Listen in on a conversation Simon is having with a friend.

S          Hey, how are things? What have you been up to?

F          Oh, not much. I’m retired.

S          Wow! I can’t believe you are retired. You have my most sincere condolences.

F          No, you have it all wrong. I am very happy now I am retired.

S          Well, okay. So what’s happening? What are you up to?

F          I’m not really up to anything. There is plenty to occupy my time. I am enjoying doing what I want to do for a change.

S          Great! Good for you. Tell me about what you want to do.

F          Well, nothing special. I like to be spontaneous. I don’t want to be tied down with plans. There is always enough to keep me busy.

S          I see. You are into busy work.

F          I wouldn’t put it quite like that.

There you go. The only problem with not having anything to do right now is if you do not take charge of your success, the busy work may just last forever. What it took for you to succeed is not the same as it takes to be successful. His friend most assuredly succeeded in the past but shows no signs of being successful as time goes on. He decided to rest on his success; and that is a shame, given what he could have potentially contributed to the success chains of other people, e. g., children or young adults who aspire to be where he has been, the work of his church or the well-being of his neighbors. …