One of the presentations I was asked to do many years ago was for a Financial Investment business that had two guest speakers invited to speak to their clients as a group. The clients were all transitioning into retirement and were there to hear about where to put their money wisely to achieve the best outcomes as they aged.
The first speaker was one they expected to hear from, a financial advisor who was very experienced and also of similar age to the group. He was articulate, if a little dry, in his talk which became more of a lecture than an interactive discussion.
Needless to say, by the time I stood in front of them to deliver my contribution to their preparation process towards retirement, I had a few drowsy-headed people more interested in what they were drinking and the food on offer.
My presentation was based on the premise that no matter how much money we have and how well we plan our financial investments, unless we invest in our body, it’s health and functionality, we won’t be able to truly enjoy our mature years.
I knew that a percentage of the group would be looking after themselves, but I also knew that many of those attending were people whom had their own businesses and obviously had placed their commitments to the business as higher priority than their fitness, health, strength and mobility.
I didn’t exactly bounce forth into their midst, but you would have thought I had as my passion to explain what would happen to us all as we age began to register with the group. The focus of my talk was not all the negatives but rather all the positive ways we can self manage to make the most of our body.
When we are young, unless we are an athlete or dependent on our body for outcomes related to performance, we think little of what our body is capable of. We take it all for granted.
As we mature and the body starts to lose muscle mass, bone mass, lung function, joint integrity, pliability, even balance and reaction time, we need a plan of action to slow down the ageing process so we can keep enjoying life and doing the things that are important to us.
I was able to use my life experiences and to share what I was doing to make the most of the body I had been given.
I recommended spending time to plan their wellness journey with as much diligence as they put into their financial planning. Why? Because the dividends of this planning often outweigh our due diligence regarding our material assets and financial investments.
The moral of the story is, find the expertise to help you achieve best health and wellness benefits, and a place where you can socialise as you do it. Support others in their journey and everyone benefits. Win-win!
Cheers