BY: KEN WATANABE

There is no inkling or idea how long a person will live in this world. But whatever it is, there is a critical need for preparing for retirement and youth is perhaps the best stage in life to think of the day when working life ends and retirement takes over.

Always bear in mind the adage that “prior planning prevents poor performance” and, in the case of retirement, youths should be guided and advised to, in a practical and realistic way, begin the arduous task of retirement planning.

While it is hard for anyone to gaze into the future or be a seer and be able to accurately predict how life will work out for us, nevertheless there must be a lifelong plan for the future but, at the same time, there has to be a need to live on a day to day basis.

Living on a day to day basis and having a lifelong future plan can only become a reality if it is worked out by connecting the dots and not missing out on the cues that life gives us, especially the wide and varied opportunities in life.

Retirement must not be seen as a dull, boring exercise, instead it must be viewed as a triumphant climax to a person’s life and retirees must not just while away time but in a productive and useful way channel their energies.

They must learn to put the wealth of their knowledge and wisdom to good use by being a guiding light especially to the young of today who badly need to be directed in the right direction so that they might also live a fulfilled, meaningful and purposeful life.

-THE MALAYSIA VOICE

** The views expressed on this opinion is of the writer and not the publisher