I turned 70 on Thanksgiving Day last year.
I did all the things you’re supposed to do at this age:
☑ Had my annual physical
☑ Saw my cardiologist
☑ Met with my financial planner
☑ Checked in with my estate attorney to make sure my will and trust were in order
☑ And I celebrated with a wonderful party surrounded by family and friends.
So naturally, people started asking:
“Are you retired?”
“Are you going to retire?”
By most appearances, it looks that way. I became an Emeritus Professor at Buffalo State University two years ago. I collect social security. I even get senior discounts at restaurants.
Years ago, when my professor and mentor Dr. Ruth Noller, a renowned mathematician and pioneer in Creativity Studies, stepped down from teaching, she made one thing very clear:
“I am not retired. I am REFIRED.”
I loved that expression so much that I’ve borrowed it.
Thank you, Ruth.
Creativity Is Not Reserved for the Young
Paul McCartney was 22 when Love Me Do became the Beatles’ first hit. Taylor Swift released her debut album at 16. Steve Jobs was 21, and Steve Wozniak was 26 when they founded Apple Computers.
But the idea that creativity belongs only to the young?
Consider these creators who did their greatest work after the age of 55:
- Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first “Little House” book at 65 and created a foundational series of American children’s literature.
- Frank Lloyd Wright designed Fallingwater at 67 and kept creating well past 70.
- Rita Levi-Montalcini changed medicine when she discovered nerve growth factor that revealed how nerve cells grow, develop, and repair. She won the Nobel Prize at 77.
- Harland (Colonel) Sanders, at 62, franchised Kentucky Fried Chicken. One of the world’s most recognizable brands.
- Georgia O’Keeffe produced major art in her late 60s and 70s.
- Jane Goodall scaled her global conservation efforts after age 55.
- My friend, the extraordinary guitarist, Bobby Lebel is teaching and regularly performing at 70.
- And Paul McCartney is still touring—at 83.
So, age is not the finish line. It can be the starting line.
My Own Refiring
Some of my major creative contributions came after I turned 63:
- At 64, I wrote my 6th book Create in a Flash: A leader’s recipe for breakthrough innovation
- At 65, I produced the nine-part series on Innovation that is distributed on the OpenSesame e-learning platform.
- At 66, I re-released my first book Why Didn’t I Think of That?
- At 67, I wrote my 7th book Solve the Real Problem
- At 68, I delivered my second TEDx talk: The Secret to Better Brainstorming .
The Transition to Refiring
Let me be totally honest.
Last year was a year of soul-searching and transition. It really stretched me.
After five years of delivering nearly 20 major projects, I hit a wall. By November of 2024, I was worn down—creatively, mentally, and physically. I needed to step back.
So, I did.
I took some time to pause and reflect. I asked some big questions:
Do I really want to retire and spend my days on our farm in Northern Colorado?
Do I want to keep doing what I’ve always done?
Do I still want to work at the same pace I have for the past five, 25, even 40 years?
Then another question emerged—one that changed everything:
What if I stopped “working”… and simply did my work?
The work that brings me joy.
The work that makes a difference.
The creative work that matters.
That question lit the match.
That’s when I knew—I wasn’t retiring.
I was refiring.
My Role Model
I have a remarkable example right in my family.
My mom, Ruth Firestien, turns 95 in March. Every single day she goes to her sewing room and creates—pot holders, table runners, coasters—each filled with color and joy.
That’s not retirement.
That’s refirement.
The Fire in Refired
When I look at the word refired, what jumps out at me is fire—as in passion… as in purpose… as in fire-in-the-belly.
You don’t have to be 70 to refire.
You can refire at ANY age.
So, here’s my status:
I’m not retired.
I’m open for business.
Your Turn
What are you passionate about?
What puts the fire in your belly?
What I’ve learned from 70 years on this planet is this: When you follow your passion—when you follow your bliss—you don’t just make a living.
You make a life.
So… what are you refiring about?
