Life Begins At Forty

As the saying goes ~ Life begins at forty. How true is it? Hard to believe or picture it that life starts at that age limits. What does it mean – literally? Where does this phrase originated? Does it apply to us? 

Literally it means that life begins to be better in one's middle age. As I begin to ponder, I notice that it does rings in our mind. If we observe properly, almost everybody seem to achieve that comfort zone at the age of forty. As I said almost everybody achieve that comfort zone. But where this phrase originate and why is it so commonly uttered especially those at forty? 

The notion that 'life begins at forty' is actually a 20th century phrase. It was in 1930s, an American psychologist Walter Pitkin wrote a book ‘Life Begins at Forty’ which he stated “Life begins at forty. This is the revolutionary outcome of our New Era. Today it is half a truth. Tomorrow it will be an axiom”. Pitkin was credited for this phrase, as society today continue to coin that phrase especially when reaching that middle age boundary. Some would say that by the time you are at the age of forty years old, you would have enough experience and skill to do what you want to do with your life. 

Awake and pondering, if we were to look back and compare forty years behind, we would never dream of having such modern technologies that we have or modern transformation of society or progress that we see in Malaysia today or even in any other countries. From my own life experience, I’ve seen it all ~ from bulky hideous mobile phones during the 1990s to present sophisticated flimsy slimy smart phone, from table top computers to tiny lappytoppy or even Ipad that can be handheld and even to television so technically digitally futuristic as compared to forty years ago. 

SO I guess when they say life begins at forty you go through your life experiencing changes and modernize yourselves in accordance to time. OR once forty you probably have a change of attitude towards life, becoming more relax (probably you own a house, car, children growing up etc. etc.) or becoming a person who wanted more and even more in life as what you have now is not enough. Either way… it’s a choice.

Come to think of it, turning forty is not a disaster and it doesn’t mean it’s altogether healthy either. Well, for starter, once you reached forty, everything finite. Some would shriek knowing that 4-0 thingy is just around the corner and start to wonder. Some would even start to struggle with issues about life itself and start to question 3 things – firstly is identity: ‘who am I?’, then followed by ‘Do I matter?’ and lastly ‘What is my place in life’. Hey… take it easy and let it flow with the show. 

Turning forty helps you make changes in life and able to cope with life’s challenges as compare when you are twenty something – you have resources, experience and developed a maturity that allows you to handle situation more wisely. IF you have gone through emotional and dramatic in earlier time, take the opportunity to let go the past and seize the now. 

I would say that forties is a time to have own self development. We tend to look at the past but use it to make it better now so that it becomes more meaningful, it will help us recover from traumatic time in the past. I believe we should be grateful, appreciate those around us, value our life and know that life is full of surprises. At forty, things can and will change (there’s hope).