I’ve been writing about retirement – specifically a phased approach to retirement – for quite a while. Even though I think of this as a somewhat novel approach, compared to a traditional ‘retirement day,’ I’d still been thinking of it as happening at the end of a long-ish career where you or I slowly exit full-time work.

Today I read a story about retirement from a young man named Joey Porrello. It’s got me thinking about the subject in an entirely different way. I encourage you to continue reading and to heed his advice to go find the magic in your world.

“I retired this week. My ALS has progressed to a point where it is no longer feasible to continue in the capacity that I want to. My muscles are failing as more motor neurons continue to die. It’s hard to talk clearly, and to move my arms and fingers.

Your natural response may be along the lines of ‘I can’t even imagine how I’d feel if that was me – being forced to retire so young because my body is malfunctioning to the point that simple tasks are impossible and total paralysis is inevitable.’ Well, I’m going to ask you to. Seriously, take a minute right now.

How would you change what you’re doing every day if you knew this was your fate? I hope you’d be kinder to others and yourself. That you’d keep the important things in focus. That you’d appreciate your independence. That you’d be a reason for other’s joy. Mostly, I wish that you see and embrace the beauty in the ordinary. Your perspective and attitude might shift for the better. What I would give for just another ‘boring’ day.

The world is magic, it’s up to you to find it.”