40

Today is my birthday. I am 40 years old.

40 is a milestone. 40 is the time to look back and reassess. When I turned 30, I made a vow to make the next decade the best ever. From 30-35, I was miserable, but the last five years have been the best ever even with a stolen car, broken relationships, and getting fired from a job. I am doing what I want, and I expect that to continue into the future.

I didn't know how to be happy until I was 35. I had been searching my whole life, but I found it in that year. If the purpose of life is happiness, then my life is a successful life because I am very happy. My life is not perfect, but happiness does not depend upon perfection.

When you hit 40, the midlife crisis sets in. What have I done with my life so far? For me, the answer is that I have accomplished very little. I'm not rich or famous, and I'm not interested in either of those things. My goals remain the same which are making reforms to my habits and lifestyle. I haven't changed the world, but few people ever do.

Looking forward, I just want my life to be like it is now except with improvements on the habits and lifestyle. I really enjoy my life. I never reflect on that, but when I do, I realize that I am happy.

The biggest threat to my happiness is other people. Looking back, my miserable times have been the result of my relationships. People don't know how to be happy, so they work to bring you down. I'm not like that. I'm very self-sufficient, and I expect others in my life to be the same way. When they don't do this, they get edited out of my life.

But enough of the rear view mirror. What is ahead for me? Well, one day I will croak. This could happen anytime, so in the meantime, I will get older. As I get older, I reflect that there are certain things old people have that young people can't have. One of those things is wisdom. Wisdom and knowledge are the products of time. You need some years under your belt. The other thing is financial stability. You need at least 20 years of work and savings to feel the magic of compounding. Older folks tend to have it together financially. Finally, there is self-acceptance. As I get older, I find myself feeling more comfortable in my own skin. I like being me.

I think the second half of my life will be better than the first. The fact is that when I was young I didn't know how to live. I didn't know what to believe or how to be happy or know truth and reality the way I do know. As they say, youth is wasted on the young. I feel good about being 40. I add old jokes to my self-deprecating bald and fat jokes now.

I don't want to be 20 again. Stupidity is the curse of youth. I don't want to be stupid again. And since I'm happy, I don't waste time giving advice to young people except to learn a trade instead of racking up student loan debt. They don't listen. They never do. When they hit 40, they will be smart like me and know better. Or maybe not.

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