The "Retirement" Myth

The 130-Year Old Lie That Stole Our Purpose - and How to Reclaim It

How many years do you have left until you retire?

Are you eagerly counting down the days, dreaming of a life where you can finally relax and leave all the demands of the world behind?

But here’s a question most people never ask…

Where did the idea of “retirement” come from anyway, and why do we all assume it’s the ultimate goal?

The answer might surprise you (and even unsettle you a little!).

What if I told you that retirement, as we know it, wasn’t designed for your benefit at all?

It wasn’t always a natural part of life.

Retirement was designed. Engineered. Crafted.

It was a concept introduced not for our benefit but for the convenience of industrial systems and governments.

Older Workers Are “Unprofitable”

In 1889, Otto von Bismarck, the German Chancellor introduced mandatory retirement at 70 to solve a political problem - not a human one. The idea was simple - get older workers off the assembly lines and replace them with younger, faster ones.

Over in the US, the idea was gaining traction.

In 1905, during his valedictory address to the Johns Hopkins Hospital, a renowned Canadian physician called William Osler made a shocking declaration.

A man’s best work, he claimed, was done by the age of forty. He went so far as to describe the years between twenty-five and forty as the “15 golden years of plenty.”

Workers over forty? “Merely uncreative.”

And by sixty? Useless.

According to Osler, they should be “put out to pasture.”

This harsh perspective reflected a growing sentiment during the Industrial Revolution, where the doctrine of capitalism was growing in influence. Older workers were increasingly seen as liabilities - slowing down assembly lines, taking excessive sick days, and occupying roles that younger, more "profitable" men with families could fill.

Eleven years later, in 1916, it was reduced to 65, and the idea spread like wildfire across the globe.

And so, the “age of uselessness” was invented.

But let’s be completely clear: This idea has killed our spirit.

We Were Never Meant to Retire

Retirement isn’t a natural human state. It was never part of our fitrah.

In fact, it was resisted for decades.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt introduced the Social Security Act of 1935. Under this system, workers and employers would fund retirement benefits, with 65 as the designated age for stepping away from work.

Even then, resistance remained strong.

Many retirees longed to keep working, lamenting their forced withdrawal from meaningful activity.

Eleanor Roosevelt optimistically remarked that “old people love their own things even more than young people do,” suggesting that retirees would find joy in their homes and belongings. But the reality was very different; naturally retirement had left a proud people used to being busy and motivated, feeling purposeless and disconnected.

Rebranding Retirement

Even up until the 1950’s, they had to popularise the idea of retirement through golf courses, Hollywood movies, and the invention of terms like “senior citizen.”

The marketing machine had to work overtime to ‘sell’ this big lifestyle change that so many people had resisted by default.

Over time, retirement was eventually successfully rebranded into something desirable.

Florida opened its doors as a retirement haven for the middle class by 1910. Retirement communities emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, and golf courses multiplied.

Films, television, and magazines glamorised the idea of leisurely living.

By 1955, the term "senior citizen" was popularised in the now-defunct Senior Citizen magazine.

We naturally want to serve and be useful

Eventually, towards the end of the 1950’s, the narrative shifted and finally leisure had become a lifestyle, and ‘doing nothing’ was transformed into an aspiration.

This was a far cry from the start of the decade, when a roundtable had been convened to discuss the unpopularity of retirement. Santha Rama Rau, a writer at the time had remarked: “Americans don’t have the ability to appreciate doing nothing.”

It’s not just Americans. None of us do.

Think about it:

• Nuh (AS) called his people to Allah for 950 years, undeterred by rejection, loneliness, or even the loss of his family.

• Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel at age 81.

• Imam Al-Ghazali wrote some of his most profound works in his later years.

Humans were created to strive, grow, and serve, not to "rest" indefinitely.

The human mind and body were designed to thrive with a sense of purpose. It is purpose that keeps us alive, vibrant, and connected to the world. And throughout history, all of the greatest achievements have come not from leisure but from lifelong purpose.

But when we retire - not just from jobs, but from meaningful pursuits - we begin to decay.

The stats speak for themselves:

• Retirement increases depression rates by 40%.

• It raises the likelihood of chronic illness by 60%.

Why?

Because retirement isn’t just about stepping away from work; it’s about stepping away from purpose.

And when you strip someone of their purpose, you strip them of their humanity.

That’s what was done to us when they prioritised profits over people. And the after effects are clear to see.

The Consequences Are Clear

Now, we see people in their 30s and 40s who’ve mentally “retired” long before their time:

• Lethargic.

• Lost.

• Going through the motions of life with no clear aim.

People do not live anymore. They exist.

Contrast this with the people of Okinawa, Japan, who live the longest in the world, with an average lifespan of over 100 years. One reason for their remarkable longevity is that they never officially “retire.” Instead, they embrace the concept of Ikigai, meaning “a reason for being.”

For them, Ikigai isn’t necessarily tied to a grand ambition, it’s about feeling useful and contributing to their community, no matter their age. This sense of purpose gets them out of bed each morning, energised to live and thrive another day.

But back in the West, even younger people are losing the work ethic that they once had in spades in their peak years. Everyone is chasing this dream of freedom. But freedom from what?

It’s not work that’s the enemy. It’s the lack of purpose IN their work.

Contrary to all of the marketing magic dust and glossy sales brochures, retirement doesn’t make people happier - on the contrary, it often makes them sicker and sadder.

Let’s be honest.

This isn’t just about retirement - it’s about the mentality we’ve been sold.

Study, get a good job, work for 40 years then you can relax.

They build up our self-worth, status and identity, all tied up in our work when we’re in our ‘useful’ age.

And then they pull the plug.

Left disconnected, disillusioned and drifting, once it’s all taken away.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Purpose is what keeps you alive, vibrant, and growing. It’s not tied to a paycheck or a title - it’s tied to why you exist.

When you know your purpose:

• You never “age out” of life.

• You wake up with clarity and energy.

• You thrive, no matter your stage of life.

My paternal grandfather passed away at 91. He was a goldsmith and continued to work and keep himself busy until he was 90.

One of my mentors is in his 80’s. To this day, he writes a book a year and travels the world giving lectures and speeches.

They were old-school in their thinking - and didn’t believe the lie that is retirement. You shouldn’t either.

What Can You Do?

If you feel stuck, unfulfilled, or as though life is passing you by, the answer isn’t to work aimlessly and wait for a “retirement” that will fix everything and give you a false sense of freedom.

The answer is to rediscover your true purpose.

This divine duty you were created for isn’t tied to a job or a title - it’s tied to the unique reason you were created. Your service.

Once you find that, life really does change for the better.

• You wake up with energy, driven, motivated and full of abundance

• You live with clarity, with meaning and understand the big picture.

• You thrive, not because of what you do, but because of why you do it.

This Is Your Wake-Up Call

They’ve sold us the lie that life is about working until 65, then "relaxing" until the end.

But I don’t want that to be your story.

Your story is one of striving, growing, and serving - for as long as you’re alive.

Whether you’re 22, 42 or 72 - you ARE gifted, you ARE useful and you are here to serve and fulfil your potential.

So ask yourself honestly right now:

Are you living with purpose?

Or are you just waiting for the clock to run out?

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If you’re ready to find the purpose that will keep your mind sharp, your body strong, and your spirit alive, let’s talk.

• Join me for a discovery call today - let’s understand what’s holding you back.

• Learn more about aligning your life with your divine mission.

• Do the free scorecard to identify where the gaps are in pursuit of your purpose.