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In today’s post we discuss the recent death of British actor Sir Christopher Lee and examine the widely held belief that people who retire have shorter lives than those who continue working.

christopher-lee

There was sad news for movie fans last week when it was revealed that iconic actor Sir Christopher Lee had passed away at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London on Sunday June 7, 2015. He died only a week after celebrating his 93rd birthday. Even though he was quite elderly, his death came as a shock as he had been making films up until being admitted to the hospital for treatment for respiratory problems.

Lee had an illustrious acting career spanning seventy years, which is very unusual in such a competitive industry. Indeed it was so rare that he made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 2007 for most screen credits. He had appeared in 244 film and TV movies by that point. He went on to make 14 more movies, with a 15th due later this year entitled Angels in Notting Hill. Not only that but at 6’ 5” he was the world’s tallest leading actor and he starred in the “most films with a sword fight” with 17 films. While best known for his portrayal of Dracula in numerous films, he’s also famous for his role as Saruman in Lord of the Rings and Count Dooku in the Star Wars prequels.

While most people tend to wind down in their sunset years, Lee somehow found the time and energy to write books and record a heavy metal album as well as appear in several major movies. Known for his deep booming voice, the actor released his first full heavy metal album in 2010 at the age of 88, which won the “Spirit of Metal” award from the 2010 Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony. He released a follow-up album in 2013. He was the oldest metal performer and the oldest musician to ever hit the Billboard music charts. Nevertheless, acting was clearly his favorite profession. During an interview he explained that acting was more of a vocation than a job for him saying: “acting is what keeps me going, it’s what I do, it gives life purpose.”

Many people share Lee’s view that one’s occupation is much more than just a means of earning a living. According to psychoanalyst and organizational consultant Ken Eisold, work keeps you active and motivates you to accomplish goals that matter. This has been shown to help people to live longer.

Through my many years working with clients from the insurance brokerage industry, I have witnessed the huge reluctance to retire among insurance agency owners. They view retirement as the end of an era and dread the day when they will have to hang up their boots. However, having a well thought-out retirement plan can mean the beginning of a new era. You can become an active retiree, helping out in the community and pursuing your hobbies, or you can choose to work as an employee of the new company after the sale.

My career goal was to become the Chief Financial Officer of a public company. I achieved that goal in my 40s. At the age of 49, I realized that I had greater goals. I left the secure corporate environment and established Sukay & Associates along with John Biasiello. One of the lessons that I learned was that any type of change is good for you. I worked in the banking industry for 25 years. I left that industry to become the Chief Financial Officer of a large privately held corporate travel firm. The change was exciting. I met new people and it forced me to learn something new. Retirement doesn’t mean stagnation. The things that made you successful in your career will make you successful when you move onto the next phase of your life. Hopefully, you will enjoy life and be productive until you are 93.

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