Each September I celebrate the anniversary of my retirement from the U.S. Forest Service.  This morning I am reflecting again on the adventure that has been.

I loved my career and the people I worked with, and expected the transition to be more difficult.  Yes, there were questions around reduced income, togetherness at home, and lack of daily structure.  But despite the adjustments, I enjoy the change far more than I miss the routine of full-time work.

• I enjoy having the time to savor old friendships and make new ones.
• I enjoy pursuing interests not associated with my former profession.
• I enjoy trying new skills with increased freedom to risk failure.
• I enjoy getting up early and knowing I can nap later.
• I enjoy deadlines that are self-imposed and negotiable.
• I enjoy having less structure and more freedom to choose. 

Today I want to go deeper and celebrate a more subtle aspect of the retirement process.  Work is, for so many of us, a source of identity and self-worth.  Retirement can be threatening, as the achievements of a lifetime are set aside and we are no longer Dean X, Ranger Y, or Director Z. While at first I resisted, I am gradually learning to trade those titles for a streamlined version of who I am.

My resistance to change began with adopting new identities to replace the old ones.  Since retiring, I have been (and in some cases still am) a life coach, a grant writer, a marathon trainer, a blogger, an author, and the Leader of the Back (of the pack).  When asked what I do, I have answered with one or more of those titles.  Only rarely have I checked "retired" when offered a list of options.

I am still, after six years, in transition. I am gradually moving out of the spotlight and releasing a position on the organization chart.  I serve more often from the sidelines, encouraging others to take the lead.  I am re-framing my answers to the question, "What do you do?"  I seek.  I love.  I learn.  I celebrate.  I savor.  I listen.  I cultivate stillness and embrace the present moment.

Some wisdom teachers employ the concept of ego.  They are not talking about the habit of bragging.  Rather, they describe ego as a tendency to identify with our roles, achievements, strengths, weaknesses, relationships, and opinions.  Most work environments are designed to reinforce the ego.  Retirement gives us permission to liberate the spirit within.

How do you relate to the roles and achievements of working life?  Do you fear or welcome the chance to let them go?  How will you deal with the change?