Happy Friday you wonderful humans.

I have a bit of an announcement.

I’ve decided it’s time. Time to put myself out to pasture. It’s been a good run but… I’m retiring.

Retirement.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you read that word?

Rightly or wrongly, I think of a slightly-balding, greying 65 year old man who has worked most of his life with this moment in mind. He’s worked himself to the bone since his first job at 20. He’s dreamt of this day and now he has the gold watch around his wrist. Now that he’s ‘retired’ he can do all of the things he wanted to do when he was younger. Travel, read, write, paint. It doesn’t matter what the particulars are, he can now live the life the way he wants it. He’s free.

There’s only one problem.

He’s 65.

He’s still in decent shape but isn’t able to do all of the things he has been dreaming of. Working hard for the past 45 years has taken its toll. He is tired, sore and has more doctors appointments than he can count. He remembers when he was strong, fit and able to conquer any challenge he wanted. Ah to be young again…

Say he lives to 80. He has about 18% of his life left. 15 years. Unfortunately, no longer in his prime, he will enjoy them the best he can.

I can guess that your vision of retirement is something similar.

The way I see it, we’ve got it all wrong. It’s backwards. Our version of retirement that has been perpetuated in our society is so far off the mark from the way we should be living. We sacrifice our wants and desires for a future that is anything but certain. We dismiss our capacity to enjoy today, to appreciate the moment and give all we are to the present because we are hoping that things will be better down the road.

I’ve certainly been guilty of this. In regards to Virtus, I’ve always wanted to help more people. Early on that meant bigger, better, more. Over the last few years, I’ve slowly begun to realise that we have more than enough already. More members would be incredible. But our focus needs to be on appreciating and doing our very best for the people we are lucky enough to connect with each day.

A simple quote from Naval Ravikant sums this topic up perfectly for me.

“Retirement: When you stop sacrificing today for some imaginary tomorrow. When today is complete, in and of itself, you’re retired”

The happiest and longest-living societies in the world (the residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa for example) don’t retire. They continue to live fulfilled lives, ‘working’ and contributing to their community long into their golden years. If we find a place, and people, and a ‘job’ that allows us the luxury of belonging to a tribe, contributing to our community whilst simultaneously challenging us to grow our capacity. We can learn (yes this is a teachable skill) to appreciate all we do have, to be grateful and to stop sacrificing today for that imaginary tomorrow.

I’ve spoken about it many times but true love and fulfilment of life comes when we are able to achieve
When we are able to take the ‘What is the meaning of life?’ question, and answer it with our own ‘because’.

When we decide the meaning we assign to it, we can live life the way we want to live. When we use other people’s metrics of success, we are doomed to a life of wanting more than we have.

So yes, I’m retiring. I am committing to appreciating today for what it is. The ups and the downs. The victories and challenges.

I’m fortunate to be surrounded by incredible people. If the imaginary tomorrow never comes, I’m content and appreciative of the journey I’m on, the life I lead, and those I am lucky enough to share it with.

I hope that you can all say the same.

To quote a passage from Max Erhman’s Desiderata

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Be patient. Show up and put in the work. But don’t forget to appreciate all you have.

I appreciate you all,

Wallace

BELOW

During the week I caught up with this beautiful man Todd Jarrat. I appreciate this guy a whole lot. The journey he has been on over the past few years between these photos has been immense. I’m proud of him and proud to call him a friend. Every single human on this planet could learn something from this episode.

Hit this link to listen to the latest episode of the Virtus Podcast.

Photo 1 2015
Photo 2 2019