SWITCHING LANES
What I’ve learnt from solitude in retirement
In a world that equates busyness with success, true clarity often requires the one thing we avoid: silence
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THERE comes a stage in life when silence no longer feels empty. It feels necessary. That has been one of the quiet surprises of my first month of retirement.
Silence is not loneliness. Not withdrawal. Not weariness with the world. But solitude – the deliberate choice to spend time with oneself in order to think more clearly and live more deliberately.
For decades, my days were defined by meetings, deadlines, decisions and an endless stream of messages demanding attention. Like many professionals, I had become accustomed to measuring a productive day by the number of conversations held, problems solved and items crossed off a list.
