
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” ~Carl Bard
Birthdays. They’re supposed to be a joyous celebration, right?
That one special day each year when we throw a party and reflect on the day our amazing journey began.
The starting point.
I’ve had quite a colorful journey and certainly enjoyed many wonderful birthdays in my life.
Turning 50 this past year wasn’t one of them. Here’s why.
When we’re little every birthday marks a major accomplishment. We learn to walk. Then we learn to talk. Then we go to school and learn our ABCs.
Everything is brand new.
When we graduate high school they tell us we have our whole lives in front of us. Whether we’re off to college, exploring the world, or entering the work force, we begin a whole new chapter. Independence.
A starting point.
You can just picture that open highway stretched out to infinity before you, beckoning to a future somewhere out on that horizon that calls you to adventure. All that you will become lies out there.
In my twenties, I was a freewheeling single young man touring the world with rock stars. How bad can that be, right?
Turning 30 was awesome too! I was living in sunny Southern California, playing music, and making records in recording studios. Life was good.
Even 40 was great. I had moved back to New York to play in my own band and got married. Our life together had just begun. Then came children. I became Dad.
A starting point.
But 50?
You’re supposed to have accomplished your greatest life’s work by now, right? Achieved all your major goals. Changed the world.
But what if you’re still working on that? What if you’re just now starting to figure out what you’re really supposed to be doing with your life?
You can say many things about turning 50, but one thing you can’t say with a straight face is that you still have your whole life in front of you.
At this point in the journey, life has shown you many of its cards. Not all, mind you, but you’ve got a pretty good grasp on how the world turns. If there are still any surprises, they have mostly to do with learning to change the way you see things.