L. Neil ThrussellWhat if we’ve been chasing the wrong dream?
You know the one I’m talking about: work 40+ years, retire at 65, and then start living. Then travel. Then take up that hobby. Then write that book. Then finally breathe.
But here’s the thing—I’ve never been one to follow the crowd. I mean… I run around barefoot, believe in the wisdom of ancient samurai, and think sitting on a rock watching the sunrise is high-performance living.
So I’ve been asking myself: what if we flipped the script?
A New Model: Live First, Work Later
Imagine working with purpose and intensity until 45. You build up your nest egg—not to fund your golf cart lifestyle in Florida, but to fund your freedom now, while your body still has some spring and your spirit still hums with curiosity.
Then from 45 to 55—you take a decade to live like you’re retired. Travel. Adventure. Climb mountains. Sit in cafés in Spain. Paint jungle sunsets in Costa Rica. Or… write novels about cyber espionage, covert warrior monks, or the mysterious dance between light and dark in the human heart. (Totally random examples, of course…)
You don’t wait for the calendar to tell you it’s time to enjoy your life. You claim it.
Then What?
Then—at 55—you choose your next mission.
Not because you have to work, but because you want to. Maybe you open a small art studio. Maybe you lead men through transformation. Maybe you coach others into their purpose. Or maybe you write books under multiple names because your creative spark is having an identity crisis (don’t judge).
The idea is this: you engage again in meaningful work—work that aligns with your heart, your values, and your soul’s calling. You give from your overflow, not your survival mode.
You become a spiritual elder in motion.
Longevity Has Changed the Game
We’re living longer. But are we living wiser?
Taking a decade off in your “prime” sounds crazy—until you realize you’ve likely got 30 to 40 good years left at 45. So why not invest 10 of those in spiritual, physical, and emotional expansion? Learn to dance. Paint without needing to be good. Fall in love again—with your partner, your creativity, your self.
Then serve. Share your wisdom. Build again—with joy, not desperation.
A Spiritual Warrior’s Retirement
This isn’t about checking out. It’s about checking in.
It’s about:
- Developing your Body while you’re still nimble enough to hike volcanoes.
- Inspiring your Mind with culture, colour, and connection.
- Opening your Heart to new ways of being.
- Elevating your Spirit through service, solitude, and self-expression.
This model honours the Shin Dao. It honours life.
Let’s Be Real…
Yes, it takes planning. Discipline. Financial wisdom. A willingness to say no to the latest gadget so you can say yes to that trip, that painting retreat, that writing sabbatical in Bali.
But isn’t that part of the joy? Crafting your life like a work of art—not just surviving it?
My Quiet Confession
I’ve already lived pieces of this. Writing has been my compass, my medicine, and my rebellion. And now, in this next season of life, I find myself wondering… what if I truly treated my art—my writing—as my vocation again? What if I gave myself the permission to write, paint, and teach not for outcome, but for joy?
That’s the path I’m walking now. Boldly. Reluctantly. With laughter. With doubt. With courage.
And maybe, just maybe… you’re ready too.
Final Thought
We don’t need to follow the old retirement blueprint. The world has changed. We’ve changed.
What if your most vibrant years are not the ones behind you… but the ones you intentionally create ahead?
So tell me…
What would you do with 10 years of freedom?
What would you create after 55 if it didn’t have to be practical?
And when will you start painting the masterpiece that is your life?
