Florida Businessman Edmund F. Benson, Together with His Wife Susan, Declined to Rest on Their Laurels When Their well-earned Retirement began.  Instead, the Energetic and service-committed Couple in Some Ways Just Began (again) Their Service J

away that which we’ve accumulated. It doesn’t have to be money. It could be good feelings, it could be concern, or it could be love. It could be whatever you feel, but the important thing is to give it away. Also, and we use this in the program, it’s important to get rid of negativity.  I am totally involved in positivity. I don’t watch negative programs, I don’t like to be around people who swear, or are unpleasant. As a matter of fact, I have an Apple Watch that we’ve programmed so that, every 15 minutes, I receive a positive affirmation. So if you decide that you want to live a happier life, you can’t do it around negative people or negative headlines, or images. You need to fill up on positivity. I don’t own any Apple stock, but I think the Apple Watch is a wonderful thing to program so that you can receive positive messages throughout the day. The first one at 12 AM is, “To thine own self be true and it must follow as day to night, that thou then canst be false to any man” by William Shakespeare.  And it goes on and on.
 

Rish: Thank you so much, Ed. Hopefully we’ve given all your accomplishments a little bit of justice here. Thankfully we have more time for callers. We’ll hand it over to Kozo.

Kozo:  Thank you. I heard about a study that was done recently where they took two groups of people, and one group was tasked with doing exercise every day, and the other group had to do volunteer work once per week. And I think after six weeks into the study, they measured participant’s health signs. And it turned out that doing volunteer work once a week actually makes you healthier than exercising every day. I know, Ed, that you're eighty years old, and I'm wondering if after all your service and all your creativity, contribution, and gifting, if you've seen any physical side effects, or if you’ve felt any health benefits that have given you the ability to live a more healthy and wholesome life later in life.

Ed:  Well, there is no question that I'm constantly exercising my mind, and I think that's very beneficial. But, I also exercise the rest of me too. So I don't think it's an “either or” situation. Actually, you're being too kind to me. I was 80 about 7 years ago. As a matter of fact, when someone asks my age, I say I'm 31 months from being 90.

Kozo:  Wow. You are doing more than I am doing at age 51. 

Ed: I understand. I understand that this is the lifestyle that I chose almost 67 years ago. I chose to work two days in a day. For the first fifteen years of my marriage, I never took a vacation. I am totally, totally dedicated to my work. There is no place I could be that would be better for me right now than working and creating.

Kozo:  That is beautiful.  My father-in-law is actually a Qigong master, and he told me something a long time ago. He said in America, “Everybody has the goal to retire early, and to retire with a lot of money. But Kozo, I never want you to retire.” And you know, I looked at him like he was crazy. I'm like, what is he talking about? He never wants me to retire. I knew I wanted to retire, and he said, “Even if you stop working, I want you to have something you wake up every morning and do. I don't want you to sleep in and do nothing. You need to get up, even if it's just to walk outside and get the paper. You need to have a routine. I want you to continue to be like a person that has a mission.” My father-in-law is pushing ninety now, and he is an acupuncturist that has seen so many of his patients retire and die. They don't have a drive or a purpose. I think you are living testament to that.

Ed:  Well that was very good advice, and I couldn't agree more.

Kozo: Yeah, I didn't. When I first heard it, I said, “You're crazy old man,” but now, after listening to you I see the wisdom behind that and I see a path that can lead to a fulfilling and healthy longevity. So thank you. We’ve got some callers on the line, so I'm going to bow down and let others share in your wisdom. We have Michelle on the call first. 

Michelle:  Hi everyone. Edwin, Harvey, and I have just been filled with delight. I can't tell you how delighted we are to hear you speak. I've known you and Susan for over 50 years. In fact, I was twelve years old when I first met Susan, and I'm 69 now. I have learned so much about the service journey that the two of you have taken that I did not know before. I just want to thank you for agreeing to share your story. I’m actually sitting here with tears in my eyes, thinking about how you help people, and how you've devoted so much of your life to helping others. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and a big hug for you and a big hug for Susan. 

Ed: Thanks, Michelle. We feel blessed that you felt confident enough to recommend us. 

Michelle: Yes, and you did not embarrass me. You made me laugh. It's been wonderful, and I'm just so grateful that you have shared your story with us because it's inspiring. I have deep admiration and that's the end of my tribute. Thank you.

Kozo:  Now it's starting to make sense.  You are good friends with Michelle.  Beautiful. We will move on to the next caller.

Jane:  Hi, this is Jane. I have just had the absolute pleasure of getting to hear my dad speak.  So I just wanted to say thank you. I now have a totally different perspective. I have watched the evolution of my dad, and it's so beautiful. There's something about being open to inside direction, and having the willingness to listen to it, and let it be your guide to help direct you. Man, I don't think you need to be 60 to start there. I'm 58, and hopefully I’ve started doing that.  I really do think that it’s a path all of us can take, no matter what we are faced with. It is so true that, in giving, and I mean I have learned this by watching my Dad and Susan, comes true joy and happiness. I really just want to say, “Thanks Dad”. Thanks to you guys for hosting him. This is awesome.  

Ed:  You are a chip off the old block, and I can say that with pride that fills me with joy, Jane. So thank you for coming on and sharing your wisdom.

Kozo:  Jane, thank you so much. That's so beautiful to share. Not only has your father made you proud, but also he’s influenced how you follow your own guidance and start gifting back.

Jane:  Yeah, absolutely.  Thank you. 

Kozo: I want to follow up on that a bit. I have two young children, one is nine, and one just turned 7. And I would love for them to have that kind of service mentality, and to follow their inner guidance. Do you have any parenting tips for us on how to do that?   I think it takes a lot of faith and trust to raise your child to follow their own inner guidance, and to have them trust themselves. Do you have any stories or experiences, or guidance along those lines?

Ed:  I had two daughters.  One was older than Jane, and she passed away. She got her M.B.A, and was going to be a psychiatric social worker. Jane now has her M.B.A., and works as a coach among many other things. I think that it all results from watching and listening to what mom and dad do. We all have what we call “mirror neurons.” We basically learn by copying other people, and if you exemplify what you want your children to be like, all they have to do is mirror you. If you want to learn more about mirror neurons, there's a wonderful YouTube video on the topic, but basically, we are all always learning from one another.  When you yawn, and if I am around you, I will probably yawn.  If you scratch your head, I'll probably do the same. We do things like that just by watching.

Kozo:  Beautiful.  Jane, you are online. Can you share with us any time where you watched your father and Susan, and mirrored them in your own life or were inspired by them?

 Jane: Yes. I was thinking about what my dad was referring to but the willingness to be transparent about things that you believe and not just that you say but you walk and and letting your kids understand that, not assume that they will but you know the willingness to involve them. I mean I think seeing, doing, experiencing for kids in order to really get it; It is one thing to may be understand in your head and is another to really get it in your heart to experience the things with your parents. I used to go to school with Susan and see her work with kids who were deaf. I certainly got a very strong work ethics from working for my Dad as a young kid for I really wanted a great camera and he said, “You need to get a job”, sort of instilling these things not just by talking it but by living it, seeing them live that but also then living it yourself. I mean these are all great ways of doing that and willing to be transparent about those things.

Kozo:  Beautiful Jane.  I didn’t mean to put you on spot, but thank you.  We have another caller. 

Lenny:  Hi Mr. Benson. This is one of your good friends Lenny. Ruth and I have been listening to you speak for the past hour, and just like when we all get together socially, it's always a wonderful experience hearing about you and talking about you and Susan. We've talked about this before, and you know that I practice law and deal with a lot of senior clients. You talked a little bit about clients earlier, about them staying relevant when they get to be a certain age. Could you explain your philosophy on this?

Ed:  Well, actually it involves getting out of the daily routine that we've all accustomed ourselves to. For instance, when we're working, we get into the whole system of going to work, and coming home. But when you retire and have free time, it's time to change. It's time to move in another direction, and if you want to stay in contact with the younger members of your family, you have to change or they will find nothing to speak to you about. They just look at elders as being totally out of touch, and that is exactly another reason why we developed this program with twelve hundred lessons. The material is focused on current technology like driverless cars, texting, and social media. So if you want to communicate with your grandchildren, you need to do what they're doing. I don't know that we're going to jump on to Snap chat, but Facebook certainly. As kids start to understand that you're anxious to be in touch with them, and that you're amazed at what they are doing, and how you'd love to learn how to do those things yourself, they probably will be more willing to help. And if you make notes while they're helping you so that you're not constantly bugging them for additional information, or forgetting what they taught you, I think that makes you more relevant to your kids and grandkids. And, again, attending the group sessions and learning about all the different topics that we offer helps too. There isn't anything that is historical. Did I answer your question?

Lenny: You always answer my question. That is exactly the information that I needed and something that I can pass on to my clients. I will also take that to heart with my own grandchildren.

Ed:  I am looking at the positivity card right now, and I should say two things. One thing is that as we grow older, our skin gets thinner, not only physically, but also mentally. And I think that as we grow older, it's really important to forgive those members of the family that have made mistakes, and have caused us grief. That is essential for our peace of mind.

Lenny:  Forgiving.  I would totally agree with that.  One last thing, and I just pulled this out of my wallet. It's a positivity card you gave me, and I keep it with me always because it says on the front  “I can and I will, no excuses.” And on the back it says, “If you want something you've never had then you've got to do something you've never done”.

Kozo:  Right. That is a good one. It's amazing to watch all the ripples that you've created come flowing back to you just on this one call. Many people taking time to just show appreciation, gratitude or wisdom that you shared with them throughout your life. That is beautiful.  I had a follow up question on something you were talking about earlier about replacing negativity with positivity. You mentioned that you had a child that passed away, and they say that, for a parent that one of the hardest things in life is if your child dies before you. How did you maintain your positivity in such an event that could drive a lot of people into really serious negativity or depression?

Ed: Well, first of all I had Susan to share all of that unpleasantness with, and that made all the difference. That would be number one. My daughter, Ellen, was a diabetic, and she never paid much attention to her health issues. And as a result, she shortened her life. While she was alive, she was a wonderful person, and I was so proud of her. We had a lot in common, and I just know that the time she spent here was wonderful, and that was all she was supposed to have. You mentioned you have two children yourself, and I pulled up a positivity card that says on the front, “Children need patience, guidance and positive role models,” which is pretty much what we've been talking about. And side two says, “They are children, if the right, they always knew, they'd be about as old as you”. 

Kozo:  Thank you so much. 

Ed: Just send me your e-mail and I will send you the card. 

Kozo:  Yeah for sure, no problem. We are going to share your email if it is ok with you.  There is another caller online.

Eileen:  Hello. This is Eileen.  I want to say that I, unfortunately, came in a little late, but I am just so overwhelmed with pride to have an association with you. And I want to say that the overriding theme that came to my mind while listening to you speak was that you are working so hard to leave this planet a better place than what you experienced when you came into it. And you’re doing this for people that you don't know, and for people whose life you may never touch, but you're still so interested in sharing your wisdom with. I want to say that one thing I really like is that you don't just practice it for other people, but you practice it close to home. You know it obviously showed in Jane in where she's gotten, you shared that with my husband who’s your nephew. And what I really like is that you’re vulnerable. You have so much knowledge and so much experience, and yet, you allow yourself to be open to the idea that there’s still learning to do. You know you’re not perfect, and that makes you very genuine, and very real, and I think that's what has contributed to this plethora of ideas that have come to you all your life.

Ed:  Well, I'm far from perfect. I can tell you that, and I do have a lot to learn. I'm just doing my best to learn as much as I can on a daily basis, and it's fun. 

Eileen:  Yeah. Well you convey that very clearly. You are really enjoying what you're doing.

Ed: Yeah, it's a blast. Eileen, thank you. I just wish that everybody had a collection of positivity cards in their pocket. I wish that, as they spent their days going from one thing to the next, they would run out of these cards, and that the people they handed them to would say, “Oh you made my day.” And, “I'm going to keep that right here.” Waitresses usually keep them in that black folder that they keep the checks in. If everybody could do that, we would have a happier planet. 

Kozo:  Thanks Eileen. Ed, we have a couple comments on the web forms. Harvey says, “Edmund, amazing. Last time we spoke you were worried about your memory. Well, my friend, we’ve heard quotations across the centuries and you certainly haven't lost a beat! Cheers.”

Ed: Harvey is a special guy.

Kozo: Amina Rodriguez from Clearwater, Florida says,  “I'm very interested in starting an intergenerational program for the elderly to share their stories with you here in Clearwater. Where would you suggest I start to begin this project? 

Ed: I think that she should e-mail us at constructiveaging@gmail.com and include her phone number and we'll be happy to help.  There's no charge and we are not selling anything.
 

Kozo:  Except for positivity love gratitude and well being. 

Ed:  Free of charge

Kozo:  We always end with one final question. What can we do as a service to this community? What can we do to aid you in your work, or in your mission? I know you are doing so much, but the only thing that we can do as a community, or as individuals, is to aid you in your life's purpose.

Ed: Well, yes, I would say to everybody that’s done something that they’re not happy with to join the 1440 club. Each of us, no matter if you’re rich or poor, only receives fourteen hundred and forty minutes a day. Spend those minutes giving thanks for all the blessings that you have.  

Kozo: Thank you for that invitation.
 
Ed: Yes, being able to flood yourself with positivity, and staying away from negativity throughout the day.  There is so much out there today, so much in the way of positive things. Just avoid it and stay with the positive. Here is one last positivity card before we’re finished. It says, “I forgive because it's good for me.” That's actually title of one of the books that we've written. “Forgiveness is not something we do for others, we forgive so we can move on with our lives”

Kozo:  Thank you, Ed. 

Rish: It’s obvious from the outpouring of appreciation during the Q&A session that you clearly have been making a huge difference in people’s lives, and I personally feel blessed to have a chance to connect with you.

Ed:  Thank you. It's been a pleasure, and we thank each and every one of you. You folks have put together a beautiful program that is so professionally done, and I’ve been enamored of it since it was introduced to me. So keep up the good work. Thank you.