A study examined 140 persons from nine very diverse settings in the United States and England who had retired in a positive way. Interviews with the retirees revealed that despite their diverse geographical, socioeconomic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, they all had one thing in common--in retirement, all of them had a new and exciting career. This is not to say that a happy retirement had come easily for these individuals; for some, the adjustment took several years. What distinguished these individuals from their less satisfied counterparts was the fact that they had examined their goals and personal resources before, upon, and after retirement; decided where they wanted to live on both a short- and long-term basis; and determined the services they needed in their chosen retirement career. Four "worlds" were determined to be crucial to building a base for retirement: the worlds of work, relationships with others, faith, and choice. As a group, the positive retirees could be characterized as liking other people, keeping busy and active, being happy and forward looking, being independent in spirit, continuously learning, believing in work, and keeping involved in the community. (A checklist to help individuals evaluate their level of physical, mental, social, and civic activities is included in this report.) (MN)