Hi Reader

“I know it's become a bit of a standing joke that I've been trying to retire since 2020,” our friend Rebecca said as she was speaking during the closing gathering for the crew at last weekend's Infinite Possibilities Certification Conference.

For several years now, she's been gradually handing over the reins of some of her work to a small team of us. This time, though, I think she might actually be serious!

She wants more time with her husband and grandchildren, more time to travel (they love hiking in the mountains) and simply to enjoy this next stage of her life.

As she was talking about finally retiring, our dear friend Danielle (who we affectionately call Mama D) shouted out:

“You're not retiring. You're re-firing!”

We all laughed. But I've been thinking about those words ever since because perhaps retirement doesn't have to be only about what we're retiring from.

Maybe there's another question: What are we retiring to?

And I don't think “re-firing” necessarily means filling our diaries with new projects or finding another mountain to climb.

For one person it might mean finally having time to travel. For another, grandchildren, gardening, volunteering, learning something new or simply having the freedom to wake up and decide how they'd like to spend the day.

It's really about asking what we want this next chapter of our lives to look and feel like.

Phil and I were in our late 50s when we sold almost everything, bought a campervan and set off travelling. We were still in our 50s when we found our land in Portugal and began creating a home here.

Since then we've started new ventures, learned new things and discovered interests we didn't know we had. Phil has just finished up the first part of a Portuguese language programme - his first serious studying (with homework and tests too!) since he left school. For someone who did not get on with school (or was it the other way round?!), that's a big achievement.

And I'm not sharing this because I think everyone should sell everything, pull up roots and move abroad.

I'm sharing it because I think sometimes we unconsciously start closing down possibilities as we get older.

"I'm too old for that."

"It's too late now."

"I should have done it years ago."

But what if this stage of life isn't about winding down? What if it's simply an opportunity to decide what you want next?

That's one of the reasons Phil and I created The Compass.

It's a simple approach we use whenever we want to find our direction - whether we're considering a big life change or simply trying to work out what matters now.

It starts with a deceptively simple question: Where do I want to go from here?

That's our 'destination'. Then we begin to imagine it, take the baby steps towards it and learn to trust ourselves along the way.

And perhaps unsurprisingly, we've called our next four-week Compass Circle Experience, starting on 2 November, 'What Comes Next?'

It's for those times when something is ending, changing or simply no longer fits - or when you just have that feeling that you'd like something more or different from the next chapter of your life.

If that sounds like where you are at the moment, you can find out more about 'What Comes Next?' here.

For now, though, perhaps Rebecca's “retirement” gives us all something to think about - whether retirement is years away, already here, or completely irrelevant to our current stage of life.

So the gentle question this week is:

Maybe none of us needs to retire from life. Perhaps every now and then, we simply need an opportunity to re-fire our life.

Discover your direction ❤️

Kimberley & Phil​
​The Compass by Casabo​
​Helping you find direction, connection and your next step

PS. For those of you who've been following Phil's eye journey, we saw his surgeon in Coimbra again on Monday and he is really pleased with his progress. Restoring vision after retina and macula detachment is usually a journey of many months, so there are still unknowns ahead. We're continuing to trust the process and are very grateful for all your lovely messages, thoughts and prayers. ❤️

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