What happens when you live for your retirement - When I Grow Up

What happens when you live for your retirement - When I Grow Up My Dad is in his mid-60s. He and his wife recently moved out of their condo and into a retirement community an hour or two away from where they were living. They made the move earlier than they planned, but  are enjoying the  semi-retired life thats spent doing  a bit of work and a lot of leisure. In late October, my  Dad came to visit from Florida. He was here for a family celebration, and was in my apartment with his wife, my mother-in-law, myself and the baby. I walked into a conversation that my Dad was having with my mother-in-law, and its stuck with me since. He was explaining to her how much they love their new home and lifestyle, and how devastated they were to hear that a close friend of theirs was newly diagnosed with terminal cancer. A man in his 60s, he was given just months to live. Here we are,  finally reaping the rewards of what weve worked our whole lives forand it can be taken away from us just like that. Its not fair. And while I absolutely sympathized with the words I heard my Dad speak and the feelings behind them my first thought was: Im so thankful I dont live my life like that. Im so thankful I didnt  trudge through 40 years of my life because I  decided that  my career wouldnt (or couldnt!) feel fulfilling, or exciting, or meaningful to me. Im so thankful that I didnt deny myself what would truly make me happy, both personally and professionally. Im so thankful that I listened to the scary whispers from deep inside my heart, telling me to be a career coach for creative womeneven though I felt slightly insane for doing so. Im so thankful that I dont dread Mondays, live for the weekends, and hate the days in between. Im so thankful that I can pay all the bills, put some in savings, and build towards a retirement that  wont feel like a Get Out of Jail Free card. Come to think of it, Id be surprised if I fully retired at all! I just want the option to continue to wake up and be able to do what I enjoy doing. Im so thankful I can be  The When I Grow Up Coach, a mother, a wife and a friend  all at once. No matter what time it is or where I am, I rarely have to choose who I get to be. Im so thankful that I can be me, 24/7. Want the same for yourself, but not sure where to start? Career Camp registration closes tomorrow!