Why 40 is the New 20

Hopeful, energized, and no clue what to do with my life. Am I describing myself now or when I was 20?  Considering I’m grappling with tons of uncertainties, talking to friends about their dream jobs, and still discovering my own paths…I’m sure Pamela Anderson was on to something in 2007 when she said, “I think 40 is the new 20.”

As a fresh-faced junior in college I remember battling with my folks, still hearing their concerned echoes in my memory:

·         What job will you get?
·         How will you support yourself?
·         You are overextended. 
 

Back then I leaned into every opportunity I could seize--trying various jobs, internships, on-campus activities...just to see what would strike my fancy, spending time on things I wanted to learn more about and loved.  Along the way I interacted with amazing people—while having fun.

Hmmmm….times haven’t changed much.  Even now with part-time jobs, being a mother, and juggling activities I feel overextended, and I fancy whether I will ever pursue a single career or earn a substantial paycheck again.  Especially for men and women who quit work and have raised children for the past 10 or so years…we’re on the brink of job decisions once more, just like when we were 20.  Peers are deciding whether to go back part-time or full, in what industry, or to start their own ventures.  Fortysomethings have been brushing off their interview skills, wondering if they’re still relevant, and are diving into jobs for another 25 years until retirement.

On Friday night some friends, my husband, and I discussed our dream jobs around the dinner table.  Granted, it’s probably too late for me to pursue a Broadway dance career, but as I listened to my husband and friends describe their dreams…I wondered, wow, are we so burdened by our houses, kids, future college bills…that we cannot pursue these ideals?  Hope and expectant energy laced the lively discussion—not regret that these things will never happen--(although, truthfully I am sad I will not tap dance on stage).  A youthful vibe of promise spewed from a fountain of “used”---as in, “I used to want to be a dolphin trainer,” and “I used to want to start my own business,”--and the conversation glowed with ideas.

In our forties are we better poised than we were 20 years ago to pursue the pipe dream over the practical?  A younger self was probably inhibited by lack of experience, funds, and connections.  What is missing now?  That college student’s feeling of invincibility?  Somehow I’d like to think we’re past that Reality Bites era of trying to figure out our professional lives.  The difference, besides not being late for some jean-folding seminar at The Gap, are the heavier responsibilities attached…kids, homes, retirement accounts. 

For the majority who are reliving a career consideration: perhaps looking for direction is as simple as looking at your reflection.  Take what you can from your younger self, especially that energy, that bright optimism…let your inner 20 year-old wake up so you can go after your dreams.