U Can Do It with Michael McGinnis: Inspiring Growth ~ Igniting Potential

Are you interested in “Squeezing All the Juice Out of Your Retirement?” If so, this Podcast is for YOU!!
During our last podcast we introduced you to Dr. Riley Moynes and his powerful research on the topic of the Four Phases of Retirement. We covered the first two phases, 1) The Vacation Phase, and 2) Disillusionment. We went from the honeymoon phase of retirement where we were delighted to throw away our alarm clock, travel, and enjoy sitting around and doing nothing. Then after 1-2 years, we enter Phase 2 filled with obstacles and challenges as we grapple with the magnitude of losses we experience, including our identity, structure, and relationships, which provided us with meaning and purpose in our life. In addition to experiencing these losses, we enter what Dr. Riley Moynes calls the 3-D’s, which are frequently experienced in this phase, which are a) Decline, b) Depression, and 3) Divorce.
These challenges can either take us down or provide the stimulus for finding a solution. We come to grow from this experience. Our quest is to make the most out of this phase of our life by addressing the question, “What can I do to keep getting me up in the morning and discovering what I can do to provide me with meaning, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment?” We enter Phase 3, that of Rapid Experimentation. Here we experiment with a number of new ideas, from volunteering, to learning a new language, taking an art class, and more. We create a new structure that provides us with new relationships, meaning and purpose. According to Dr. Riley Moynes, only about 65% move through Phases 2 and 3.
For those that are successful in Phase 3, we then enter Phase 4, where we Reinvent and Rewire. This is the most satisfying phase since we find new meaning and purpose and discover one common element that gets us there.
Whether you are retired, approaching retirement, or in mid-life where you realize the opportunity to educate yourself on this stage in life to better prepare for it. Sit back and enjoy the education, tips and ideas to squeeze all the juice out of your retirement.

I shared in my last podcast my own experience with death and dying and how this helped me to be more comfortable approaching this topic. One of my profound encounters with death I briefly discussed was as a volunteer in hospice care. "The vast majority of people die gradually, as most deaths occur due to chronic illnesses that progress over time, meaning the body slowly shuts down rather than experiencing a sudden, immediate death; this is especially true for elderly individuals where age-related complications can lead to a prolonged dying process." (Google AI). Hospice care organizations provide a more humane environment for those dying. Based on my own experience as a volunteer in hospice, we provided the "human touch and care" that families often could not provide in large part due to their own discomfort with death.
The unfortunate nature of this is that family members and friends can miss out on the plethora of life's learnings and lessons one can have with those that are on the way out. In this episode I will share some of these profound learnings and how they influenced my life and choices I made while I was living my life.
Let's begin with a quote from a guide provided by St. Clare Hospice in their guide titled, "How to talk about death and dying". You can access this document at: https://stclarehospice.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/How-to-talk-about-death-and-dying-Guide-Ver-2.pdf
"We believe that when we are able to face death openly, and approach it peacefully and positively as a natural part of life, we will feel empowered to live our days to the fullest. Talking about death and dying is the first step towards that reality, planning for life, and supporting ourselves and our loved ones."
My podcast is all about "Inspiring our Growth in order to Ignite our Potential". As noted in the quote above, "...we will feel empowered to live our days to the fullest." Confronting death has a huge benefit to how we live our life. We recognize that death is a part of life, and therefore a motivation to make the most out of our life. I would also add that it provides a motivation to understand death as a part of life, and what lies beyond. This was the cornerstone of my own journey, to come to understand death which further prompted the contemplation of the meaning of life.
Confronting our mortality and experiencing our own death is one of the most powerful stages of growth. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, author of "Death: The Final Stage of Growth". Her book was used for our hospice care training. Elisabeth came to her own conclusion: "Death is simply a shedding of the physical body like the butterfly shedding its cocoon. It is a transition to a higher state of consciousness where you continue to perceive, to understand, to laugh, and to be able to grow.". Imagine the benefits of coming to this conclusion for how you live your life along with confronting our own mortality. My views and conclusions are very similar to these which has made a huge difference in how I approach the topics of death and dying, along with viewing my own mortality.
Another great resource I would recommend is "Nurse Julie" and her channel on YouTube. She is a "Licensed Hospice Nurse teaching about Death, Dying and Hospice. Helping understand death to live better and die better." https://www.youtube.com/@hospicenursejulie

Thank you so much for joining. What an honor it is that you chose to share time with me. This podcast series uses the art of story telling to share one of the most amazing adventures in life, what I refer to as “A Modern-Day Vision Quest.” The adventure was my journey of Personal Growth, Self-Discovery, and Enlightenment.
To sum it up briefly, I had healed most of the wounds and impact from a traumatic childhood which I talk about in my book, Discovering Michael: An Inspiration Guide to Personal Growth & Self-Discovery. Following this phase of growth (which I term Personal Growth), what surfaced were nagging thoughts deep within to related to understanding who I truly am (Self-Discovery), and what life was all about and how I fit in (Enlightenment). Inspired by the movie, "Dances With Wolves", and The Call" by Jennifer James, I left a full-time job to backpack and volunteer around the world. I came face-to-face with situations that challenged my prior beliefs and ultimately resulted in learning about life itself and Discovering Michael. This talk is a collection of true stories about my adventures and learnings to hopefully engage you in a thought-provoking manner, while guiding and inspiring you for your own journey of self-discovery!!
Part 4 continues with real-life stories about the segue I made from the Personal Growth stage to the Self-Discovery stage. In Part 3, I talked about the synchronistic events and people that came into my life that were preparing me for my Modern Day Vision Quest. As I reflected on the recent events and encounters, it became clear that it was time for another leap of faith, this time to venture out into the unknown, the world around me. I had two key intentions phrased as questions: 1) Why Did I Experience So Much Pain & Suffering?, and 2) What is The Meaning of Life? Low and behold, my friend called me and asked if I wanted to join him and his brother on a trip to Europe. At the same time I was returning to home and volunteering in some profound ways, all having to deal with death, although I had no idea of this commonality at first. Off I went on my first leg of my quest. Here are stories to help guide and inspire you to take your own journey within!!
This Episode Image portrays the wonder I had as a child to escape the bondages of my past and eagerness to discover what is out there!!
Discovering Michael: An Inspirational Guide to Personal Growth and Self-Discovery, Balboa Press
Link to Book on Amazon

As we enter into Retirement we once again realize that there are a number of new challenges we face, just as there were when we entered our earlier stages; adolescent, young adult, adult, and mid-life. Our ability to be adapt effectively and make the most out of each stage is a direct function of educating ourselves on the changes that willl likely occur and how to manage these transitions. For example, as we become a young adult, we must learn how to take responsibility for our lives as we gain independence, develop more serious relationships, manage our own finances, make adult decisions, define our own values and beliefs, and begin to define who and what we want to be in our life. Most primarily learn about each new stage of life using the "School of Hard Knocks" approach which can be daunting and riddled with challenges.
The same is true of Retirement. However, by educating ourselves on the phases of Retirement and the many types of changes and challenges we are likely to experience, can help us to manage our transition better with more foresight and planning.
This podcast will share two key frameworks to help you manage your transition into any stage of life, including retirement. The first is understanding change and the stages of change. Change is actually a process and we will use the work of William Bridges and his model of change to learn how to better prepare for, and manage, personal change.
The second framework relates to the Emotions of Change. Once again there is a process we go through as we experience high level change. We will use the work of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross to understand the emotions of change.
We are fortunate once again to have as our guest, Heather Orengia, who is a coach and uses these frameworks to help guide her clients.
Here is to learning how to make the most out of our retirement!!!

Our lives change in many ways as we get older. As we move into the different phases of our life (e.g., infant, childhood, early adulthood, adult, and senior citizen, our overall human needs remain the same (e.g., need for security, safegy, belonging, love, esteem, and self actualization), HOWEVER, what these needs entail and focus are different. Our focus here is on the Senior Citizen and Retirement phase. To cover this topic, we will use the infamous model from Abraham Maslow, known as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, a psychological theory proposed by Abraham Maslow, outlines a five-tier model of human needs, typically depicted as a pyramid. The levels, from the bottom to the top, are physiological needs, safety needs, love and belongingness needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. The premise of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is that, in order to meet higher-level needs in Maslow's hierarchy, we must first meet the lower-level needs first. For example, we must have met the basic physiological needs to exist and maintain a level of health and wellness before we can achieve any of the needs above this in the pyramid. For example, If I am not healthy or able to perform the basic human body needs, one is not likely to exist, much less achieve the needs to feel safe, find love, have a healthy self-esteem, etc. The same is true at the top of the pyramid. In order to Self-Actualize, which is characteristic of becoming your full potential, one must have developed their self-esteem.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs can help with retirement planning by highlighting the importance of meeting basic needs before pursuing other goals. For example, if you want to travel after retirement, you should make sure you have enough money to cover basic needs before you go. Another key example today relates to people living longer, but the key is living longer while maintaining a good to great quality of life. Therefore, part of our planning for retirement should be the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs to stay active and pursuing our self-actualization needs.
Overall, Maslow's hierarchy helps in understanding the psychological adjustments retirees must navigate. While basic needs persist, the shift in focus toward social connections, self-esteem, and personal growth highlights the need for fulfillment in the later stages of life. Recognizing these needs can guide retirees in creating a fulfilling, balanced retirement experience.