffrey concluded, “You become whole and create a powerful foundation for moving forward in your life.”

Sometimes we get into ruts, not only with each other but also with our friends. We need to become more spontaneous.
Dr. Jeffrey explained that the Sparkses needed to recharge their lives emotionally, intellectually, physically and spiritually. To begin, he suggested that they talk to Wendy and Harold Tong, a likable couple who had just retired and who had a clear grasp of “the emotional side of life.”

“The First Key – Refiring Emotionally”
“Positive feelings are like love in action,” said Tong. His wife agreed but said, “Doing the same things the same way with the same people doesn’t contribute to your emotional health or anyone else’s. Be willing to take interpersonal risks and learn from them.”

If you…know others well, you’ll grow close enough that they’ll be willing to praise you when you’re fun to hang around with and give you honest feedback when you’re being obnoxious.
The Sparkses soon had an opportunity to put the Tongs’s advice into action. Briggs called one evening and invited them to join him 20 minutes later at a theater Larry didn’t really care for and to see an animated feature, a genre he disliked. Heeding the Tongs’s advice about spontaneity, the Sparkses joined Briggs. They loved the movie and had a good time going out at the last minute.

A lot of people who have experienced outer success in their lives have inner turmoil. They are not lovers of themselves.
The Sparkses soon organized the “Last-Minute Gang” and made Briggs a member. The gang’s plan was that all the members agreed to accept last-minute invitations for dinners, movies and get-togethers. During the next few months, the Sparkses “refired their relationships” by engaging in fresh activities, connecting with those close to them and contacting old friends out of the blue. They celebrated Janice’s new job and, as part of their ad-lib life, instituted the “Nothing Ordinary” rule, which says: Buy only things that are unusual and special, and make a “commitment to uniqueness.” They sought out new experiences, visited different neighborhoods, saw contemporary art shows and tried unusual nightspots. They dropped the “routine, easy and most convenient,” and pursued the offbeat, innovative and funky.

Everyone has negative feelings at times, and, while we may not be able to control how we feel, we are responsible for how we react to those feelings.
To refire emotionally, have fun, be a friend, experience joy, show love and value spontaneity. Strengthen your relationships with the important people in your life. Put the nothing-ordinary rule to work. Go where you haven’t been. Welcome new people into your world and routines.

“The Second Key – Refiring Intellectually”
The Sparkses told Jeffrey about the positive changes they had made in their lives, but both of them reported feeling adrift. After backing away from his business, Larry felt uncertain of his purpose in life. Janice didn’t feel challenged by the paperwork of her executive director’s position. “While you two are growing emotionally, you may have to do more,” Jeffrey said.

What are you doing out of habit rather than zeal?
He explained that they needed to expand their intellectual horizons. “If you’re not continuing to learn, you might as well lie down and let them throw the dirt on you, because you’re already brain-dead,” he said, suggesting that they meet Maria and Alberto Alvarez, role models for refiring intellectually.

Growing intellectually is like oxygen to a deep-sea diver: Without it, you die.
“No matter what your occupation or position in life, you can create a plan – a curriculum…to refire intellectually,” said Alvarez. “Whether it’s…joining a book club, taking courses at a nearby university or immersing yourself in another culture…keep your brain cells stimulated.”

Mrs. Alvarez and some of her colleagues created the “Office of the Future,” an organization that investigates new societal and technology trends. “I constantly have my eyes on the horizon, so I’m continually refiring intellectually,” she said. Inspired by Mrs. Alvarez, Janice planned to learn everything possible about how to employ the newest technology in her life and her new position. “If you’re good,” she told Larry, “I’ll even mentor you into the 21st century.” For his part, Larry planned to write a family history entitled Enduring Love.

If I had a magic wand and I was going to make one change in the world, I would have people give up being right. Because for you to be right, somebody else has to be wrong.
To refire intellectually, become a learner, read everything you can, apprentice yourself to mentors and try new ideas. Don’t give up when things get tough. Consider what engaged you in the past. Can you resume this engagement? How can you make your life more interesting? What special classes could you take? What advanced technology could you master?

“The Third Key – Refiring Physically”
The Sparkses successfully instituted their plans to grow intellectually. Things were going well until Larry learned from his doctor that he had type 2 diabetes, which demanded major dietary and exercise changes. Jeffrey advised Larry to begin exercising first and, once he had that routine mastered, incorporate dieting in his new lifestyle program. Janice said she also wanted to start an exercise program. Jeffrey said that at their ages, the best plan would be to start walking five to six days a week, 30 to 45 minutes a day. “If you get some good shoes, wear the right clothes and walk regularly, my guess is you’re both going to begin to feel better,” said Jeffrey. In addition to daily aerobics, he recommended “flexibility, balance training…and strength training,”

We can all make the world a better place through the moment-to-moment decisions we make as we interact with the people we come in contact with at home, at work and in the community.
For the diet component, he said, “Stop eating and drinking mindlessly, and begin eating and drinking mindfully.” He advised the Sparkses to pay close attention to “when, how and why” they eat. They agreed to make these lifestyle changes. Jeffrey also commended the idea of starting to consume 20% less food than normal. “There’s a big difference between being stuffed and being satisfied,” he said. If you eat until you’re full, you’ve eaten too much, but if you eat until you’re satisfied and then stop, you’re paying attention to what your body is telling you.”

I think we finally become adults when we realize that we’re here to serve, not to be served. We’re here to give, not to get.
To refire physically, make an effort to be healthy. Eat well. Begin exercising. Eat more nutritionally. Identify any obstacles that stand in your way? What realistic diet and exercise goals can you set? Can you assign specific dates for meeting your goals?

“The Fourth Key – Refiring Spiritually”
Nine months after the Sparkses first met with Jeffery, he told them, “I’m amazed by all the changes you’ve made. Talk about approaching life with enthusiasm and adding zest! You’re living examples of what it means to refire.” Thinking about one other dimension of refiring, Jeffrey suggested that the Sparkses might refire spiritually. He suggested meeting with supermarket manager Bobby Bradford and astronomer Cynthia Strohmeyer. “Their different viewpoints should give you some perspective on how wide the spectrum can be for refiring spiritually,” Jeffrey added.

The Sparkses soon learned how important Bradford’s spiritual renewal had been to him. Before his job at the supermarket, he’d been bitter and chronically unemployed. Then his employer took a chance, hired him and actively mentored him about the anger he felt. “He helped me make my life worth living,” said Bradford. “He said we’re all part of a universe created by a God who loves us unconditionally, faults and all…[This] started a spiritual journey that turned my life around.”

Strohmeyer described a “ Higher Intelligence” that manifests in every aspect of the universe. She said that as a grad student dedicated to empiricism, she had been an agnostic. “People who talked about God’s love and miracles sounded naïve and sentimental, if not downright delusional,” said Strohmeyer. But, she said, working as an astronomer had convinced her that nature presents no random coincidences and that a “ Higher Power” must surely exist. To refire spiritually, assume a broad perspective. Be thankful for what you have. Understand that total control is impossible to achieve and that the world doesn’t revolve around you. Examine your background. What life experiences solidified your beliefs? How can you achieve serenity? Can you discuss spirituality with someone you trust.

Refire Holistically
If you want to accept the challenge of refiring, start by thinking of three actions you can take to remake your life, and then do one of them. Refiring is not a one-time event; it’s an all-consuming way of living. If you don’t approach it as a holistic program, your bad habits will return, including negative thinking, mental stagnation, overeating, losing your spirituality – the complete couch-potato life. Don’t slip back into that trap.

Maintain and enhance your newfound excitement. Approach everything with gusto. Always keep refiring – when you feel good and, most important, when you feel bad. Be prepared for the inevitable setbacks, but keep moving ahead. Become a refiring champion. Energize the people around you. Refiring works for everyone, no matter your age or circumstances. Generously teach others the refiring philosophy, so they can refire, too.

[John Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refire, Don’t Retire: Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life by Ken Blanchard and Morton Shaevitz is simply the right book with the right tone at the right time in the right place …

“To refire is to approach life with gusto. It's to see each day as an opportunity for adventure and learning? It's to infuse passion and zest into every area of your life – emotional, intellectual, physical, and spiritual. Heart, head, body, and soul.” (pg. 9)

The authors understand clearly that “retirement age” does not mean what it has in the past for most of us. We want to continue to live significantly as conditions change around us and Blanchard and Shaevitz share four essential keys to help us do so:

FIRST KEY: REFIRING EMOTIONALLY: “You can’t enrich your current relationships or forge new ones if you keep on doing the same things in the same ways.” (pg. 31)
“Unless there’s a legitimate reasons to say no, you say yes! “ (pg. 41). This idea is the single most empowering concept in the book and challenging for many of us who have built comfortable and predictable lives. Blanchard and Shaevitz encourage us to break out and risk by doing things we might usually pass on. This is especially effective when combined with the Nothing Ordinary rule: …a commitment to uniqueness … not to choose anything ordinary.” (pg.50)

SECOND KEY: REFIRING INTELLECTUALLY: “Growing intellectually is like oxygen to a deep-sea diver: without it, you die. If you’re not continuing to learn, you might as well lie down and let them throw the dirt on you, because you’re already brain dead.” (pg. 59)

THIRD KEY: REFIRING PHYSICALLY: “… the minimally effective dose of exercise is walking five to six days a week, thirty to forty-give minutes a day.” (pg. 81) … at which point I put my computer in Sleep mode, changed clothes, and was out the door for almost 50 minutes of brisk walking.
“I suggest that you first stop eating and drinking mindlessly and begin eating and drinking mindfully.” (pg. 82) Of course, right before walking, I had just mindlessly swallowed several handfuls of left-over Christmas M&M’s … have to work on that mindfulness thing.

FOURTH KEY: REFIRING SPIRITUALLY: “My epiphany was that I’m not totally responsible for things going well, nor am I totally at fault when things go wrong. Something’s going on that’s far great than what I can control.” (pg. 110)

Three distinct values in this narrative format book:

HOLISTIC APPROACH: The book addresses remaining significant as we age and talks realistically about we deal with ALL aspects of our lives: “Heart, Head, Body, and Soul”.

OUR ABILITY TO CHOOSE: The point is repeatedly stressed that we are responsible for our choices and our responses to what life brings us.

DEALING WITH SETBACKS: Rather than mindlessly cheerleading, the authors also devote attention to the reality that setbacks and challenges will still come our way, even as we build our strengths.

A QUIBBLE: The scenarios focused mostly on traditional married couples, but many enter the later stages of life without a long-time partner or in non-traditional relationships. I would have liked to have seen more relationship diversity here.

Bottom Line: Refire, Don’t Retire is readable, relatable, and relevant … a must read for anyone already in this stage of life or who may someday reach it.

John

[Paul Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

l recently read Refire! Don't Retire: Make the Rest of Your Life The Best of Your Life by Kenneth Blanchard and Morton Shaevitz. While the book may be geared toward people nearing or living in retirement, the lessons provided have practical application for people of all ages. This is a book that speaks of appreciating one's life and accomplishments, big or small. One should appreciate the relations one has with family and friends. It also offers a suggestion or two about regenerating one's life at retirement. It's not the end. It's the beginning. It's a new chapter. Take more chances. Be open to learn new things. Rather than narrowing one's view of the world, expand it. Try something the authors refer to as the "last minute club". Try something at the last minute like a new restaurant, a movie you're not familiar with, develop a new activity and, of course, read more. As mentioned earlier this book has practical applications for people of all age groups. Granted, not everyone who retires can afford this approach. This thing called life can sometimes throw unexpected challenges one's way when entering retirement. While this book doesn't address those issues, it offers a way for everyone to find purpose in life. I recommend this book. Easily accessible. This book is available in accessible formats from the Centre for Equitable Library (CELA) in Canada and Bookshare in the United States.

[Smkelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good reminder not to drift into non-participation in all aspects of your life. Volunteer, start a new career, remain active and fulfilled

[Boni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this on the $1 Wall at the Lost Bookstore in LA, and misread it as retire or don’t retire, something I never get enough advice on. This book was focused instead on livening up your life, not only as an elderly, near-retirement age, but at any age. The storyline follows a couple in need of firing up different parts of their life, and easily finding how to do that through talks with their doctor and couples who have successfully retired themselves emotionally (relationship wise), intellectually (professionally and giving back), physically (diet and exercise), and spiritually. Lots of good advice and checklists, so the rather convenient and successful transition to change inborn habits and personalities was okay, though quite unbelievable in real life. That realism wasn’t the intent of this self-help book.

Perhaps the one interesting area was that of spiritualism, traditionally thought of as equating to religion. I am not a religious person, so I found the discussion could be helpful if it walked outside of those higher being assumptions of faith. It did a little but not much. Personally, I thought it could have touched on nature and its enormity compared to our small selves, or it could have talked of meditation, to seek a centering of the soul. It didn’t, but implied that the universe shows us an insignificance of the self. The importance in seeing the big picture and putting your little things in perspective. (I still see mountain hiking as my spiritual refining, so to speak.). And that’s close…So I’ll give it a passing rating, but nothing special.

So, not a bad book, with the lesson being “… an ongoing process of approaching things with gusto, taking risks, and bringing enthusiasm and zest to every area of your life.” I feel I’m already on this path, working towards balance and newness… which I guess is a little easier to do as a single person, unhindered by too many, if any constraints. (Much easier to be plot my path ‘selfishly’, not hurting a life-companion.)

[K. Isaure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Refire Don’t Retire Quotes

“That’s a funny line, but it’s a terrible motto,” said Janice. “I want to embrace what’s left of life, not complain about it.”

Embrace what’s left of life at any given moment. Never complain about the gift of life and its manifold blessings! Use it well to bless others. To encourage others. To uplift others. To accomplish Gods plans first and your goals second. Let your life be led by the Master Plan of God and not the Master Plan of humanity. Trust the process of God. Not the process of man. Refire up yourself for God in love, positivity and joy and share that with everyone around you. There is so much love to give to this world! So give it through love and kind words and poetry and your letters and novels.

[Andy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick and easy read with value in the lessons that were meant to be taught.

This was a self help book written in story form. Unfortunately as a self help book, it was short on advice.

As a story it lacked character development, plot and rich language.

What I took out of it…

As we get older, be open to relationships, invitations, opportunities, experiences and growth.

Take time to learn and grow intellectually.

Take time to work on your physical body. Your eating, exercise and health matter.

Take time to connect to your spiritual side, contemplating the bigger picture of life, the universe, existence and a creator who loves you.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

More than a retirement book. Like most Blanchard books, this one is full of good advice packaged in a story format. Most of the advice was about things I am already doing but the book made me stop and think. A good easy read that didn’t answer some of my questions about my imminent retirement years but did help me frame the questions better and reiterate that retirement is about more than economics,

[Karen Briscoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Growth is a lifetime adventure - it ain't over till it's over! Chose to make every minute of your life joyful, exciting, and energizing, no matter one's age. Includes: refire emotionally, intellectually, physically, spiritually and put it all together! Karen Briscoe, author and podcast host "5 Minute Success"

[Paulette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked this one up because I enjoyed reading Ken Blanchard’s leadership books in Grad School. This one, unfortunately, was a disappointment. It’s short read with very basic information. Could have presented the information as a short article rather than a drawn out narrative about a couple close to retirement.

[Glen Leavens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is now at the top of my recommended reading book list for people in retirement or thinking about retirement. I enjoyed the one minute manager and this type of reading is not just impactful, it is so easy to follow. Take a look and re-fire, no matter your age.

[Kimball · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I thought it was. I thought it had to do with getting fired or finding a new job. It wasn't.

I like how when the narrator is describing talking on the phone and having a conversation, they made it sound like the other person was on the phone. I appreciate the extra effort.

[Juli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not the audience for this book (it was more of a 2/5 for me personally), but I am giving it 3/5 here because I could see how it would be very helpful for someone who finds themselves in a rut and feels a sense of boredom with life.

[Arun Narayanaswamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an interesting take on being more active, taking risks, being spontaneous, rekindling relationships, forgetting/forgiving, spirituality and generally everything to extend your life in a positive way.
Some examples are heartwarming and some factual. Enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

[Jo Kistner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. This book is for unmotivated people/ couples that are at or close to rock bottom with health & happiness. I finished the book because it was a glance into my future, and a good motivator to stay active and on course with mindful eating habits.

[Tj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book and the great ideas it has.

[Travis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty obvious advice wrapped in a hokey made-up conversations format. I'll save you a couple of hours: "Don't get in a rut."

[Evelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

nothing new. basic knowledge to keep your life going after 60 unless you have any kind of mental health issues.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so over this “story” style.

If you have something to say - say it. Because of the style of the book, it sounds like preaching.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful

Easy read and insightful
Brings up some Obvious things we know we should do but for some reason don’t. Well worth the time to read will implement many things

[Edward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a different look at retirement. Provides some thought provoking ways at looking at one's life and suggested looks at ways to put a spark back into the last part of life.

[Awjtf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biggest take away of the book. When you retire, seek significance instead of success.