Life Is a Process: Ajay Yadav on Learning, Creativity and Living Without Retirement

For Ajay Yadav, life has never been something to simply pass through. At 62, he continues to work, write, read, engage with people and explore ideas with the curiosity of someone who believes that learning does not come with an age limit.

Born in a village in Haryana, Ajay grew up in a family shaped by his father’s career in the Army. Frequent transfers meant that his schooling happened in different places. Over the years, his professional journey took him into the world of publishing and legal books. Today, he works with a company that exports cotton.

But his profession is only one part of who he is.

Ajay considers writing and literature his passions. He writes primarily in Hindi, and his articles have been published and read by people across the country. His poetry has also found a place on social media, and he has compiled some of his poems into an e-book. For him, knowing that people read his words, respond to them and draw inspiration from them is a deeply meaningful achievement.

His journey has also shaped his views on education and success. Ajay believes that a degree should not become the sole measure of a person’s wisdom or capability. He recalls seeing capable people being denied opportunities simply because they did not possess the required academic qualification.

“Please don’t judge a person by his degree,” is the essence of his message. For Ajay, knowledge can also come from people, experiences and the marketplace of life. The fact that his own writing connects with readers gives him a sense of pride that no certificate could replace.

This belief in continuous learning also informs his understanding of retirement.

Ajay does not agree with viewing retirement as the end of an active life. To him, retirement is primarily the conclusion of one professional chapter. Social life, family life, intellectual engagement and the desire to contribute do not have to retire.

He has seen people continue practising their professions, offering consultations and sharing their expertise long after leaving formal employment. Why, then, should they consider themselves retired?

For Ajay, the word “retirement” can become a mental block. Life continues, and so should the willingness to participate in it.

He is equally wary of turning later life into a predictable routine. Morning walks, yoga and exercise may be important for health, but he believes life should be more than following a timetable simply because there is nothing else to do.

“Life is a process. Live it,” is the philosophy that emerges from his words.

Instead of seeing daily activities as burdens, Ajay believes they can become part of a larger system of living, one that keeps the mind and body active while leaving room for curiosity, creativity and connection.

Perhaps that is what makes his perspective particularly striking. At 62, Ajay is not looking back at life as something that has already happened. He is still participating in it, shaping it and leaving something behind through his writing.

For him, a meaningful life is also about creating a lasting identity, something through which people may remember you even after you are gone.

His definition of life is ultimately simple: life is beautiful, but how beautiful it feels depends greatly on the perspective with which we choose to see it.

And Ajay chooses to keep looking at it with inspiration.