To find joy in work is to discover the fountain of youth. – Pearl S. Buck

You may react to this quote in one of several ways. Some of you think that Pearl S. Buck was nuts. Others think she’s on to something. Many of you wish that you had the opportunity to discover work in which you would have found joy. Or maybe you’ve never thought about it. 

Notice that she doesn’t say that to find joy in your job is to discover the fountain of youth. No, find joy in your work. Retirement helps us think of work differently. Our work is everything we do; it’s far more than our income-producing jobs, it’s what makes us uniquely ourselves.

In my opinion, we work every day that we’re alive – learning in school, painting a picture, doing chores around the house, visiting elderly loved ones, volunteering at church or a soup kitchen, coaching baseball, or going to a paying job. We’re always working, and we’re often not paid for the work that we do. 

Why Do We Work?

Work, at any and all ages, is necessary for human beings in several ways; economically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually.

Economically: As a career advisor in a local high school, I counseled students on careers to consider, and income was always a factor. Some students were quite open about wanting a career that would pay well and others simply wanted to do work that they enjoyed. (Many of them wanted to be video game developers.)

It was a challenge to encourage students who were still figuring out who they were, what they were gifted to do, what their values were, whether or not they could afford college, and a reasonable expectation of income, to think reasonably about future careers. 

When we’re close to retiring or have recently retired, it wouldn’t hurt to think through those questions again. Who are you? What are you gifted to contribute? What are your values? Did your paid work satisfy your economic needs? Did you enjoy it? Use the work you did for economic reasons to help you identify what you learned, what you savored, and what you didn’t particularly appreciate. 

Intellectually: My career began in a small software company as a computer programmer. I learned a lot from how to write, test, and install programs, how to interact with co-workers and supervisors, and eventually, a couple companies down the road, how to lead a project team and develop distribution systems. 

After I left my job to raise children, and dealt with the identity crisis that followed, I found that I missed the intellectually stimulating environment. Eventually, I got involved in Community Bible Study and was fascinated to learn what was in the Bible.

I ended up teaching the Bible, something I never saw coming. As a result of my work in CBS, I went back to school for a graduate degree in communication and culture and began writing. I never earned a dime. It was about far more than income. 

My income-producing jobs taught me quite a bit. It was valuable. Volunteering as a Bible teacher taught me different, and in my opinion, more valuable information. Now, I’m attempting to develop and improve my skills as a writer. (Still not earning much.) I am still growing intellectually. It’s not because of a job; it’s through my work. 

In retirement, we have the time to invest in intellectual development. It’s work. It’s worth it. 

Emotionally: There is more to a job than a paycheck. My first jobs introduced me to responsibility, pats on the back, correction, and good friends. Soft skills like communicating effectively, making eye contact, dressing acceptably, responding to emails and texts appropriately, and the growing confidence that results from taking tasks seriously and achieving results are important emotional benefits. Soft skills are sorely lacking in many high school students, and most will learn them on the job. 

In my child rearing and volunteering days, I also experienced emotional growth. The skills I had learned while working were helpful in volunteer responsibilities and relationships, and I continued to grow in those areas. Friendships were important in those days, and I was blessed with many friends who were also home with their kids. 

As we retire, it’s more difficult but just as important to keep up relationships and continue to grow emotionally. It’s work. It’s worth it.

Spiritually: When my husband and I were busy with full-time jobs, we got involved with a church. We were very young Christians, full of energy and enthusiasm, so we joined a small group, sang in the choir, attended Bible studies, and served in other ways. Those were years of tremendous spiritual growth for both of us.

We both worked in those areas, but it was work that we desired to do, therefore it didn’t feel like work. We also applied what we were learning on the job, and that increased our faith.

In those days, my faith was still growing, and I didn’t talk about it much, if at all, at work, but apparently the word was out. On the way to an off-site meeting once, a co-worker asked me a spiritual question, and I was surprised. In fact, I was so surprised that I don’t think I answered it very well. The point is, how we live our lives matters. People notice. 

It takes work to grow spiritually. It’s worth it.

Work in Retirement

In retirement, I hope you will still work, and through your work – whatever it is – that you will continue to grow emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. In fact, you might experience surprisingly abundant growth.

Retirement gives us an opportunity to put the work we’ve done in different arenas of life together creatively, to find unique expressions, to do some of the same things in distinctive ways. We become more ourselves.

Editor’s note: This article has been republished from the author’s blog with permission.