10 Reasons Why Life Begins at 40

When you hit the age of 40 it’s a huge milestone into the next phase of life. Before 40 you’re learning life and making huge sacrifices trying to figure out who you are. At 40 the game has changed and you’re seasoned and ready. Why does life begin at 40 though? 

10 reasons life begins at 40 are: 

1. Solid and well established relationships
2. Successful in business and / or career
3. Financial security
4. Live life on your own terms
5. Increased attention on better health and wellness
6. Well equipped to navigate difficult situations
7. Accept yourself as you are
8. You know your body
9. A full catalog of life’s knowledge
10. You know your purpose in life

There are several components of your life that come together during this time that influence the next phase of your life. Here are 10 reasons why life begins at 40.

1. Solid and well established relationships

For many of us relationships are solid and established by the age of 40. Looking for love in the dating world may no longer be your reality because you’re married or in a committed relationship. The hustle and bustle of trying to find that special person to spend the rest of your life with is over and you’re focused on nurturing your relationship.

If you’re single in your 40s, you aren’t up for games. You know exactly what type of person you want in your life. You’re only willing to entertain individuals that can bring something good to an already great life.

The way you interact with people once you hit 40 is very different from what you did in your 20s. Life experiences provide the awareness of how others may view situations different from the way you do. You’re able to communicate your feelings clearly along with your expectations.

2. Successful in business and / or career

In your 20s you find and establish your professional career. Working long hours trying to move up the career ladder usually brings you better pay.

Once you hit 40 a lot of your hard work starts to manifest itself and pay off. You feel more secure in your career and your skills and abilities. You know exactly what you’re capable of and where you still need to do more work.

60% of people who start a small business are between the ages of 40 and 60. If you didn’t start a business before 40, you’re likely to consider business ownership as you grow older. Owning your own business gives you the freedom to be your own boss.

Using decades of life experience, you can create a business that allows you the flexibility to live the life you want while also doing the things you love. Owning a business in your 40s gives you another option to create a financial and professional legacy.

3. Financial security

The hard work you’ve done in your career or business results in earning more money. Once you hit 40 you’re usually making more money than you have ever made in your lifetime.

40 gives you an opportunity to wrap up a lot of the financial decisions made in your 20s, like going to college or graduate school. Financial security allows you to invest in self improvement in addition to expanding your financial portfolio.

By the time you’re 40, you’ve probably owned one or multiple properties or may be in the process of purchasing your first home. This is because at this point in your life you’re able to do the things you always wanted because of your financial condition.

Our 40s give us an opportunity to use our extra or increased earnings to develop and create new memories. We are no longer limited by our wallet and can explore whatever we’re committed to saving toward.

4. Live life on your own terms

Before 40, a lot of your time is focused on trying to get other people to like you as much as you like yourself. Everything is focused on being the one that everybody wants to hang out with and create a relationship.

When you hit your 40s, there’s an understanding that what other people think about you should not impact how you feel about yourself. You gain an awareness that your primary focus should not be to gain the adoration of others, but to focus on loving yourself.

During this time you’re able to make choices about what life you want to live and you don’t have to get permission from others. You don’t even have to apologize for the decisions that you choose to make. 40s is usually when you have the most amount of clarity about where you want to progress your life for the future.

Life on your own terms. It’s beautiful to be young enough to experience life at its fullest but mature enough to understand you can do it your way.

5. Increased attention on better health and wellness

Before 40 we don’t think about our mortality. At 40, you start to think about the life you want to live 20 years from now. A healthy life is much more likely to be happy and fulfilling.

Do you want a life full of a cocktail of medications and constant medical appointments? Or do you want a life that allows you to continue to be mobile and do the things you want to do with the least disruption?

In your 40ss you might start really focusing on a fitness routine, eating health, or getting more rest. You’re more focused on your overall mental and physical health because you understand the financial impact of bad health and wellness.

6. Well equipped to navigate difficult situations

Difficult situations can be tough to navigate when you’re younger but over time you learn how to handle a difficult situation and not allow it to consume you at the same time. By 40 we’ve all suffered some level of loss or some other traumatic event. We know what we need to do to take care of ourselves in order to move forward.

At 40 you’re able to navigate around drama. You distance yourself from individuals who are more focused on creating difficult situations than having peaceful and loving moments with the people they care about.

When you age you realize time is a precious commodity that should only be used with those that value you and bring something positive to the interaction. Constant drama and trauma can lead to medical issues. You work hard to protect your body and mind from the drama.

7. Accept yourself as you are

Before 40 you spend so much time focused on who you aren’t instead of embracing who you are. With age and experience you come to understand that many of the things that we don’t like about ourselves, others also don’t like about themselves. That doesn’t mean that we’re not awesome.

At 40 you know your strengths and your weaknesses and you’re not concerned what others think about you. Before 40, you may have not been ready to see yourself beyond what the world expects from you. But at 40 you now have a strong sense of self.

With age and wisdom you know exactly who you want to be and if you’re not there yet you know what you want to do to get there and are willing to put in the work. This acceptance allows you to really live the life that you want.

8. You know your body

The body that you’re born into is the one that you’re going to have forever. When you’re growing up you’re learning new things about your body every day and that does not change once you hit 40.

By 40 you know what your body likes and what it loathes. However, over time you learn new things about your body. Things you once loved your body starts to hate. (Remember how you used to love ice cream?)

As our bodies change with age, we’re still aware of the things that we can do easily and we discover things that may be a little more difficult than they used to be. We’re not afraid to push ourselves to the limits that we could reach before 40.

Knowing your body in your 40s also allows you to advocate for yourself in all situations. You no longer allow people to tell you what’s good for your body. You’re in the driver seat communicating your expectations.

9. A full catalog of life’s knowledge

Over the duration of your life you’ve learned from past success and failures. This has created an accumulation of knowledge that can’t be compared to anyone else. Your experiences are your experiences and they shape your beliefs and abilities.

We have enough life experience to know what we like, dislike, and cherish. The things that we know and have acquired over time are due to the work we’ve done as an individual. No one else can take credit for our accomplishments or our failures.

The catalog of knowledge that you possess as an individual is invaluable not only to you but also those around you. Others will seek knowledge and wisdom from you because you may have lived and learned and your knowledge is valued.

10. You know your purpose in life

With age comes wisdom and experience. By 40 you’ve tried so many different things, some good experiences and some bad. All of them helped you form a sense of purpose for your life that creates real meaning.

Life can be tough but when you know your purpose for existing it is the motivation that drives you toward a satisfying future. This is especially important when things go wrong, which in life they often will.

In your 40s, you recognize the things that truly count no matter the circumstance. Your purpose in life may be to help others, care for your family, travel the world, or be a good friend. Your purpose is clear and everything you do supports living in your purpose.

Life in your 40s is the journey of living life on your own terms doing the things you want when you want. Your sense of self is strong but you’re also still exploring and growing each day. Keep learning from mistakes and taking advantage of opportunities because age doesn’t limit your time for success.

You’ve been living before 40 but life at 40 and beyond is next level. Travel the world, love hard, hustle harder, and take care of yourself. Everything you have now you’ve earned. And no one can take it from you.