How many of us wish to retire early ?

I want to retire early ? Don't we hear these words often from our fellow friends and also the same echoing in our mind sometimes !!!

What probably each one of means is we have seen enough on the professional world and now wish to live a non professional stress free life, possibly working on the areas which we have missed doing all along due to other commitments and now cannot wait to do it !!

Whether we can retire or not is not the real question but what is noteworthy here is the feeling of retirement for our generation(I mean all those 40 plus) comes at an age for us when our previous generations at similar  age were approaching peak in their career with a decade of more years happily to go.

But interestingly  haven't we noticed the people on other extreme also who do not retire even in their 70's or to that matter our politicians who are at their peaks in this age and presumably too lead a stressful life and I wonder how do they do that and without complaining ? And what about all those housewives who have no retirement age ? Don't they want early retirement !! How much stress they go through too !!

Would it be apt to say retirement means leading a more meaningful life devoted for a cause - maybe social cause, inspiring young generation etc .. which brings you self fulfilment either early or late in your life when you as a individual feel deem fit to do it ?

Friends, What is your definition of retirement  ?

Regards

Sushil