Does Life Really Begin at Forty?
By emmanola
@emmanola (482)
January 27, 2008 6:04am CST
I shall be forty years old by the middle of this year. Wow, how time flies; four decades seems so short a time! As I begin to gradually take stock of my life, I believe at age forty, many persons life might have been fully set. What I mean is about family, career, investment, civic responsibility, religious belief, and so on.
As I took stock of my life, I discovered that I have not really achieved much based on the criteria listed above and others. My career went through turbulent times for one and a half decades and I just picked it up again less than two years ago. My joy is that I have finally found career in teaching and research which I seem to enjoy.
Family wise, I am still single, never married! That should surprise many who by now are already grandparents. Well, I really want to marry and hope to achieve that this year. I am working towards it but I cannot afford to rush into taking decision on this important aspect of my life.
Because my career went through turbulent periods, I have very little that I could refer to as investment for the future. I am, however, a diligent and discipline person and make it a point of duty to invest aggressively in the next one decade.
I think I have done tremendously well in my religious belief. I am a spiritual person who believe that there is no life in religion. Do not misunderstand me. For me, being religious is to accept a set of good rules (for the benefit of the adherent of a religion and others) without following the rules diligently.
At forty, I face a number of challenges. However, I am better equipped to face those challenges. I have learnt (still learning) from my past successes and failures. I now set stringent targets for myself and achieve more success than in my previous years. So, at forty it seems life is just beginning for me. What is your own experience? Do you believe that life begins at forty?
3 people like this
12 responses
@bhappy2 (327)
• Australia
27 Jan 08
Forty is the best age of all. By this time your children are just about off your hands or at least over the worst of the needing you years and you are still young enough to get out there and boogy...or whatever it is you want to do. I loved turning forty. I went out and bought everyone in my family a present to celebrate what I saw as my true coming of age. I think I felt this way because marraige and motherhood came early for me and I missed the time that my friends had to enjoy themselves. I also wrote a poem about turning fory. My family all refer to this as my mid-life crisis but I like to think of it as my coming out.
1 person likes this
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
27 Jan 08
and what a great time to come out it is, i call it my blossoming
blessed be
@lightningd (1039)
• United States
28 Jan 08
I'll be 40 in a little more than a month myself, and really, I haven't accomplished a whole lot either. While I have been married, and I have two children, one of whom is in college, I've not made any monumental strides in anything else.
As far as religion, I've been to several different churches, and I have decided after reading in the bible, that god said not to build temples to worship him, that I don't care for organized religion. What I do believe is that God hears your prayers no matter where you are when you say them.
Money wise, I haven't saved anything, and with the economy, I doubt I'll be able to for some time. Hopefully when the kids are grown and out of college I can put some back.. I know I'm having to help my oldest out since his father won't, his excuse and solution being "Your mother gets child support get money from her" although that support was reduced when the older one graduated high school. But, that's fine, the kids know where they stand with him now.
So, if life begins at 40, hopefully I'll make a good run of it and can accomplish something usefull.
@nuffsed (1271)
•
27 Jan 08
It's an interesting notion. I guess it stems from the tradition that the kids are old enough to be "off your hands" and you have much more freedom about that age. But it ain't necessarily so is it? lol
I think we can re-invent ourselves at almost any time given the right circumstances, so forty is as good an age as any. We are living a lot longer than previous generations so perhaps 50, 60, 70 or even 80 could all be time for a new start.
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
28 Jan 08
I am 42, my life began with my conception and has been continuing (thanks be to God) ever since. I do not feel that I am as patient as I used to be. Each stage in my life has been different with my understandings changing and all, I would not say that my life is better now that I am 40's nor would I say it is worse, it is just different.
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
27 Jan 08
Wow what a feeling! Oh to turn 40 again. I will be 50 in two more years and I am not so sure it will be so much fun! Turning forty was a fantastic feeling of feeling free to live. It felt like I finally arrived. Maybe I was immature and I finally came into my own I don't really know. All I know is I felt free to be my self! My children were grown up nd out of the house living on their own by this time. Really you know I can't put my finger on what it was but I remember I felt such joy and peace during my early forties!
@leeesa (884)
• United States
27 Jan 08
Well I'm beyond 40 and I'm still waiting for life to begin! Everyone is different and you shouldn't compare yourself just because others have families and grandchildren, etc. Your life is what you make it and it sounds like you know what you want, so just enjoy life and enjoy turning 40. It's not as bad and some might think!
@ESKARENA1 (18261)
•
27 Jan 08
Well, I was 40 when my life began. All of a sudern i felt like i had become rather than becoming. I was the person I wanted to be. Yes, I have faults, but i accept them, I am me. Nothing needs to be changed, i have finally grown up
blessed be
@Ravenladyj (22902)
• United States
27 Jan 08
LOL well coming from the history/past that i do..my life began for the FIRST time finally in my 20s...I'm not YET 40 (38 this yr) so ask me again 2.5 yrs from now and I'll let you know ;-)
@guozhenrong (76)
• China
27 Jan 08
wow,i don't know because i have't been 40 yet.but i think life begins as soon as you understood the world and know how to deal with the problems.youth is a valuable period .once gone ,it can never return.life ,i think ,should begin at one's youth.if wait untill 40,it 's a pity.there's nothing.
i 'd like to cut it into two period.before 40,it's a time to plant trees,namely do every effort.then,after 40,we can harvest remarkable lifes.no pain,no gain..
@livintx49 (245)
• United States
27 Jan 08
Happy 40th Birthday to come. I'll be 50 this year and to me it just doesn't seem possible. Time has flown. I'm not sure if life really begins or you know more and are able to make good decisions. Honestly I still feel like a kid.I'm making a major life decision this year and the sooner the better but I'm not charging in to it I'm taking stock and being an adult about it.
@kelzuk (21)
•
27 Jan 08
I believe life begins at 40
Ill be 40 in 4 years time and at the moment i am slowly getting my new business up and running, i have 3 children aged coming up to 10 7 and 4 my 4 yr old starting school full time in september which from now is giving me the chance to do what i need to do to prepare myself to go bak to work full time.....
