Life Begins at 40

“Life happens when you are busy making other plans.” I learned the hard way that you cannot wait for your life to be perfect before you start living your dreams. Life is happening now, and you should embrace all that life has to offer you in the present—not wait for the future before you start to “live.” *

 In my 20s, I thought middle age would be like my mother’s. In my mid 30s, when I started living my life on my own terms without caring what others thought, I was apprehensive about how I would adjust to my 4th decade, and how I would psychologically handle the changes to my body and mind.

My life has become so much rawer and more genuine since I joined the Naughty 40’s club. I have accepted people as they are. Heartbreaks still happen, and they hurt just as much as they did to, but I no longer resent such individuals. I still look for the familiar things I used to associate with the person who broke my heart, like looking wistfully at the phone for the texts that used to be a regular feature. It’s not that my heart doesn’t skip a beat at a sudden memory, but I am honest enough to accept that certain things are not meant to be – while I am not big enough to wish them well, I don’t wish them ill, but move on with my life.

When I was a young adult, I worried about the future. Now that I’m nearing my forties, I know that nothing lasts forever and that living in the now is much simpler. The best part about turning 40 is that I no longer care what other people think of me and its simple to say “No”

I’ve reached the age when I can take into account another person’s perspective, even if I disagree with it. Also, acknowledge its validity. At forty, I’ve learned to accept and even appreciate the viewpoints of those who are different from mine. Now that I’m 40, I’ve gotten over my initial fear of others that are different from me. My safety is not in danger from them. I have no problem working with someone who is better competent than me intellectually, personally, or professionally.

As time passes, all the better for me. The good, the terrible, and the ugly are all a part of who I am, and I am learning to embrace all of it. What a wonderful time to turn 40; here’s hoping the next decade is even better. The process of aging is inevitable, but the maturation of an individual is not.

At forty, when we want to begin enjoying the good life, they say that life truly starts. My life has just begun. I’m sure a lot of people have bucket lists of things to do before turning 40, the turning point. But at the time, I had no bucket list. I definitely have a list of things I want to check off before I get old.

1. Learn to play drums
2. Learn German
3. Travel the world around the world in 80 days
4. Take SBS FIN to great heights
5. Contribute to world peace, and become a bridge that connects people across borders
6. Conquer my fears… at least once experience the joy and thrills of skydiving, paragliding, hot-air balloon ride…
7. Volunteer and make meaningful contributions using my skills
8. Throw open by the library to public-open a book café
9. Go trekking and camping… gaze at the sky and count the stars
10. Rock Climb
11. Be able to do pull-ups like a pro and do a headstand
12. Meet Steffi Graf
13. Get a tattoo
14. Run Marathon
15. Buy a bicycle and cycle like I used to do as a kid
16. Learn Golf

*https://addicted2success.com/