In the current presidential election cycle much discussion has centered around the chronological age of the candidates, implying they are too old to serve. Quite frankly, instead of focusing on the chronological age of a candidate, I’m much more concerned about their conduct and character.

That said, there are certainly times when age can impact the ability to meet the demands of a particular job. Especially if they are suffering with chronic diseases, have significant physical ailments and limitations or are struggling with the unfortunate consequences of Alzheimer’s or dementia.

It seems though that increasingly the prevailing thought when men and women cross that so called threshold retirement age, somewhere around 65 or shortly after, is it’s time to retire. Send them “out to pasture” to live out the rest of their lives playing bingo, shuffleboard, golf, cards, relegated to retirement status with no expectation of making further contributions to our society.

This is such misguided thinking and a squandering of time, energy, creativity, and life. It’s an incredibly futile and fatalistic model for living life during the so called “golden years”.

Retirement is a ridiculous pursuit! The striving for retirement is a flawed concept. Retirement is cultural not biblical. To focus on busting our a$$es for 40 to 50 years and saving up so that we can “really live” in our later years is absurd. We are allowing labor to drive life instead of life driving labor. No wonder we are seeing such a backlash from the younger generation who are questioning this premise.

Builders and Boomers think that the younger generation is lazy and doesn’t want to work.  Not true! What they are questioning is the unreasonable expectation and dominant role that work is having on their lives. They’re looking for balance. Not work versus life balance, but life balance where work plays a significant but not the be all, tell all, dominant role it does today.

I am not anti-savings, anti-401K or against Roth IRA retirement investment instruments. But look around and you don’t have to look far to see millions of workers striving for the time when they have enough retirement income built up so they can stop working “smell the roses” and “really live.”  But at what cost? Working 60-80 hours per week, pursuing career and high pay jobs, at the expense of marriages, relationships, health, burn out, killing themselves now so they can “live” later? That’s insane thinking and plain stupid.

The time to “really live” and “smell the roses” enjoy family, relationships, and life is today! And every day! It is possible and doable, but it requires a change in thinking, a different mindset, adjustment in priorities, living with contentment, meeting needs not greed, and a lifestyle change through sound choices. “Don’t live to work!” Instead work to live!” Or better yet, “Live life to the fullest, including many decades of productive and fruitful labor!

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