We will never wrestle bliss from this world

The first president of our country, in his famed farewell address, said this.

Every day the increasing weight of years admonishes me more and more that the shade of retirement is as necessary to me as it will be welcome.

George was determined to retire from public life but wanted to take one last effort to impress great truths upon his countrymen.

And it worked. What an inspiring moment in our nation’s history. Because for many of us, there will come a point when we, too, will have to announce to ourselves and possibly to the world, that we are leaving something behind. That we are withdrawing ourselves from some career or identity or community or phase of life.

Maybe because we’re no longer enjoying ourselves.

Maybe because we have reached our ceiling of satisfaction.

Maybe because we’ve done everything we needed to do here and there’s nothing left for us.

Maybe because the game is stacked against us and it’s time to find one with better odds.

Or maybe because it’s abusive and exhausting and more trouble than it’s worth.

Either way, it will be sad, painful and scary. But it will also be exhilarating. Into the vacuum the great spirits pour. A vast new world of other choices begins to unfold. Reminding us that we are rarely doomed to stick to one set of pathways, unless we think we are.

This source of ancient bliss is available to all of us. We don’t have to be the president of a country or even a company to soak it in.

We simply have to learn to let things go. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What do you need to retire from?