Why is it so Difficult to Break Through Retirement? The concept of retirement cannot be achieved in today's world without having the appropriate planning and funds in motion well before you reach retirement age. One of the problems is we’re stuck in a rut. It works for our parents it worked for our grandparents. But when you look at the whole picture of life, that was only a very short period of time. Things change but we are reluctant to change. That is why, when the economy went flat, we were trying to hold on to what we believe in, what we were groomed for and it wasn’t going to change. This has happened in the past as well. If the people's concept hadn't changed, we would still have people who were building a horse and buggy. The Concept to Retire Retirement This article, Should We Retire Retirement, is very pro on not retiring and it talks about, baby boomers aren’t really taking jobs away from people. But there are also many articles from millennials who do say that baby boomers not retiring is taking something away from them. Kristen thinks that this concept is just a myth that goes 2 ways. The younger generations are figuring that if the baby boomers don’t retire and get out of their way, they can’t advance. But the older generations are wishing to get a job so that they can go back into the workforce, but those young whippersnappers are taking the jobs. The truth is that there are so many jobs out there than there are people of any age to fill it. We just need to go and get that out of our mindset, same with employers as well. Because employers have the concept that if you’re turning 65, you’re going to retire soon. The problem is we’re all battling myths, so we just got to let go of that. Rate of Unemployment in the States In January 2019, the US unemployment rate grows slightly to 4%, up from 3.9% in the previous month and slightly above the expectations of 3.9%. When you’re looking at this unemployment rates between 16s and the early 20s, and then the 30s, 40s and beyond, there’s no wide divergence in there. Even with the economy falling 10 years ago, everybody who wants a job can get a job. But there are so many factors to consider when you’re looking at those unemployment rates. Those who are 16 and in their early 20s are still in school, they may be just taking seasonal jobs such as babysitting and lawn mowing and then those older employees, they’re starting to come back, but you also have to look at the ones that are done and doesn’t want to work anymore. You Life's Purpose Is What Will Make You Happier Just because you are getting paid for something, doesn’t mean that is your concept in life. Kristen’s life’s purpose is probably writing, whereas when she was working for pay for somebody else, she was getting paid for that but still I don’t see that as being her life’s purpose. That is why we need to separate what we are paid to do and what our purpose in life is. Since the economic downfall, people have taken a whole new approach to what it means to grow up. That is why we need to redefine work. Because we’re so used to thinking of work like that, “we have to do this, we have to do that”. But most people that Kristen have interviewed who were above 50 have said that they should have done this all along because it makes them so much happier. The Concept of a Better Place for You Do you think the world would be a better place if we gave up the mindset of we have to do X, Y, and Z and instead turn it all around and find out what is our life’s purpose. Maybe it is an attorney, maybe it is a doctor, maybe it is a plumber or a teacher. The point is, is that really what makes your soul sing? How do you differentiate the work from what you have to do, to what you really want to do that fills your purpose. I think there’s a place for both.