Advantages of Turning 50

Turning 50 and a Life 2.0

Not only do I find this experience beyond words, now that I’m turning 50, I’m convinced it’s about to get even better. 

Don’t believe me, have your doubts? Pull up a seat, and I’ll explain why.

I’m calling bullshit on fifty being the beginning of the end. I don’t see it that way, and neither should you.

First, let’s go back 34 years to when I was 16 years old. That’s when I moved out of my father’s house and got my own place. That marked the start of my adult life. 

Looking back, it seems so long ago, and it feels like forever (hold that thought).

Now, let’s take that same 34 years and add it to my current age of 50. We get 84. 

The way I look at it, with a little luck, I have a pretty good chance of living to the age of 84, and that would mean, as of right now, I’m only halfway through my adult life.

Think of it this way. If adulthood were a two-lap race around a track, I have only finished my first loop, and I still have one more to go. And, as I noted before, that first loop felt like forever.

How wonderful is turning 50 from that viewpoint!

Instead of looking at fifty as over-the-hill, I’m facing it from the perspective of an opportunity, a reset, life 2.0.

Youth Isn’t Everything

I am beyond inspired to be turning 50. Not only do I get to do another lap, but I’m doing it with every advantage over 16-year-old me when he started. 

I know what you’re thinking. Every advantage? What about youth? After all, nothing beats youth. 

I admit, up until recently, that was my thinking. Being young has always seemed like a better position in life. However, I’ve recently changed my mind, and here’s why.  

The Illusion of Permanence

While it’s great that I have another lap of life to look forward to, there are no guarantees, and if I do complete this last go around, we all know what comes next. 

At my 50 years of age, the impermanence of this life is always staring me in the face. It’s something the younger me barely recognized and rarely thought about.

I am now hyper-aware of how precious my time is. This awareness is the main ingredient of why I am so committed to living every single day to its fullest. 

What does that mean?

Here’s one example. I’m finished with negative emotions. In the context of limited time, certain ways of thinking no longer make sense. I’m ditching fear, anger, hate, jealousy, self-doubt, envy, regret, along with anything else I consider a waste of my time. 

I have the younger version of me to thank for this clarity. He’s the one that had to do the heavy lifting on those feelings. He’s the one that had to suffer while figuring all that out.  

Old Man Strength

It’s a little rough around the edges, but I’ve gone around the sun 50 times in this body. That’s 29.3 billion miles.

The younger me has also provided current me with a fit 50-year-old body to continue this journey with. Without it, my new attitude towards aging wouldn’t be possible.

To be clear, my body isn’t perfect. The fun parts are working just fine, but some of the less critical systems, like my sight and hearing, are starting to fail.

I have also noticed an increase in grey hairs, nose hairs, ear hairs, back hairs, along with some other follicle anomalies.

I have scars and wrinkles, and a couple of things are hanging lower, but for the most part, it’s a pretty sweet ride.

Younger me never imagined turning 50. He ate what he wanted. He drank what he wanted and made little time for working out.

He was also a risk-taker, and on many occasions, has taken this body right up to the edge, but somehow he managed to survive, and ultimately he got healthy. Thankfully he did.

I now feel the best I’ve ever felt and fully understand that if I want to get the most out of this life, being fit and healthy is essential.

On a side note, old man strength isn’t a myth.

Advantages of Turning 50 Recap

Because I’m old, let’s take a moment and recap the benefits of turning 50 before I forget.

Having only one of these would tip the scales towards living a better life after 50. By having all five, I feel my possibilities are limitless.

Here are the main advantages of turning 50 (possibly in reverse order of importance).

1. More Assets and Skills

2. Better Sense of Own Mortality and the Value of Time

3. A Much Larger Network of Support

4. Recognition of the Importance of Health and Fitness

5. A Higher Self-Awareness

I don’t always feel like I have all five advantages, but that’s fine. It means there is room for improvement, and having room for improvement is just a fun fact of life.