by Patricia Schallert
There are many seniors among us who have lived and continue to live lives that can be considered “successful” stories…. Let’s meet Amursana Khiyod and see how he sees it.
Amur is a 68 years young retired man, born and raised in Taiwan where he grew up with his parents and three older sisters. His parents and grandparents are Mongolian and have settled in Thousand Oaks, California after leaving Taiwan in 1981.
Amur reflected on his retirement. As an educated engineer, he knew when it was time to retire. His work was intense and he was instrumental in setting up the 911 system that all of us use in emergencies. As his company was reorganizing and implementing new and faster systems, Amur felt it was time for the younger generation of engineers to take the reins. Upon the advice of his financial planner, he was happy to let go of the day to day work, that was actually 7am to 10pm almost every day, and finally, after years, retire.
So, Amur has been retired since August 2017 and is now able to practice, he says “NIKSEN” which is a life style of purposely “doing nothing”. He believes it is great for those who are “burned out from their work”. There is less stress but one has to be financially okay to be able to practice “NIKSEN”.
Like many people, Amur wasn’t sure what to expect when his wife retired and they decided to move to California from Chicago. He figured he could still work remotely and believed that “happy wife, means happy life”. So off they went and discovered the peace and quiet of Ventura life.
Originally Amur thought he would be working till he dropped. He developed a good financial plan, which changed that for him. His new mantra was “You don’t plan to fail… you fail if you don’t plan”…This thinking was very helpful , so he made the leap to retired and is grateful to be now living in a good place that offers friendly neighbors and cultural opportunities along with great weather.
Amur keeps himself busy and has enjoyed cooking with his wife, taking care of his dog and focusing on the recovery from “work burn out”. He believes in self care, reading books when he gets to them and he studies the Mongolian language. There is always something to do besides dead lines and work projects which were difficult to let go of in the beginning of his retirement.
Like many retirees, Amur had life changing turning points that affected him as he grew up in Taiwan. School wasn’t easy but logic was and so engineering became a focus.
He values principles and does not judge others. His father told him when he was a young boy of 12 “that if he is an honest man, he will always be provided for and to never avoid his responsibilities”.
Amur said that stuck with him and he continues to take responsibilities for his work, and own his mistakes and his values, gifts he learned from his father.
Amur enjoys riding his bike, walking his dog and has learned his own self care. He believes he is happy because he is healthy, independent and believes in staying positive. His mantra is “My very existence is being sustained. I surrender myself to the flow of nature. Yielding to Divine Will. Letting be all that is around me”
Editor: If you are a senior or know of one who would like to share their retirement or job with us let us know at [email protected].
