Life At 40!!

The big day had arrived, finally,

With mixed emotions I stood gracefully,

Having completed more than half my life's journey,

Should I be happy that I turned forty?

Though in my mind, I was still a teenager,

The mirror showed me the real picture,

I saw the reflection, it sure looked like me,

But other subtle changes, only I could see.

A few fine lines and a few Greys,

But otherwise the same pretty face,

The attitude had taken a 360 degree turn,

To be grateful and content I had learnt.

It was no longer about being the first to reach the finish line,

I learnt to slow down and enjoy the ride,

Experiences which sometimes made me gleeful and sometimes gloomy,

Now etched forever, in my long term memory.

I learnt to be thankful for the smallest of things,

Acknowledge the help and support of my fellow beings,

Pride and Ego I forsake, learnt to be grounded,

After all, monetary success was not all that mattered.

I learnt to give respect, no matter the job profile,

The effect of kind words was like a space missile,

In return, everyone pushed themselves to give their 100 percent,

I should have forsaken aggression long ago, I thought in retrospect.

Endless shopping now made way for minimality,

Branded possessions only made me feel empty,

Materialistic ideology now gave way for spirituality,

Happiness came from charity and giving back to society.

Yes, the person I saw in the mirror had truly changed,

From being self centered to selfless, with grace I had aged,

I thank almighty for I had evolved into a better human being,

I felt reborn, it was time to celebrate my next innings!