Retirement and Vocational Discernment Class

Session III: Retirement and Spiritual Transformation

Spirituality of Aging and Letting Go

• The gift and challenge of developmental psychology
• How do I leave a legacy and give back to society?
• Do I have big dreams or small dreams for the next chapter of life?
• Does our spiritual center change from the first to second half of life?
• Where does contemplation and meditation fit into my spiritual practice?
• How do I distinguish solitude from loneliness?
• How do I express my creativity at this point in life?
• When we are honest, do we seek deeper community, or is it too exhausting or disappointing to pursue?
• Where am I on a continuum from thriving to broken?
• Where does vocation—God’s call to each of us—fit into the discussion?
• Is my spiritual life dry or on the move?
• What issues do I need to take up with God?
• What’s my take on mortality?
• How do I write a spiritual Rule of Life for retirement?
• Regarding my life at St. Michael’s Church, what is working well for me, and where would I like to deepen my spiritual participation?

Reading assignment: Falling Upward by Richard Rohr or The Gift of Years: Growing Old Gracefully by Joan Chittester.