Turbulent 40s – mine – not the 1940s

Fasten Seat Belt Sign

I turned 50 in March. I tend to write up annual reviews, e.g. 2016, 2017, but I wanted to take a larger look, what were the big milestones of my last decade?

Turning 40 hit me hard. I knew I’d pretty much reached the mid-point of my useful lifespan. My mid-life crisis was a bit extreme. I got the convertible (still have it) and filed for divorce. I learned many things and made a number of other irrevocable life choices:

As I think about my upcoming decade, my 50s, I am ready:

  • to stop apologizing for who I am
  • to not define myself by the job/role I currently have
  • to live happy and seek joy, perhaps even love
  • to stop waiting for permission (from whom?!). What holds me back?!
  • to get out of my own bloody way
  • to get serious about retirement planning (yep I’m late!)
  • to balance my frugality and extravagance (yes it’s perfectly logical to pack a lunch daily, and forego a daily Starbucks to buy a $350 bottle of wine for my birthday dinner)

 Sine Qua Non Female

I am reminded of a life-lesson I thought I learned but needed to reread.

…tears that one sheds for the unspeakable tragedies that befall any of us as humans, are the only ones worth shedding…not self pity or lamenting mistakes we may have made along our individual journeys…the true tragedy of life is that it can be taken from us at any time and that we may have not lived what time we had to our fullest…filled with passion for all things we love. 

I am curious to learn what secrets and wisdom my 50s will reveal. What life lessons would you share?