Monday, September 30, 2013

THE DIRTIEST SIX LETTER WORD

"retire"
That's it, and many thinking people have stopped using it since I first railed against its use and the whole concept of retirement back in the 1970s. This was originally based on much research that showed retirement was deadlier than most diseases--that people who retired into a so-called life of leisure, often died within a few years, having lost their passion for life.

As a writer, I am lucky to have a profession that has a long history of non-retirees. 

When I meet someone new here in Panama, I am often asked if I retired here. A fair question as I have passed the stereotypical retirement age. But like most people in the creative arts, whether it be music, writing, theatre, painting, etc., the word "retire" is not in my lexicon. I am writing more and involved in more projects now than at any time in the past forty years. As a result of all this, my income is entering an impressive upward spiral, and projections are it will increase at least tenfold by the end of 2014.

However,  as a sort of objective bystander, I can say that retiring in Panama is a great and affordable adventure. I have a few retired friends who love the lifestyle, the bargain/booming economy, and the tropical climate. 

I do have to pay for my prescription drugs, though they are cheaper here--the same for doctor visits. No Medicare coverage or Affordable Care Act here (tho I can fly back to U.S. for any major medical needs under Medicare) and Sara Lee and Stouffer's prepared foods are much higher priced. But the average quality restaurant meal is well under $10, and produce and local meats are cheaper than fast food in the U.S.

Panama can be a great place to live, if you enjoy the things that are very reasonably priced here. But it is not as well-organized as the U.S., or as fast-paced. Anyone who moves or retires here without checking it out with a personal scouting expedition first is a fool.  I came for a visit last October for ten days, but was planning to move here in February. I knew, however, that I could easily pack up my two carry on bags and two checked bags and move somewhere else if I didn't like it. I wasn't relocating a family or a whole house full of possessions. And I wasn't planning to retire anytime ever. 

This is a great place to not retire to. Even though you can't get a job if you are not a resident or citizen. If you can earn a living through some creative activity you can market online or through agents outside of Panama--or simply if you are lucky enough to have passive income coming in that will let you live comfortably (about $2000 to $3000 per month will do nicely, tho it can be done for half that with a bit of belt tightening), life can be a relaxing tropical dream.

And the biggest selling point is not bargain prices, or a happy-go-lucky culture. The best thing going for you coming to a foreign land with a new langauge to learn is that much research has shown that your brain will stay more youthful and grow more creative when challenged by learning and speaking a new language and being forced to even modestly change your lifestyle in a new environment.
                                                 Jerry
Check out my prosperity blog at:  http://MoneyloveBlog.com

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

A PONDERING POINT

So now I have to deal with the fact that it's been almost a month since my last post on this blog. The reason for this is simple. For the past month, I have been sharply focused on launching the newly digitalized audio edition of the original 1987 Moneylove Tape album produced by and for Nightingale-Conant. 

This was the bestselling six cassette album that became a bestseller. Over it's more than twenty year distribution life, many people contacted me to let me know the profound impact it had on their prosperity.  So getting the rights back and turning it into mp3 audio files I could share online was a big deal.

Coinciding with this was the arrival in my life, through a couple of close friends, of some highly respected Internet marketing gurus. So I decided to see, once and for all, if I could get someone to take over the marketing of my Moneylove material, including the book, two cassette albums, and the more than forty monthly audios I have produced so far for The Moneylove Club. I am still working on that one, with about four major organizations in the mix.

A careful analysis by  myself and some others has indicated that there is no other prosperity teaching material coming even close to mine--and that much of what is out there is taken, often directly, from my original Moneylove book and the Nightingale-Conant album. So I have had a strong incentive to reach out and let people know that not only is the original audio program now available again, but that I have been producing cutting edge new material for my new audio series, as well as my blog at http://MoneyloveBlog.com I also recently got back worldwide rights to the book.

I've been a bit in overwhelm, doing lots of Skype calls with collaborators, often overseas--as well as going over the first copy I have let other professionals produce for marketing my stuff--and then fulfilling audio orders when customers have reacted by quickly responding to the marketing emails. It's been a whirlwind, definitely more work than I wanted to take on, but exciting, fun, and extremely satisfying to know that today's marketplace still appreciates what I have to offer.

In addition to all this, I am formulating some prosperity coaching group video sessions, and considering approaches from several Moneylove fans who want to translate and take my work to Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. My plate is full for sure, but I imagine that not all of these projects will fully evolve, or I will just have to seriously consider hiring my first staff ever. And I really don't want to deal with that now, especially living in Panama.

And all that doesn't even take into account the fact that I spent at least three evenings a week in July and August rehearsing a play I appeared in, and then performing it for three nights in Panama--and am working on doing some stand-up comedy performances in the near future. This is one reason I tend to laugh when someone new I meet here asks if I am retired.

But all of that has meant I haven't had much time to focus on other activities, and therefore not much to write about on this, my non-prosperity blog. I would love your feedback as to whether you are enjoying this site, think I should keep it going, or couldn't care less.  If you would, let me know at my personal email address at:  JerryGillies@att.net

                                                                Jerry