The Big Four

The Big Four is here. It came knocking on my door and it was followed by a zero. I knew it would come one day but I did not worried much. Age is just a number!

It seems like only yesterday I was laying down the beach, having a cigarette and a drink with my best friends trying to picture how our lives would be, making wild plans for the summer and having a blast.

Time flew by so fast. I never had the feeling that it had slowed down. We went full speed ahead, just like a cruiser riding the waves and trying to make the best of what life had thrown at us. We rose, we failed, we fell and rose again.

I have been recently told that once I hit my 40`s, I should stop counting the years and simply refer to any event that took place in the past by mentioning that time when. For someone who is not keen on numbers and fighting brain fog, it will come naturally.

When we are children, all we want is to grow up. As we age, we look at things through a different lens, a wider one which enables us to see in HD not only the pluses but also the minuses. When you first hit rock bottom, you wish to be a child again, therefore you won`t have to deal with whatever negative issue you are faced with.

As we grow older and hopefully wiser or saner, our childhood memories slowly fade away, making room for new ones. They will come back to us later on, in bits and they will have a profound effect on us. They`ll surge in the most unexpected moments, unfolding a nostalgic feeling of a lost safe heaven, that is in and out on the corridors of your heart.

These old memories will be your companion when you will find yourself all alone or when your heart will ache hearing about the loss of a friend. You`ll call yourself lucky that you had the chance to make it so far.

Only now you notice that in the past two years you have attended more funerals than weddings, christenings or parties. While you are partially shocked about this discovery, you stumble upon another one. Most of the time you meet or chat with a friend, the topic is health-related.

The only chance to get a glimpse of those innocent, sweet and worry-free times is to see it through our children` eyes. They are an endless source of creativity, spontaneity, innocence and unconditional love.

Isn`t it funny that humans spend most their lives in a rush, running after something sought needed or required, just to learn that its value is not nearly half as they have thought?

As someone that grew up hearing quite often there is a time for everything, I can only say that this old wisdom offers more practical advice than you`d think.

Not only the path we choose is important, but also the timing, the pace and the consistency to all of these.

To leave with no regrets means to live freely, in peace with the choices we make. It implies being truthful to ourselves and learn not to have any set expectations.

In addition, it requires being open to change. When you keep an open mind, it is easier to practice critical thinking.
Open mindedness is a critical skill that enables you to be more empathetic, tolerant, liberal.

Our approach to life is what actually dictates the outcome, what broadens our experiences and allows us to expand our intellectual capability.

When we challenge ourselves we get a greater insight to what our real potential is and we manage to have a better understanding of the world around us.