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The Magic of Turning 40!

Women’s Aging Anxiety

turning-40sThe countdown begins and soon you will no longer belong to the 30-something group. While some may dread crossing 40 threshold, others may greet the event with anticipation and excitement. Regardless of how you feel, you will probably do what everyone does at this juncture: take stock of your life. What have you done with your life? Are you the person you intended to be and are you living the life you want? For Margo, taking stock yielded regrets and disappointment as she compared her life to that of her friend, Jillian. Happily married with 2 children, Jillian has the life Margo desired. Margo, once-divorced, just ended a toxic common law relationship. This meant that she would wake up alone on her 40th birthday. No lover to give her roses, gifts, take her for dinner or throw a surprise party. Margo felt like a classic failure on the love front. Hitting this milestone, she wallowed in self-pity for all her short-comings in life.

Does Life End at 40?

Related Arcles

It is true, certain things may never happen at 40. It is unlikely that Playboy will want you as their centrefold, just as the likelihood of ever being a grandma fades. While you cannot turn back time “turning 40” suggests something exciting! The simple phrase “turning” means you can turn into anything you want to be. You can turn to anything that you want to. It also means you can turn on your passion, turn on your greatness, turn the page, turn the corner and move on! You are halfway through life, but you still have the second half. No matter where you are in your life, there are no rules where you should be. It doesn’t matter whether you are happily married, single or divorced 5 times. It doesn’t matter if you have too many children, enough or none. It doesn’t even matter if you are highly educated; college educated or barely finished high school. At 40, the doors are wide open and you can still do anything you want.

In Biblical terms the numerical number 40 has significant meaning. Think of the 40 days and 40 nights of rain floods. It took the Israelites 40 years to find the Promised Land, and Jesus spent 40 days in the dessert before his crucifixion. Maybe it takes 40 years to grow into an awesome woman. You are about to enter the most amazing time in your life. The past 40 years were all about preparation. Now you are both credible and incredible.

40 is the pivotal power age and here is why:

  • You can become a doctor or lawyer and still have time left to practice;
  • You can fall in love like a teenager and still have the time to grow up;
  • You can marry a younger man without first having a facelift;
  • You can have your first wedding anniversary;
  • You can have children and still have the time to raise them
  • You can shop at Victoria Secret without looking silly
  • You can move to another country and still have the time to make it your home;
  • You can take up a new sport without worrying about arthritis;
  • You lived long enough to be sure about some things;
  • You can say what you want and others will listen;
  • You can still have fun without being medicated;
  • You can do something that you have never done in your life.

And remember this motto to live by:

“Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ~ “WOO HOO, what a ride!” ~Author Unknown

© 2006 Allie Ochs
Reprinted with permission
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