We focus almost all of the time and thought regarding retirement planning into financial readiness and we spend little time in preparing to live a life of purpose in those vital years.
That was an epiphany that led Ben Taatjes, the founder and CEO of Taatjes Financial, to call us to refocus our lives – particularly in preparation for retirement – to impact others. He explains how we can take the first steps to do just that.
“We know that we were all created to add value to society. We’re all created to have a cause greater than ourselves. I think it starts right there. We start to look at what we can do in these last stages of our lives to really impact others.”
Sometimes we can be intimidated by the size of a concept like that, but Ben doesn’t think we ought to be.
“It doesn’t have to be a great big thing. It doesn’t have to be volunteering, or starting an orphanage, or something like that. We can just make little ripples, and we never know where they’re going to go, right? I think there’s no group of people better suited to make a great difference in our world for God’s kingdom than retirees.”
“I was recently sitting in a church service, and I will admit I daydream from time to time. My pastor was preaching on the parable of the talents – these three servants who are entrusted different levels of talents and what they did with them. I know the sermon wasn’t about this, but in my mind, throughout the sermon, I kept seeing my clients. I kept seeing these baby boomers today. And I cannot think of a greater group of people which have more talent to do more good than baby boomers.”
“They’ve got time. They’ve got decades of wisdom. They’ve got financial resources – just to be able to make the decision on not having to go to work. They’ve been given so much.”
We never retire from being able to be used by God for His kingdom.
“So we’ll look at them to say – let’s make a difference. Going forward, let’s repurpose. Look beyond ourselves – balance it with rest of course – but look at what’s next, and become repurposed in retirement.”
Ben Taatjes is the founder & CEO of Taatjes Financial, with two offices in southwestern Minnesota. His new book is called .
On the Road with Ben Taatjes
