Forty Candles So I turn 40 today. I know it’’s just a number but it’s kind of a milestone too, so what better way to mark it than with a special post featuring myself! The ancient philosopher, Confucius, said that at forty, he is no longer perplexed (四十不惑). There have been different interpretations as to what he meant by “no longer perplexed”. I recently heard one that I identify strongly with. At forty, you are almost halfway through your life (if you’re lucky to live that long). You have perhaps twenty or thirty good years to make a career before you might want to retire and take it easy. You no longer have the luxury of time to try this or that. By now, you probably know what you are passionate about and are capable of. You should be able to chart a path forward that maximises your remaining time. For me, that path became clearer to me over this past year, as I am constantly reminded of my aging body — my first signs of presbyopia, chronic back pain, slowed metabolism, etc. It helped to reach out to my old friends, people my age, and realise that we’re all going through the same experience. Like children who suffer growing pains, we suffer aging pains. It’s a reminder that we are constantly changing and that perhaps we have not yet reached our full potential. And so I made a list of things I want to do or achieve before my time runs out. I surprised myself with some of the items on that list. My younger self would certainly have come up with a very different list! But there you go. Constant change. We always have the potential to be something else, as long as we are still breathing. To all my friends who are turning forty this year, let's keep growing together. The best is yet to be! #happybirthday #fabulous40 #fabulousat40 #aging #aginggracefully #bucketlist #thebestisyettobe #birthday #birthdaycake #happybirthdaytome #anewbeginning #aspiration #singaporecomics #singapore (at Club 40) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTTH4N8BhQ1/?utm_medium=tumblr
