What do you wish you knew at 40?

[68Dave]

I turned forty last week , and have a question. What do you wish you knew then , that you could share with myself or others now?
I have not been on here long , but it seems like there is a lot of knowledge and experience around here regularly. So, what is it, do you have a nugget of wisdom or knowledge? Thanks for any and all answers.
David.

 

[Chuck24]

I should have bought those Pythons, should not have bought the beta tapes, the pet rock, pong, radio shack computer or the roller blades.

 

[arjay]

What was gonna happen at 50[emoji33][emoji33]


Duck!

 

[STCM(SW)]

Don't get involved with a red headed Italian and marry her!!!!!
That was when I was 26.....

 

[30-30remchester]

Spend every moment with your children. They will soon start a life and family of own and will migrate further and further away. They go off to college and never really come home again.

 

[Peak53]

23 years ago when I was 40, I wish I had stocked up on pre-war 357 magnums.

I also wish I knew then what I know now about what makes women tick ... oh, wait

 

[Protected One]

*How quickly 60 will be upon you
*The real value of 20 years of "compounding" interest
*How quickly good health can change
*Stay on top of what your children are doing (you might be surprised)

 

[Jimmyjones]

Pay attention to your health !

Aging is an exponential negative function.

Now pushing 60. Since I turned 40, I've acquired tri-focals, have cataracts, had 2 hernia repairs, both shoulders redone, take medication for high blood pressure.....

And I'm in better shape then many of my friends.

Get regular checkups and listen to your doctor.

 

[jeffsmith]

*How quickly 60 will be upon you
*How quickly good health can change

THESE !!!!!!!!!

 

[Bigdog357]

Work less, enjoy wife kids and life more. Age creeps up on you slowly and before you know it you are the old man

 

[walter o]

How to change the things i can ,how to accept the things i can't change and to know the difference.And to love your LOVED ONES as if their is no tomorrow.
Who knows their might not be

 

[Whitwabit]

This is broadly said because everyone's vices are different .. Whether it's tobacco or booze or street drugs .. or even their jobs .. give them up before they ruin your health !!

Take care of yourself physically .. get your bum to the gym ,, go walking or running if that's what it takes .. play a sport not sit on your rear watching something on TV !! Be active .. or you will regret it so much when your not able to and are left sitting while others are off enjoying life !!

With out your health when your in your 60's ready to retire you won't be able to enjoy yourself .. doing things with your grand kids will be much more difficult and life in general will not be enjoyable ..

I was hurt where I worked and was forced to retire .. a back injury that has restricted my movement .. and that has caused constant high levels of pain for the last 16 years .. I can't play golf any more one of the activities I use to enjoy with my son and had hoped with my grandson .. that isn't possible now .. in fact any physical activity is basically out of the question now..

And now after an asthma attack three years ago I have been diagnosed with COPD .. no cure .. time left unknown .. but usually less then 10 years .. breathing will only get worse .. a terrible disease that doesn't allow you to expel the carbon dioxide out of your lungs .. additional O2 fed through a tube will help for a few years until even additional oxygen won't help a person stay alive .. In my case believed by my doctor to be caused by my running a number of large machine grinders in a manufacturing factory over the years while I worked as a machinist .. and breathing in the coolant that was always in the air ..

A person's health is everything !!

 

[italiansport]

If you are still smoking QUIT!** If you are drinking too much cut back. Keep in mind that you can't handle the amount of food you could get away with in your younger years.
Most of the above advise regarding exercise and regular visits to your doctor is a no brainer. Just try to live sensibly!
Jim

**I quit smoking 20 years ago. About 5 years ago I developed a case of COPD which, believe it or not, has cleared up to the point where I don't need regular medication for it. In discussing this with my doctor we both agreed that had I continued smoking the COPD would have killed me by now.

 

[captorquewrench]

Oh dear Lord, where do I EVEN begin to begin on this one?

 

[Kanewpadle]

Don't procrastinate!!! Don't wait until tomorrow!

50 is right around the corner.

 

[Frank46]

I'm 69 going on 70 and wish I could remember that far back. Frank

 

[Onomea]

Spend more time with your parents, or at least talking to them. Just like your kids, they'll be gone before you know it.

 

[Hotshot9]

I could give you a list a mile long but I think most have been covered here already. But ... Live, Laugh and Love. And try to keep stress out of your life. I have meet many people 100 years old or more that have all told me they believe that having no stress in their lives kept them alive all those years. I had a neighbor she lived to be 103 years old and walked at a local mall every morning for the 20 years i knew her. She drove until she was 100 years old. She lost her husband when he was 99 years old. And at that time they were the same age. She always said she had no worries and no regrets and had no stress in her life.
I know in today's world it's almost impossible not to have stress. But take that time for yourself to do things you enjoy because joy= no stress!

 

[Mulebuk Sam]

Wait until you turned 60 like I did last month.

But here goes. Turning 30 was the Big dramatic in my life, the realization your youth is over and your 20's are probably the most important years in your life.

Turning 40 for me was the realization it's finally to late to recover from letting that period go to waste.

I was somewhat nervous about turning 60 but it was no where the feeling like when I turned 30 and I think I finally came to terms with I did the best I could with what I had to work with.

But I will say this to you, it's a life I would never wish to live again. Especially without God in it.
And I know that a good many had it worst and a good many are more deserving than I as well.

And the truth is had God not been there I would not be in the place I am now both physically and mentally which at this point in my life it's the best place I've ever been in that realm among other things as well that are worldly if you like.

This is not a holier than now spiel here so don't take it such.
I personally don't care what anyone believes, I only know my own truths and what works for me.

Don't freak out to much you are still 5 years away from mid life but at the same time don't go off on the deep end trying to recapture something that may not have even been possible at that time for you anyway.

And when you hit your 50's try not to go out and buy a $20,000 Harley Davidson without at least taking a motorcycle safety course and maybe even a membership at the YMCA.

As I start my 60's I want to disembowel myself of the places and people who have crossed my path in life because the reality and truth is it was never good. Limit the regrets, live in the present and embrace happiness.

Good luck to you.

 

[JcMack]

I started drinking beer when I was 16. Looking back I wish I started earlier.

 

[chief38]

Apple, Yahoo, Facebook,Twitter. I would have invested everything!

 

[Donn]

How quick it is till you're pushing 70 and all that entails.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

40 was about the time I was beginning to learn not to fret over things. Now I'm pushing 60 and a master at it. Took a lot longer than it should have.... wonder why... maybe I still do... I hope not... but what if...

 

[Old TexMex]

The Universe WILL act...God's gonna get his way. You can go kickin' and screamin' or you can go smilin'. That's all any of us have to do, and it makes a world of difference in how things turn out.

 

[Steely85]

You never really know a woman till you meet her in court.

 

[retiredbadge8091]

I wish I'd maintained the diet and physical conditioning program I was doing without a bunch of breaks between 40 and 60. Playing catch up gets harder and harder.

 

[old bear]

I wish I knew I was going to live this long. I might have taken better care of myself

 

[arjay]

I had quit smoking in my late thirties for the second time.It was obvious to me pop was dying,but the wimmin folk were holding out.The night he died ma got me down there with my crazy sister and by the second day I bought a pack.Really shouldn't have done that


Duck!

 

[JH1951]

What do you wish you knew then , that you could share with myself or others now?

I commend you for even having that thought!
My response: The value of investing.
First: The true value of spending quality time with your children versus the inclination to spend it building a career.
Also, and importantly, as mentioned above the value of compounding interest over a period of 25 years coupled with the financial needs you will have at retirement. Add the importance of becoming debt free now, not later.
The time will come when you will either be proud of your children or not. The result there is what you invest in them at a young age. Don't wait. The windows of opportunity close quite quickly when it comes to instilling values to carry them through their lifetime and to pass on to their children. Remember, when it is all said and done, your children are all that you really leave behind in this world.
As for dollars, spend wisely now, you want the opportunity to do that later, too. Spend it all now and rack up debt, you will have a hard time later when you have leisure time and few financial resources. (If you get a financial planner , and I recommend you consider doing that, get one that is 'fee based', not one that works on commission.)

 

[TX-Dennis]

If you haven't already (God knows I hadn't) get out of debt and get serious about saving for retirement. You have 25-30 years before you'll need it, but if you don't start now you WILL regret it.

As others have said spend as much time as you can with your kids and with your parents. Don't be like my Dad who cried when he told me his biggest regret in life was not spending time with me when I was young.

I got lucky in some ways in that I didn't have any kids until I was 42. Long story - younger wife with fertility issues. By then I was almost wise enough to know what I needed to do. I spend every minute I can with my only son so that I do not have to feel that way. He's growing up and will soon be too busy to spend much time with the old man. That thought breaks my heart, but such is life.