At Seventy: The Art of Simply Being

Recently, I read an article that deeply resonated with me. It spoke about our tendency to constantly do rather than simply be.

When I retired from the United Nations in 2017, I felt lost. For years I had lived a full and stimulating life between New York and my artistic pursuits. When that chapter ended, I suddenly found myself searching for something to fill the space it left behind.

After returning to Canada, I kept myself busy travelling and exhibiting my artwork, unknowingly recreating the same momentum I had lived with in the New York concrete jungle—always moving, always producing, always building the next project.

Now, at seventy, I realize that after retiring I simply stepped back onto the same treadmill I had been running on for years.

One sentence from the article struck me profoundly:“The happiest people I know in their seventies aren’t the ones running nonprofits or writing novels. They’re the ones who’ve given themselves permission to simply be.”

It reminded me that self-worth does not have to be proven through constant achievement. As another line beautifully stated:“Forced activity—the kind driven by ‘shoulds’ and ‘musts’—creates stress. Chosen activity—the kind that arises from genuine interest or simple pleasure—creates joy.”

Today my life looks very different. I live in a small village where much of our social life revolves around our favourite pub, the Kingfisher Pub. It is a life centered on connection rather than achievement, presence rather than performance. We are not building anything grand—we are simply enjoying being together, sharing stories and laughter.

This chapter also includes building a life with my partner, Sylvain. Thanks to my sister Lise, we found one another, and we are simply happy to share our days.

Looking back, I understand that the restlessness I once felt was not really about finding purpose. It was about unlearning the belief that my value was tied to my productivity.

Today, writing and creating art are no longer about ambition.They are simply about joy.

Our last trip at the Dominican Republic and with friends at Kingfisher Pub