SECTIONS
^ City News
^ Events
^ Profile
^  Debate
^ Perspective
^ Monthly Calendar
^ Youth
^ Business
^ Immigration
^ Healthwise
^ InVogue
^ Fiction
INTERACTIVE
^ Classifieds
^ Matrimonials
^ What's Cooking?
^ Melting Pot
^ Snapshots
^ A Day In The Life Of...
^ Family Portrait
^ Birthday Greetings
^ Baby Of The Fortnight
^ Model Mania
^ Kids Corner
 
Masala for Retirement

Masala for Retirement: How to Add ZEST to the Rest of Your Life

By Dr. Anita Bist
Paperback. 166 Pages. ISBN 978-0-98359390-4
Kindle ISBN 978-0-9835939-1-1

Reviewed by Mahadev Desai


Bookmark and Share  

In her inspirational book, written in an upbeat and friendly style with elegantly lucid prose, Dr. Bist draws upon her academic knowledge, personal experiences and client stories to help NRI retirees live a happy, purposeful and fulfilling life.

The author’s Indian upbringing inspired her to use the word masala (‘spices’ in Hindi) as a metaphor for the necessary ingredients in planning an ideal zestful retirement. “There are over 30 million Indians living abroad according to Census Bureaus worldwide,” says author Dr. Anita Bist. “In the United States alone, there are approximately 3 million NRIs. For many immigrants, the issues facing retirement can be complex and emotional. The majority of them struggle to adapt to their adopted land, are conflicted between Eastern and Western values, miss their homeland, are torn between living an independent life or with their grown up and/or married children and grandchildren. Many have fears and anxieties about insufficient retirement savings, loss of self-esteem, concerns about health, loneliness and even mortality.

The book focuses on seven masala areas that are key to planning an ideal retirement. They are: Money, Health and Wellness; Positive Attitude; Leisure and Travel; Fulfilling Relationships; Deciding Where to Retire and Self-identity and Purpose. The author has also included planning tools, self-assessment questions and practical implementation steps. The reader will find the chapters informative and insightful regarding the issues that impact the aging NRIs.

It is important for seniors, especially women, to be financially literate. The author lists five factors that can impact retirement finances: Assets and Liabilities; Retirement Age; Health Status; Cost of Living and Entrepreneurship or Availability of Part-Time work to supplement income. She also presents client stories where each client created a retirement filled with possibility given their economic condition.

Good health is imperative for an enjoyable retirement. Unfortunately, many seniors lead sedentary lives in front of TVs and computers, neglect preventive measures for good health and invite health problems as a result. Dr. Bist recommends a combination of exercise, good nutrition and stress management to improve one’s health. As stress levels are at an all-time high with the current global economy, she also suggests practical ways that seniors can combat stress.

Dr. Bist emphasizes the need for a positive attitude and an optimistic outlook combined with a sense of resiliency and humor to enable one to age with grace and dignity. It is encouraging that baby boomers with a ‘start-afresh’ attitude are redefining ‘retirement ‘and calling it ‘rewirement’ or ‘refirement’. As part of successful retirement planning, it is a good idea to think about one’s self-identity and sense of purpose. For many women, their purpose is tied up in their role of motherhood. They feel depressed when faced with the ‘empty nest syndrome’ as their children leave home for college. Similarly, many people who defined their sense of purpose by their job, feel isolated and useless after they retire. To overcome the emptiness inside, one should develop new hobbies or interests. Dr. Bist suggests both solo and group leisure activity ideas for reigniting a sense of purpose. She also recommends travel as a wonderful way to widens one’s horizons and to learn about how other cultures live. It also creates new memories and friendships.

When retirement planning, Dr. Bist says it is very important to make sure that the spouse and children are on the same wavelength. All too often, one of the partners may mistakenly assume that the other wants the same exact things in retirement that they want. She discusses various strategies that would help with this communication.
After retirement one may need to cultivate new friendships because old friends at work may lose interest and stop calling. One should make good use of the social media and new technology not only to make new friends but also to keep in touch with distant family members including grandchildren.

The author starts the ‘Where to Retire?’ chapter with a Jawaharlal Nehru quote “I have become a queer mixture of the East and the West, out of place everywhere, at home nowhere.” Nehru’s self-realization can apply to many NRIs who feel out of place when they visit their land of birth but then also don’t feel like they entirely belong in their adopted country. Also, due to various factors, not all retirees can retire to the place of their dreams. Some of the important considerations in choosing where to retire are: Family and Friends; Finance; Lifestyle, Geography and Climate; and Call of the Native Land.

In the concluding two chapters, Dr. Bist discusses various planning tools to help one reinvent retirement and make the process easier; and recommends taking action by assessing key masala areas; designing a strategy and then implementing it. For those who need extra help, she suggests working with a retirement lifestyle coach who could help in the process.

This engrossing book is a ‘must-read’ for all those who are nearing retirement or who have to plan retirement for elders in their family. It is a powerful guide and tool and bound to resonate with all the seniors.

Both the Paperback and Kindle version of the book are available at Amazon.com.
Jaipur born Anita Bist is a retirement, life and natural health coach, spiritual teacher, author, speaker and entrepreneur. She has a Ph.D. in Natural Health, an MBA in Marketing and Certifications in Retirement Coaching. Through her retirement coaching, she helps her clients plan successful retirement lifestyles through her signature Masala for Retirement breakthrough System. Please visit www.masalaforretirement.com for more details.

Dr. Anita Bist lives in the US with her husband, daughter and a pet rabbit. She enjoys globetrotting, reading, music, yoga and meditation.

  
Bookmark and Share  

Archives

Duty & Desire

Well-Researched Book On Malaviya & Gandhi

Interesting Tit-bits About Hollywood Celebrities

Globalization & Textures of India
“The Weight of Heaven” by Thrity Umrigar

Beyond Boundaries: A Search for Unlimited Powers of Mind Along the Path of Guru Nanak By Dr. Devendra Singh*

 

Copyright © 2004. All rights reserved.