Fluid State

Once you turn 40 it's a good time for an in-depth examination of your life. It is a time where you have to look at things and examine if they're still appropriate. This is actually a very interesting time. On the one hand you might this time as exciting, while it can be frightening at the same time. I guess the term that would describe it best would be "fluid state". It's a time where everything is 'liquid', everything is in transition. The outcome of that evaluation can not yet be determined. It's a time were every possible outcome is conceivable. It is quite similar to your 20's. At the time you get your first job everything is possible every direction is conceivable. If you screw up or go in the wrong direction it's not really a big deal. You have more than enough time to change things or to go in a different direction. As long as you're between 20 and 40 it really isn't that big of a deal, as you have almost all the time in the world to change things. Once you get 40 things are a little different.

Once you turn 40 you have to decide what you want to do with the second third of your adult life. In order to do that several questions need to be answered:

• What do I want to do with the next 20 years?
• In which direction do I want to go?
• What do I hope to accomplish in the next 20 years?
• Do certain things have the same importance than they used to have?
• Are there things in my life that add little or no value to its quality?
• Are there things that should be removed to increase life quality?
• Are all things in my life open to re-evaluation?
• What is more important Quantity or Quality?

After all the above question have undergone an in-depth re-evaluation and have been answered, only then a final decision can be made.

I admit it's definitely an interesting time. It can be exciting and frightening at the same time. Everything is possible, but nothing is certain. Everything is fluid, moving and in transition.