What does it mean to you "Life begins at 40"?

I think I can explain this, when you are young, people tend to worry about little things that might affect their life, their image, their reputation even, you make a lot of mistakes and you have to worry about decisions you make and how they are going to affect your life, once you get to 40 or even 50 you have already made a lot of those mistakes and hopefully learnt the lessons of life from them, so now you are at an afge where you know how short life is, probably you have lost a lot of special people in your life so you think oh well what the heck ...the rest of my life is for me and i am going to enjoy it....

Well I haven't reach that age yet but in a few more years maybe I could answer you better. But somehow I think I have a glimpse of it from the perspective of some of my colleagues at work who are at this age already. I see them a little bit matured than we in the thirties are. In the thirties life is on the transition between the energetic and adventurous type of person. This is the decade where you first experience that health is not always at your side. It is starting to get slower and slower in time. At this stage also you learn the word surrender to things that in your younger years was a dream worth reaching for. In these stage also you realized that there are more simpler ways of enjoying life than the ones that you are doing right now. Life begins at 40 because you are entering a new stage in life, physically less aggressive but is more mature and a much learned person whatever your position in life is.

Well, when people say they are enjoying life, what do you picture in your mind? A person with no financial worries. All his major debts are paid for. He can afford to get the things he wants without having to worry about the burden it will bring to the family finances. He can afford to really enjoy the finer things that life has to offer. A stable job. A nice home that is paid for. A savings to call his own. Enough coverage to ensure he does not have to worry about his retirement. Before 40, we have heck of a lot of things to worry about. Lets start from the time you start schooling. You worry about homework datelines and exams. Then High school, where you worry about who you are going to go out with, coupled with puberty and homework and exams. Then Graduate school. More pressing datelines, choice of career and more exams. Then comes the debts when you graduate. Paying thru your nose to service that graduate study loan. Then the slogging to ensure you carve a niche in your career. Then come marriage. Housing loans. Marriage expenses. Renovations. Kids savings. Kids expenses. By the time you reach 40, most of these stuff would have been settled, one way or another. The kids have grown up. The house is paid. The car is no longer on installment. Your career is stable. You have a little more time to spend with your spouse to do the things YOU want to do which you could not in the past 20 years since graduation. Agree? Life generally starts at 40. Maybe a little earlier for some. Maybe a little later for others.

he sweetbarbie, maybe it's created to encourage and comfort the people who reach the age, keeping them from thinking that they have live too long j/k anyway, this is the other saying regarding age, "to be old is a must, to be mature is a choice." which do you choose?

Life begins at "40". At this age specifically Male (should) have reached their ultimate goals in life, learned their lessons, experienced their failures and fantasies.. with all this criteria Men at 40 are just starting to begin their life absolutely free and resistive from distractions life has to offer beyond 40 years. As the song "While my Guitar gently weeps" says "With Every Mistake we must surely be learning". At 40, one should have accumulated much mistakes accordingly learned from them. Life begins at "40" means enjoying life free from distractions at 40. my email address is maryanga@yahoo.com. pwede ba tayong mag chat to know us better.

Because , at this age, one so matured , that he starts , rethinking his own acts.. And in many ways it is true... Many responsibilities , will be completed... And many new wishes, which were incomplete .. stars taking a rebirth, in your minds...

As far as i understand, the popular line has its own significance. I can explain it this way. When you are very young, you just have no responsibilities or worries and only playful. When in teens (13 to 19) you are in a blossoming stage and in a lot of confusion and curiosity to know about many things, while on the other hand trying to concentrate on studies. After studies are over, you try to get a job of your satisfaction and worthy remuneration and you spend lot of time chasing these. When you finally settle in a job, a confirmed one i mean, you think of getting married. Once in married life, you think you are settled in life but it is not so. Burden of family life includes taking care of your spouse and children and other domestic chores. By the time you are 40, your children are grown up to some extent to face the world indepentdantly, and there you think your responsibilities are over so far as family life is concerned, and you start thinki ng you have free time to do anything of your choice.

for me, life begins at 40 means that this the age we really get serious into life and left behind those teenage attitude we had. a time to focus for the future of our family and find more time with God...