I am 50 years young
Posted: Thursday, August 07, 2008
by Elsabe Smit
The Intuition Coach
I recently celebrated my 50th birthday. It was a wonderful day with family, friends, good weather, good food, lots of laughter, reminiscing and loads of love.
I was a little bit off balance before the birthday, because for some reason 50 seemed to me the beginning of the end. But then I have wonderful friends that I can discuss these things with, and they helped me to get perspective.
I understand that time is a man-made concept. As a society we chose to attach value to the age of 50. A thousand years ago only the most fortunate geriatrics reached that age. Today people aged 50 are physically attractive and full of life. So what is so special about being 50?
I chose to look at this birthday from a different angle. I have had an incredible life so far - enough to write a book about, and still I feel as if my life has just started. I am looking forward to a few massive changes over the next few months, and I count my blessings every day. My to-do list is as long as my arm.
I recently read of a man who has his life planned out up to the age of 120 years. Whether he becomes 120 years old, is not relevant. What is important is that right up to the moment when he leaves this earth, he will have a purpose, and he will live that purpose.
Have you ever heard of the axilotl? You pronounce it "a-chi-ho-tel". It is a small animal that looks like a salamander. It is pale white - you can see right through it. It has gills and normally lives under water. When the water dries up, the gills close and the axilotl breathes and lives on land like a salamander. When there is water again, the axilotl grows gills again. Sometimes it loses a leg, and then it simply grows another one. Why is the axilotl so adaptable? Because no-one ever taught it that growing gills for breathing underwater and having lungs for living on land and growing a new leg when required is impossible.
I know that what we think becomes, and I would like to collect stories about people that did remarkable things after the age if 50 - things that ordinary people can do when they become aware that only their own fears and the obstacles they created themselves hold them back.
These stories could be about famous people, but I am sure there are many untold stories about ordinary people who have done extraordinary things. For example, I have read about the 80+ lady who did her first ever tandem parachute jump, and there was another lady in her 70's that climbed Mount Everest recently. There was also the man who retired, withered away, then got a grip on himself and started a very successful business and became young again. And yesterday I heard of a woman who published a best-seller debut novel at the age of 85.
In short, my quest is to look for the achievements of people over 50 who did the unexpected simply because they could, and who succeeded. May God bless you like He blesses me every day.
--------
Elsabe Smit is the Intuition Coach. She helps people who lack clarity, vision and purpose to remove blocks, develop their intuition and achieve their goals. What is consuming all your energy at the moment? Visit www.TheIntuitionCoach.com for a FREE new start quiz and a FREE Food for Thought subscription.
This Article has been viewed 130 times. (Not updated in real-time.)
No comments yet.We want your comments! If you can read this, you don't have javascript enabled, so you can't use this comment system. Please enable javascript.