We’re told retirement is a golden reward, a never-ending vacation filled with ease and leisure. But what if it doesn’t feel that way? What if the structure, the purpose, the rhythm of your days quietly vanishes, and you’re left wondering who you are without the title, the routine, the responsibilities?

In this episode, I’m joined once again by Monique Rhodes, a happiness strategist and the wise guide behind the Retirement Roadmap. Together, we explore why retirement is about so much more than money and why it's often less like a holiday and more like a homecoming. We talk about the grief no one mentions, the courage to reinvent, and how to fill your days with meaning instead of just passing time.

Topics Covered:

• The emotional and spiritual side of retirement that no one prepares you for.
• Why so many retirees feel invisible, restless, or unsure of who they are.
• How to rediscover your purpose after decades of caregiving, career, and doing.
• The silent grief of losing identity, structure, and daily connection.
• What it means to retire toward something rather than away from something.
• The surprising role of curiosity, creativity, and community in this life stage.
• Practical ways to reconnect with joy, meaning, and self-worth.
• Why retirement can be your most expansive and exciting chapter yet.

Here are some actions you can take, whether you have 5 minutes or 50:

• If you have 5 minutes, check out her podcast, called In Your Right Mind which has short, digestible, daily episodes packed with actionable wisdom that you can apply to instantly upgrade your life.
  • https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-your-right-mind-with-monique-rhodes/id1084039067
•  If Monique’s words resonated with you and you have 50 minutes, I highly encourage you to check out her course, The Retirement Roadmap. It’s a truly transformative guide for navigating this stage of life with clarity and grace. You can find the link as well as all the ways you can interact with Monique’s work in the show notes. 
  • https://theretirementroadmapacademy.com/?fpr=shawnna44

Connect with Monique!
Website: https://moniquerhodes.com/
Retirement Roadmap course: https://www.theretirementroadmapacademy.com/retirement-path63105932
Listen to her podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-your-right-mind-with-monique-rhodes/id1084039067
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoniqueRhodesOfficial
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.

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Contact French Kissing Life Podcast

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• Email us at frenchkissinglifepodcast@gmail.com

Until next time, muah!

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