User talk:DL Mogapi

DOES LIFE BEGIN AT FORTY?—DL MOGAPI

The notion behind ‘Life begins at forty’ is often taken literally and misunderstood. It is claimed that many things including independence, are experienced at forty. I pose a question: Where you born at forty?

Personally, I know that life begins when you’re born. From your first cry that is. The nurturing process prepares one for life ahead as an independent being. According to my belief, “life” begins when one is independent of thought, has something to live for, or a dream he/she wants to achieve. This subject can be debated on different levels namely: economical, social, intellectual and so forth. It might appear as though I am cynical. I’ll let you in on my secret: “The power of our thoughts may never be measured or appreciated, but it became obvious to me as a young boy to be aware of my thoughts and how I expressed myself”- Robert T Kiyosaki.

To begin my argument, I will address an economical issue first. Does one’s economic life begin at forty? One does not begin uncovering the economics of life at forty. Yes, most people reach financial independence and stability at forty. However the journey began long before. Reaching this milestone took many years of hard work, trial and error. Ages leading to forty pose serious economical or financial questions for many people many a time. There are many ways to achieving financial independence which unfortunately we don’t practice or aren’t aware of until reaching the age of forty. The main reason people struggle financially is because they have spent years in school but learned nothing about money( Robert T Kiyosaki.). The result is that people learn to work for money…but never learn to have money work for them. This could have been as a result of poor financial schooling from parents, the system as a whole or just pure ignorance. I do not take other reasons such as ‘previously disadvantaged’ for granted but choose not discuss them. Pleasurable living wastes time and delays financial independence and stability. That is why many are in their forties and still in debt. There is a famous quote which states: “Our natural experience of pleasure and pain is the main cause of our wrong dispositions”- Robert T Kiyosaki.. However, this is another discussion on its own. Think for a moment; is it fair to say your financial independence began at forty while you sweat all those prior years?

We are social beings. The human race is interdependent. We live through social associations. Social interaction begins from early stages in life. You get socially acquainted with your family, peers etc. Interaction is a necessity; after all you weren’t put on this earth alone. From the age of puberty, one experiments until he/she has an idea of what he/she likes. You form relationships and friendships. You learn the dynamics of interaction and learn your sense of being. Adulthood comes and you make serious choices regarding your mates and the environment you want to live in, your career needs and so forth. You become independent as a being because you are able to make your own choices and take responsibility for those choices. Marriage…When marriage comes, I guess a couple is at the point where their social selves become dependent on one another. This does not mean they are not socially independent, or that their individual existence is taken away. They are still independent, but they tackle issues as a couple. Seeing that they are married life becomes a collective effort. Everyone is faced with situations requiring choices to be made. Choices may range from moral, to mere “yes” or “no” instances. Intellect plays a significant role in regard to choice making. Intellect cannot be measured; it is a person’s capacity for understanding, thinking and reasoning. On these aspects it becomes clear that intellect plays a role in shaping a person. In order to reach that financial and social independence for instance, a certain amount of intellect is a prerequisite. Any decision an individual makes is based on intellect. These are a few subjects one can look at to argue the subject at hand. The age of forty is made an issue of debate, and truly speaking it ought not to be. When most turn forty, it is only then that they become aware of their achievements. It is a norm set by earlier generations. However it is incorrect to think and believe that ‘life begins at forty’; literally that is. It becomes apparent that accumulated successes are realized at this point in life. When this statement was made, it was meant to let those who reach this milestone realize and reflect on their achievements, not to make them believe that life begins then. If life begins at forty, I wonder if you weren’t meant to be born at forty then. Do not take your prior year for granted. After all they’ve brought you this far, leading to forty. You shaped yourself, had fun, cried and experienced life as it came, leading to forty. You made mistakes, rectified them and are yet to make others, leading to forty. Some claim that true happiness is experienced after reaching forty… I cannot say if that is true or not, but can say the following: “ACTIONS ARE RIGHT IN PROPORTION AS THEY TEND TO PROMOTE HAPPINESS, WRONG AS THEY TEND TO PRODUCE THE REVERSE OF HAPPINESS. BY HAPPINESS IS INTENDED PLEASURE, AND THE ABSENCE OF PAIN; BY UNHAPPINESS, PAIN OR PRIVATION OF PLEASURE”- Robert T Kiyosaki.

Let us live our lives. Let us be happy. Let us eat and drink. Finally, let’s leave these subjects to the ‘Isaac Newtons’ and ‘Einsteins’ to test who’s the cleverest of them all. After all this is a futile argument.