Forty and ThrivingBy: Will Praht
Turning forty is a mental fight for many people who believe this number is the first step toward the final resting grounds. Listen 40 is just a number and no matter how hard you try, 40 will still come. The first step in moving on is accepting this one inevitability.
Sure we have plenty of cosmetic fixes available to make us seem younger but nothing stops the aging process, the closest component to retarding the process is a regular and dedicated session of exercise. But even exercise can't stop the aging process.
Rather than dread these coming years, embrace them and understand that this is a new phase of your life, just as the previous decades of your 20's and 30's were. View the upcoming time in your life as a new adventure to embrace and enjoy. Sure as in every past part of your life, you will have some new challenges and some lows to overcome. Your attitude and resolve Can make the difference.
One weapon that is at your side, believe it or not, is your maturity. Through every phase of our life we have had challenges and obstacles to overcome. Many of these we conquered, other we failed miserably, but it is the cumulative experience of both that makes us so much better prepared for what is to come. Today we would not make the same mistakes we did at the age of 20, if we do we have not grown in our own existence.
With every day we have survived we have gained greater knowledge and wisdom, which you can now employ in not only your future but the future of the youth around you. You my friend can be a difference maker, not only in your existence but in the lives of the younger generation that surrounds you. You have the opportunity to influence and mold the youth around you into citizens everyone would be proud of. You can help them avoid the mistakes you made, while creating a new vision of the world they live in.
But your contributions don't just stop there. Now that the hectic lifestyle you lived in your 20's and 30's is past and you are beginning to get more settled in your own skin, you now have a chance to give back to those around you and make a difference. Think about helping the neighborhood or a particular cause that you find dear to your heart. I'm talking about more than just a monetary donation to a program or a cause. I'm talking about actually getting involved and using your cumulative knowledge to make a difference in an area you feel passionate about.
Now that you don't have as many time constrictions spread your wings out farther and help where you can and where it means the most to you.
Finally forget those worries about health otherwise they become self fulfilling prophecies. Take charge of your health and forget what others say about the inevitability of certain health problems. The common acceptance of many diseases and physical ailments as part of getting old, only reinforce the status quo. By paying more attention to what we eat, and either continuing or beginning a regimented workout program, you can live a quality of live just as good or better than the previous 39 years.
It's all in your approach and attitude. Study after study show that the active middle age individual shows less signs of aging and is less likely to succumb to many of the diseases attributed to middle age and older.
That doesn't mean you have to compete at the levels you did in the 20's or 30's, forget about those ideas of what you used to do and create a workout program that allows you to take care of yourself. The new main focus isn't winning as much as it is maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Compete with realistic goals, keeping health as the main focus.
So now you see it's a mental approach that will keep you ahead of the game and youthful til your 100 years young or more. Keep the right approach and you will be surprised how fulfilling life can be. Good luck in your journey and stay young in your mind.
