Wisdom at 40

Yep, it’s official. The day has come and passed. No longer in my twenties – no longer in my thirties. I am 40. Therefore, I am wise – well, at least wiser than I was at 39. I felt it my responsibility to share some of that wisdom with you.

Back when I was in my twenties, I thought it was cool to stay up late. Now that I’m in my forties, I can’t. I wake up at 4:30am without even trying.

Back when I was in my thirties, I thought I could be on the cover of GQ. Now that I am (one of my 40th birthday gifts), I see the wisdom the GQ staff had in keeping me off. Definitely in need of more air brushing and hair replacement.

Back when I was in my twenties, I thought stretching was for wimps. Now that I am in my 40’s, I realize that stretching is critical to my survival of any athletic activity.

Back when I was in my twenties, I didn’t even know what an ear/nose hair trimmer was. Now that I’m in my 40’s, I keep looking for DeWalt to produce their own version - 18V cordless with varying speeds.

Back when I was in my twenties and even thirties, I thought birthdays were a time to celebrate in the life of a special person. Now that I am in my 40’s I realize that birthdays are occasions to make fun of the person “getting old.” Case in point – my birthday. Of the many cards I received, over 75% of them had something to do with my digestive system. In terms of the gifts I received, 75% of them had to do with – strangely enough – my digestive system and other things I'm uncomfortable to talk about in public.

Back when I was in my 20’s I cared a lot about what I looked like. Now that I’m in my 40’s I see the wisdom of the 3 pack of Hanes white t-shirts and the exclusive shopping on the clearance rack. (I suppose it goes hand in hand to not care what you look like when what you look like is changing in ways that aren’t so appealing. Maybe it’s one of those defensive mechanisms I’ve heard about.)

Now in my forties, I’m becoming clear on a few things:

Relationships are what really matter in life.

I have been abundantly blessed and have so much to be thankful for.

Being entertained is tempting but almost always unfulfilling.

Time with people is far more important than time accomplishing.

Giving trumps getting.

Being selfish is easy; being a servant is not.

God knows what He’s doing. He definitely knows what He’s talking about.

I am a work in progress – not always progressing.

God doesn’t need me, but I sure need Him.

I should be revered and honored by those younger. (Just kidding) I should love and serve and sacrifice for those who are younger. (Not kidding)

My body still thinks it can do what I did in my 20’s. It has a lot to learn.

I am excited about the next 40. What a gift the first 40 have been.