Well, today I turned 50. A number of my friends have gotten in touch with me and have asked me how it feels. Well, it feels very similar to being 49 actually! If you asked me what I would be like at 50 when I was 25, my answer would likely have not matched the reality. Our thinking at 25 is very different than our thinking at 50. Looking back now, I think I was no happier at 25 than I am now. The difference is what makes me happy now is different than what made me happy at 25. At 25, many of the things that made me happy were things. A new car, a stereo, a house. Now, spending time with my daughters makes me happy, a good cup of coffee, a good steak. Come to think of it, a good steak always made me happy. A cup of coffee used to make me just satisfied though...so there is growth there! Looking back, I hope my second fifty will be just as good as my first. My goals are different now, so it will be interesting to see what come of them. In my first fifty years, I am happy to say that I did not reach all of the goals I set out for myself when I was younger. Some of those goals, which involved drinking and partying, were stupid then, and I am glad I did not achieve them. With maturity comes better choices, although I must say that age does limited the potential for some of them. Notice I said, limit, not make impossible. Most things are possible. It just depends how much you are willing to give up to achieve them. The goals I have set for myself are all achievable... if I am willing to give up what is necessary to achieve them. How much are you willing to change to achieve your goals? That is what my 50th birthday has left me thinking. What am I willing to give up to achieve my goals? Am I willing to leave my comfort zone? I guess that is a question we all must ask ourselves at one time or another. How much of our present are we willing to give up to make for a better future? The only constant is change. Yet so many of us seem to want to be stuck in the past. Stuck with what we already know. Change is going to happen, whether we want it or not. Better to embrace change, and work towards the change you want, rather than having it forced on you through circumstance and then having to live with whatever comes your way. For some reason, Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken" comes to mind. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. Like Frost, I will choose what road to take. I hope to choose the road that is grassy and wanting wear. Or even better to leave the path and start my own leading off into my own unique destiny. There used to be a saying, "All roads lead to Rome." It now seems someone has turned that into a sappy chick flick. That fact, thrown aside, no matter what we decide to do with our lives we will all end up somewhere. Where I end up is of little consequence. In the end, we will all end in a grave. HOW I get there is of more importance to me. My goal is to raise my children to have a better life than me. To be happier, and to know what they want sooner... so that they don''t waste as much time as I did. Chasing material things that in the end don't bring happiness. Happiness is found within, my girls. It is what you do, not what you get. Experience the world and build memories. Have a sense of wonder! All that glitters is not gold! Don't be diverted from your goal chasing glittery objects!
Now I am just babbling, so I will end this missive here. To me, 50 was a lot like 40, which was a lot like 30! It was not a lot like 20, which was more of an alcohol induced disaster than anything else! Another year? It means little. Although I must say I am going to try to do 1000 or so push ups today just to make sure I still can! Age means little, but hey, it can still screw up your training if you don't stay on top of things!
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