Many years ago I heard a story about a man who studied to be a doctor when young, had to go to war and life took over and went back to his studies finishing when he was forty or so and when asked why he said he could still give twenty years to the profession.
We only have one life and we get carried away with doing things we are good at to make money and become scared to do anything else as the responsibilities mount up. But I am certainly one of those who sponsors anyone who wants to completely change their life at around forty, or really anytime, to stretch their minds and experiences. Although I decided I wanted to do something from which one never retires the daily challenge of writing something fresh and engaging with words in another way always makes me feel that the work is interesting. I would loathe to be doing anything by rote.
Some people will not appreciate upending their lives and striking out at the age of forty, they want a quieter existence and an end to any struggle but I think it’s the perfect time to change one’s world view and gives time to squeeze two lives into one lifetime.