The father of a friend of mine has been flying for American Airlines for over 30 years. Though this pilot will only be turning 60 this November, he has decided to take an early retirement. He has some very foresightful reasoning for doing so.

Knowing that his pension is linked to the stock exchange, this man took the chance a year or two ago to lock in his retirement income amount to what the stock market was doing then. I'm not sure of the logistics, but this lock only lasts a couple of years. Rather than retiring in a few years as planned, he has decided to take advantage of his good position now instead of working until the lock expires, and then having to work a few more years just to get his retirement back to the original position.

I've got a couple decades left until I can retire at the standard age, but this gentleman's actions got me thinking. The news reports all this market volatility as bad news only. In reality, there are many opportunities afforded by this investment market that wouldn't have been available a few years ago.

In the meantime, I'm resolving to continue thinking creatively to see how I can make the most of less than ideal times. It just takes a little outside-the-box thinking.