I turned
62 today. Allow me to share some thoughts.
At this
age, many people around me are thinking about retirement. Slowing down.
Stepping aside. Doing less. Some speak proudly about no longer caring what
others think. Others become easily irritated, impatient, or angry at small
things. Many quietly disengage from work, from learning, from contribution.
I find
myself wanting to move in the opposite direction.
I do not
feel less capable than when I started working at 24. I feel more capable. I see
patterns faster. I make fewer mistakes. I know what matters and what does not.
To slow down now feels less like rest and more like waste. Waste of knowledge.
Waste of experience. Waste of judgment earned over decades.
Provided
we stay healthy and fit, this stage of life should not be about doing less. It
should be about doing better. In fact, this is a chicken-and-egg situation. I
believe that when we slow down, we become unhealthier. Purpose and vitality
come as a package deal.
Our deep
traditions understood this wisdom. Modern society created the concept of
retirement. It is new, and it is anti-historical.
In Islam,
there is no concept of retiring from purpose. Responsibility ends only with
death. What changes with age is not obligation, but form. There may be less
physical strain, but there is more teaching, more guidance, and more judgment.
Knowledge that is not passed on is considered a loss, not a personal choice. To
be idle is to be sinful, my Jid, my grandfather, advised me when I was eight.
This idea
is not unique to Islam.
In
Buddhism, ageing is meant to deepen insight and compassion. Older monks are
expected to guide others, teach younger generations, and help reduce suffering.
Withdrawal is not meant for comfort or escape, but for clarity and service. The
Buddha remained active until the age of eighty.
Christianity
speaks of vocation rather than career. One may retire from employment, but not
from calling. Many biblical figures began their missions late in life or
reached their greatest impact in old age. Service continues as long as life
continues.
Hindu
thought divides life into stages, but these are often misunderstood. The later
stages are not about disengaging from responsibility. They are about detaching
from material ambition while increasing moral and social responsibility. Elders
were expected to advise, arbitrate disputes, teach, and preserve order.
Chinese
traditions place even greater emphasis on the role of elders. Older people are
seen as custodians of balance and harmony. When elders disengage, societies
lose direction. Age brings moral authority, not irrelevance.
Across
all these traditions, the message is consistent. Youth brings energy. Midlife
brings strength. Later life brings judgment. To retire judgment is to weaken
society and to insult one’s own soul.
Ten common practices after 60 and why I choose the
opposite
One. Many people slow down by
default, simply because age tells them to. I choose to slow down only where it
does not matter and to speed up where it does. The goal is not constant motion,
but intentional effort. In fact, whenever I can, I choose to move faster and
with greater effectiveness.
Two. Less work is often mistaken for
wisdom. I choose to do less trivial work, but more meaningful work. The
reduction should be in noise, not in contribution. Work is good for me, good
for my family, good for society, and good for the world. Why slow down on a
good thing? Push harder.
Three. Many people mentally retire long
before they physically stop working. That is why we see deadwood as early as
the late thirties and early forties. Curiosity fades, engagement weakens, and
days become repetitive. I choose to stay mentally alert, curious, and fully
present in the work I do.
Four. Some proudly say they no longer
care what people think. This can easily become an excuse for carelessness or
insensitivity. I choose to care less about approval, but more about impact and
responsibility. To care is to live well and meaningfully.
Five. As people age, patience often
shortens. I see this so often, and it is a scary future to walk into. Small
frustrations trigger irritation, and this robs us of quality living and
beautiful time together. I choose to protect my calm and treat irritation as a
signal to change my perspective. To accept the peculiarities of others and to
understand where they are coming from. To ask what story sits behind their
frustrations.
Six. Many live off past achievements.
They exaggerate them, adding more and more spice each time the stories are
repeated. Eventually, the past becomes a “golden age,” and they fall in love
with it. When we fall in love with the past, we cannot be happy in the present.
I choose to use the past only when it helps others and me move forward, for
reflection, for learning, and for choosing better paths ahead.
Seven. Many avoid change because change
feels demanding. I choose to deliberately change. To keep learning, even when
it is uncomfortable, because learning keeps the mind alive.
Eight. Comfort becomes a priority for
many. Slowly, life shrinks around it. I choose controlled discomfort, physical
and mental, because it keeps both body and mind engaged.
Nine. Cynicism often masquerades as
realism, or as a false claim that one simply does not care. Many times, it
hides unresolved disappointment in the heart. Disappointment hardens into
bitterness. I choose realism with hope, not bitterness, and clarity without
contempt.
Finally,
ten. Many
become preoccupied with legacy and how they will be remembered. Control
replaces trust. I choose to focus on contribution now and allow legacy to take
care of itself. God is the Master of the Day of Judgment, not you or I. Leave
that to Him.
I would
like to end this sharing with a deep and meaningful Muslim tradition. In
Islamic teaching, “the Hour” refers to the Day of Judgment, the moment when
this world comes to an end and all deeds are brought to account. And yet, the
Prophet advised:
“If the
Hour is established and one of you has a palm shoot in his hand, then if he is
able to plant it before the Hour is established, let him plant it.”
Peace.
Anas
February 4, 2026
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