Turning 50: Part 6 – 50 Is the Time to Rethink about Life Going Ahead
Getting close to 50, I sometimes wonder about various things like meaning of life, purpose of life, what I’m living for, why we have to work 😅, all of which I have no profound answer.
I guess I’m in a midlife crisis! In fact, when coming to this middle age, everything becomes rather stagnant and predictable. For example, as a salaried employee, I roughly know how much my paycheck will be in one year time, in 5 years time, etc.
Speaking of money, I’m never a money guy. I didn’t choose my study subject or job thinking about earning prospects. My number one priority in job hunting has always been securing an introvert-friendly job that requires minimum interactions with people. 😅
That said, I probably should’ve cared a bit more about money to put myself in a better position to retire early. After all, we all work more or less the same number of hours per week, so earning more is clearly better than earning less!
Well, it’s too late now, as my working life is (hopefully) ending soon, but my life is NOT! I often jokingly say that at 50, I haven’t even reached the halfway of my life yet, as I have a strong desire to live beyond 100! 😂
However, the truth is that I might have only 20+ years of healthy life expectancy (HALE) left with me (in Singapore it’s 73.6 years, according to 2019 study).
If that’s the case, I need to live more, live my limited life to the fullest. I shouldn’t be just continuing working full-time and getting completely exhausted at the end of each working day. 😅
50 is really the time to rethink about my life going ahead.
Read All Series
PART 1 Turning 50: Part 1 – Young at Heart or Immature?
PART 2 Turning 50: Part 2 – Aging Is Preparation
PART 3 Turning 50: Part 3 – Underrated and Under-appreciated Corporate Life
PART 4 Turning 50: Part 4 – Life Begins at Retirement
PART 5 Turning 50: Part 5 – In the End, It’s People That Matter
PART 6 Turning 50: Part 6 – 50 Is the Time to Rethink about Life Going Ahead
PART 7 Turning 50: Part 7 (Finale) – The Best Days Are Ahead of Me
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About the Author: LASTLIGHTS.NET is a passion project of Joey J, a Singapore-based Japanese photographer primarily shooting cityscape photography with long exposure at blue hour. Visit his Home Gallery (30 most favourite photos taken) or download his free eBook, Getting Started with Long Exposure Photography.
19 Comments
I think once you get to a certain age then time just flies by and you plan to do stuff like save for the future but get so busy that time goes quickly and it’s too late by the time you realize 😅
Yeah, it’s good to start early, cos we can’t retire if we haven’t saved enough. I realised all these a bit too late, but finally catching up these days. 😅
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You are right. Time is getting shorter every year, so it’s time to decide, what you want to do with the rest of your life. But don’t call it crisis, it’s a chance for new orientation. Good luck!
Thank you! There are a number of things I’d like to spend time on, but not enough free time while working full time. 😅 Eagerly waiting for the retirement!
Never too late to find what you really want Joey, time might get shorter but it also gets more precious!
Thanks! Yes, free time is so precious nowadays. 😅 When retired, probably more free time than I need, so good to have something new to do, I guess!
What about teaching photography at a local community center or taking classes in something you enjoy? This way you earn a little extra and possibly meet new people. I don’t think 50 is too late. I am 50 also. There is still time left to make lots of changes to the day to day routine to get more enjoyment. Good luck, Joey!
Thanks! Currently not easy to find time for extra stuff, but once retired (hopefully at 55 😅), I want to take a class for web development!
You’ll be just fine. Loved reading this post. Best of luck ….
Thank you for reading! I’ll see how it goes. 😅
It’ll go just great ♥️♥️
I always wondered why time passed so slowly in school, but holidays passed so quickly. And now that I’m 50 (ok, let’s be honest – 51 😉), time flies again! That’s why we take advantage of every available free moment. Good luck Joey!
Oh, we’re almost the same age. 😅 Indeed, time flies when we’re doing something we like! Nowadays I’m much more appreciative of my free time. 😀
50! Wish I was there again. Into my ‘70’s and still travelling with my camera and exploring. Hopefully, I still have a few decades of healthy life ahead. Enjoy your fifties. Still young. Love your photos. There doesn’t seem to be a ‘like’ button so that people can let you know they like your blog entries.
Thank you for your comment! 70s and still travelling is great. Hopefully I’ll be able to do it, too. You mean “Like” button from WordPress? On my website, I’ve disabled, because I don’t like the design of it. Sorry, self-satisfaction first. 😅