Turning Forty: 5 Things to Keep in Mind

It was said to me, by a friend on the topic of turning forty: "I may not be able to stay young forever, but I can choose to be immature, all my life!" Being yet another human soul, in a long, long line of human souls, lucky enough to even encounter the thought of turning forty, I'd like to be the one to throw other folks at this point in life another life-line. Just a bit of advance notices about turning forty.

As I myself come around the corner of turning forty years of age, I look back on all of those golden opportunities of advice I passed on too. All these years, and any one of those suggestions and I might've been turning forty in a mansion, instead of an apartment. But that's why this message exists. Be a little fore-warned. So, before even coming upon this age range of forty years old, take some advice: Take some well-managed risks.

Turning Forty: 5 Things to Keep In Mind Number One:

Reaction times may be slower.

-Those super-hero reflexes of yesteryear are just that: of yesteryear. Despite all of the best of intentions, those turning 40 years of their time on this earth, are not the ones who should be putting up the Christmas tree lights , on a ladder, on snow. No. Not a good idea. Turrning gets trickier in the back too.

Turning Forty: 5 Things to Keep In Mind Number Two:

Lay off of TV so much.

-Now's a great time to keep active. Exercise pays off in a more limber body, healthier appetite, and better sleep. While it's good to get that morning walk, or yoga set in, make sure and keep busy all day. All of this leads to the next tip:

Turning Forty: 5 Things to Keep In Mind Number Three:

Play brain games.

-This is where the inventor of sudoku should be venerated. Word-search games, crossword puzzles, and every other type of brain-teasing, thought-provoking type of leisure activity helps to battle off the symptoms of some cases of early-onset Alzheimer's Disease.* So brains need to be played with too! The more you do now, the more you'll be able to do, after turning forty.

Turning Forty: 5 Things to Keep In Mind Number Four:

Kids grow up. They're not babies anymore.

-There's nothing so melancholy and bittersweet as seeing the kids growing up bigger, and getting stronger, each day. What was once just laughter, diapers, lunch, and fatigue, is growing now into another human to converse with. Seeing another person who can just as readily disagree as concur, and they still have your love no matter what, the only rationally true example of unconditional love.

Parenthood brings Mankind closer to God. Maybe that should've been the sub-clause.

Turning Forty: 5 Things to Keep In Mind Number One:

Death is inevitable, thus far, anyway. Same thing with change.

-There's simply no point in worrying about growing old and dying. Methinks the goal of the human body is to end it's days in a comfortable environment, surrounded by those loved ones, and having happy memories. That seems to be what most folks consider heaven. So, life should be lived, with such goals in mind.

Yes. Life someday ends. All the more reason to get out there and live! Now is not the time to dwell on the end. Until technology either unlocks the regeneration dna or we learn how to manufacture our own spare parts, we need to make full use of what time we have in this life. Turning forty is no excuse to quit.

Change comes at us at a pace that nearly makes us feel like our grandparents, amazed at all the new-fangled, electronic wizardry about, asking questions just to keep up. It will be continual. Embracing it keeps us all in the loop. Turning forty is no reason to settle.

Source:

Personal experience, and,
* WebMd