Turning 40 is a Gift. Use this Milestone like a LaunchPad.

My daughter was born in one of the smallest hospitals in a small town. When the nurse placed her in the glass chamber, her grandparents hurried to inspect her. Her grandmother scanned her limbs to make sure they are fine. It was funny, and it was an insight to me.

A few minutes of scrutiny and, then — the smiles of a lifetime, the tears of joy — she was fine, she was crying, she was smiling.

That day and those simple gestures told me how fragile the human body is. You and I had no control over how our bodies turned out to be. So if you are reading this story with all your limbs and senses working fine, be grateful.

Turning 40 is not just an ordinary milestone. It’s a launchpad — a culmination of 40-years of experience waiting for a launch towards something new. Every year spent on this Planet is worth noticing and learning from.

I feel lucky to have survived the past 40-years and that too living a healthy and happy life.

40-years of Perspective Building

Books are more than friends to me. In the narrow lanes of these books, I learned that people who lived 100 years before I, were not as lucky as you and I are. Living past 40-years used to be an achievement. Today, thanks to better medical facilities, healthy food, cleaner infrastructure, safer world — this planet offers us the opportunity to spend the most wonderful times of human existence.

My memory is not sharp enough to recall all the important events of the past 40-years, but I remember the perspectives it helped me build. When I write my daily journals, they often amaze me with their sudden appearance on paper.

In the past few years, writing journals has helped me introspect. The more I look back; I realize that life’s favorite pastime is to keep showing us surprises and pushing us to change. Even if you decide to stand still, the Universe won’t let you do it. We all are moving every time.

In recent years, it seems that a sense of “change” is slowly gripping each one of us. The most important element in our lives — money, is slowly losing its importance. And, people who are still glued to its fantasies are forcing their lives to not change. We have the tools; we have the resources — now, it’s all about who makes a detour and decides to offer the best of themselves to this world.

As I turn 40, life has helped me build many new perspectives, and one of them is to firmly believe in change — that I can change and be the change.

40 Changes Leading me Towards the Next Chapter

1. I am spending more time with myself (and journaling is one of the strongest tools to achieve this change)
2. Time has become more important than money (Covid enforced lockdown strengthened this belief)
3. Sleep has become one of the important tools to increase my productivity and focus (I see the positive change in my mental, psychological, emotional, and physical health)
4. I have started respecting my body. It’s important to treat it like a temple. (Physical exercises, hydration, better food, and a well-rested body — that has what lead to this perspective change)
5. I am eating less junk (with respect towards the body, there comes an automated reaction to control the consumed food. If we don’t allow junk in our home, why allow junk to enter the temple!)
6. Making conscious choices is a better way of living a happy life (having choices is a gift. Many people around us don’t have this. It’s important to be grateful for this gift)
7. The new norm is to avoid traffic on the roads (reach office early, leave early, stay at home, and let my mind invest in itself. Covid enforced lockdown did not give birth to days of frustration and irritation; instead, it helped me become better each day.)
8. I am sharing my knowledge and resources with others (Sharing seems to be the best tool to learn more and quickly). Sharing feels satisfying (not just knowledge but resources too)
9. I can differentiate between a corporate cat and a rat (16-years in the corporate world makes me wiser to make this differentiation)
10. Writing is no more a hobby. Instead, writing is a tool to reflect. Journal writing is a passage to the unknown. (Journaling started as an experiment, but a slow and steady inclusion of five different types of journaling has only helped me strengthened the power of speaking to our minds)
11. I have completely stopped watching NEWS. Completely. (It’s important not to fill the mind space with unwarranted negativity)
12. More than 80% of my online purchases are books. (I get a thrill in buying new books. It’s an investment, and the yields of which can’t be calculated in percentage)
13. It’s ok to keep quiet. It’s important to keep quiet. (Silence is Golden. Being an introvert in the outspoken world indeed gives me an edge over the majority)
14. During meetings, it’s important to listen more. (Listening helps me grasp more, learn more, and act more. People who speak more are insecure. Full stop)
15. Energy is limited. Save it. Silence has power — very few people understand this.
16. The Universe is big. Vast. It’s so big that my existence is infinitesimal. Yet, I have the power to change. (Pale Blue Dot — It’s one of the most beautiful books I have read)
17. The world is changing. And, it’s changing very fast. So, keep yourself up to date with what’s happening in the World (Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, Web 3.0, Online education, NFTs, weather changes, WFH, pandemics, flying cars, hyperloop, space travel — they all are for real!)
18. A few deep breaths are vital during the day. (try taking three deep breaths right now)
19. Running under the sky is far more beautiful and satisfying than running on a treadmill. (Once you taste the freshness of rainwater on your head, you will stop running on a treadmill. Running on the road allows me to go to new places, meet new people and build fresh perspectives. A four-walled run is not capable of achieving that. Ever.)
20. Be reliable. Be honest. All the time. (What’s the fun when people don’t see you as synonymous with reliable and believable)
21. Don’t hold onto resentments. Let go of the temptation. Its’ negative, consumes a lot of energy, and lands you nowhere. (When you “reply,” you lose energy. When you “respond,” you save energy — for yourself and others)
22. Learn from experiences — whether good or bad — doesn't matter. (Learning is fun. Failure is fun. When I don’t fail, I feel a gap)
23. It’s important to let go of your belief system. I have realized that I am a product of my environment, and as I change my environment, I should change my belief system too. Be flexible. (Don’t hold on to your belief systems. They were just good enough to bring you to a place where you are. Not beyond that)
24. Being grateful is a choice, and it is one of the beautiful gifts available to us. (Answer this — What am I grateful for today? — Now answer this every day without fail. I am maintaining a Gratitude journal, and answering them daily is indeed a gift)
25. Embrace technology. Learn science. Respect education. Read as much as you can. Engage as much as you can. (If you are not learning each day, you are stagnating)
26. Money spent on learning is an investment. Invest in yourself, your kids, your loved ones. Gift them the power of learning.
27. Don’t make decisions for others. People are wiser than you think. (I learned this lesson from one of my mentors)
28. Money and having access to better infrastructure don’t make you more successful. Instead, your humbleness is the barometer of your success. (As you grow on the economic scale, don’t lose your grip on the ground)
29. Respect. Respect everyone around you. — The more you respect, the more you will be respected. (It’s indeed fun to see a smile on someone’s face when you show genuine respect)
30. Acknowledge other people’s contributions to your life. And then express it. (We all have mentors, someone who helped us on a rainy day — acknowledge their participation and open yourself to contribute back)
31. Don’t wait for the change. Take that first step. Initially, it won’t get noticed, but slowly it will show up. Positive changes can’t hide for long.
32. We are not alone. The Universe is huge. It’s humongous. It’s massive. The moment I assume that we are not alone, new perspectives emerge.
33. Find simple solutions to complex problems. People around you might not like that, but that’s how you can make your mark. Simplicity is more complex than complex stuff.
34. No matter what — Keep walking. Persistence is the key. Whatever is the size of your step, it doesn’t matter. With persistence, it’s for sure that you will cross the finishing line. (Long-distance running has taught me the significance of making 1% improvement each day)
35. Water is life. Make drinking water fun. (If your body is well hydrated, it will help you function well)
36. Sleep is medicine — You can’t ignore your daily dose and gulp a bulk of them over the weekend. The more you respect the requirement of your body to sleep, the response from your body will be much better.
37. The more time I spend on my smartphone, someone else makes money using my time. It’s a choice. And, the choice is with me. (Using our phones smartly is a skill, that unfortunately, not everyone has)
38. 24-hours is not enough. They are never enough. But that’s what we have. If I don’t make the best use of them, it’s my loss. (Once every three months, I create a detailed log of my 168-hours, i.e., seven days. It helps me make the necessary amendments)
39. Family, friends, colleagues, relatives — don’t ignore them. That’s the biggest and most important asset you have.
40. Finally, I have realized that with age, I am getting better and wiser. It’s a conscious decision which I have taken. There is no one like me on this Earth, and that means it’s a responsibility to be better each day than my previous version.

I welcome myself to Club 40.

It’s a realization of accomplishment, zeal to achieve more, desire to contribute, and thought to rediscover myself.

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Nishith is an author and creator of a unique self-development platform — “Be Better Bit-By-Bit.”

Grab your copy of his debut book — Be Better Bit-By-Bit and listen to his podcasts Be Better Bit-By-Bit and 10 Bullets — 100 Words Book Summary.