Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Thoughts on a sweltering May Day 2024 (1st May)

 


In the Car after a daunting 6 Km run at Dalvey Estate Road 

Today is May 1st, it is a public holiday in many countries including Singapore. I used the opportunity to sleep in till about close to 9am and then I took to the roads for a 6 km run at Dalvey Estate Road.

I am in my early 60s and I am blessed tremendously with good health, both mentally and physically. Here are some advice I can give to people who are turning 55 and older.

a) Go for a full physical blood tests, stool tests and urine tests  every year. I have been doing so for over 25 years already. I have no regrets. Early detection of serious illness saves and prevents a lot of pain and discomfort later. 

b) Get covered with comprehensive medical insurance upon turning 50 or latest 55. The incidence of diseases such as :

- diabetes

- arterosclerosis 

- stroke

- migraine

- cancer (breast , colon and prostate) 

jumps after you turn 50. So it is prudent to get covered if you want to live with some dignity your 'golden' years.

c) Get colon cancer screening every 5 years or in my case, every 3 years. I have had 4 so far.

d) Eat healthily and cut back on alcohol drinking (1  - 2 glass of wine is OK)

e) Exercise as much as 5 times a week  

f) Sleep 8 hours

g) Laugh at yourself.

i) Keep a circle of friends and keep the circle growing and not shrinking - people pass on with each passing year, so our mental health needs to stay relevant and healthy with positive social connections.

j) Try to meet with young people either at work or through social networks ; the 21st century presents itself with tremendous challenges for the young elderly like myself so I need people to assist me with the latest social media tools and apps to function effectively. Apps like AI ChatGpt are a must for us young elderly if we want to remain relevant and connected with the Gen Z in our midst. We, the Baby Boomers will be the shrinking class and they will be the mainstream class in less than 10 years time. 

k) Save as much as I can - for me that means putting up as much into my Retirement account so that I can slowly draw down from it X years in the future.

l) Live below my means. - If I want to live comfortably for as long as possible. I should not blow money on meaningless ego busting ventures which impact me the most, and impress the most useless people on the planet, for people do not care if I lose money.

They all want to enjoy the ride at my expense, success or failure.  

m) Save the pennies, and reinvest the profits in your business or assets in other assets. 

Lunch with my financial mentor 









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