Never Retire: Traditional Retirement Prepares You for Death; Never Retire Sparks a Desire to Live Forever

How shifting the mindset from 'borrowing time' to 'making the most of it' can change everything

In a recent newsletter post, I mentioned that my 90-year-old Dad has what appears to be the beginnings of dementia. So, I have been thinking a fair bit about that lately as it pertains to him, my parents' well-being, and the things we discuss in the Never Retire newsletter.

Maybe it’s what I want to make myself believe. Still, I can’t help but think that if my parents had challenged themselves out of the self-imposed comfort zone they started creating for themselves 15-20 years ago, my Dad would have been able to live into his nineties without this type of ailment sneaking up on him.

Suppose they hadn’t resigned themselves to the illogical idea that it’s “too far to drive all the way to Buffalo” or go across the Canadian border. In that case, my Dad might have been able to nurture better and maintain his cognitive state. If they dealt with anxiety-related issues and kept flying across the country regularly to visit relatives, both of them would be intellectually, emotionally, and cognitively better off for it.

That repeated venture into unfamiliar territory you have no choice but to figure out how to navigate—not to mention the new and different experiences this produces—would have provided the much-needed brain workouts they have sorely lacked as their curiosity and desire to do things—much of anything outside of their restricted daily routines—faded into stagnation and, at times, depression.

I have been thinking about this as it relates to them, my life now and in the future, and the meaning beyond the idea of Never Retiring. When put in its proper perspective, this concept beats the hell out of traditional retirement because it makes you feel like you never want to die.

But, along with that upside, there’s necessary caution.