You’ve Only Just Begun

When I was a teen I thought my 40 something parents were old and that it was down hill from there, boy was I wrong.

The 30’s is when most people are establishing themselves in their career and settling into a family routine, if there is such a thing, where family plays a big part of life.

As the 40’s emerge there are the ceremonial “over the hill” parties and jokes. The kids are more equipped to take care of themselves and you’re established in your career.

The younger generation looks at these times as being over the hill but really you’ve only just begun. Typically, it’s somewhere in the 30-40 age range when a person starts to really discovering who they are. What is it they really want out of life? Where do they want to go from here?

Take a look at some of the people who didn’t start to wither away but who continued to challenge themselves to be more than who they started out to be. In this list are some famous and not so famous people who have made their mark in profound ways. How many times have you sang, “Happy Birthday to You”? Do you know it was written by a 34 year old woman?


30- Sylvester Stallone stars in Rocky, a film he also directed and wrote.

30- Thomas Edison invents the phonograph.

31- Shakespeare pens Romeo and Juliet.

32- Lila Wallace, along with husband Dewitt, founds Reader’s Digest.

33- Thomas Jefferson pens the Declaration of Independence.

33- George Lucas creates a film called Star Wars.

34- Phil Knight launches a shoe and apparel company that he calls Nike.

34- Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.

34- Kindergarten teacher Mildred hill composes the music for a ditty called “Happy Birthday to You.”

35- Margret Rey writes a children’s book called Curious George.

36- Albert Einstein proclaims his general theory of relativity: the fields of physics and astronomy will never be the same.

36- Ben Franklin invents the Franklin stove.

36- Johnny Carson debuts as host of The Tonight Show.

37- Ann Landers begins a newspaper advice column.

37- Amy Tan publishes The Joy Luck Club.

38- Dr. Jonas Salk develops a vaccine for polio.

38- Coco Chanel unveils her perfume, Chanel No 5.

39- After dropping 70 pounds, Jean Nidetch creates a movement called Weight Watchers.


This is just a small fraction of the people who have made a difference at a young age. Wait till you see the list for the fabulous 40’s.

The point being, age is but a number. Don’t let it hinder you from what you were born to be.