“So your 30s is basically cleaning up after your irresponsible health, financial, spiritual, emotional, and mental decisions of your 20s?” - @mrmedina

So I chanced upon this tweet today and it made me think about my own 20s and 30s. I’m moving on to the big four-zero this year, so it’s a transition that feels doubly significant. Thinking about my decade milestones in life made me recall a memorable quote by Confucius, a Chinese philosopher in the 500BCs period who was most famous for his philosophy on ethics and politics:

“At 15 my heart was set on learning; 
at 30 I stood firm; 
at 40 I had no more doubts; 
at 50 I knew the will of heaven; 
at 60 my ear was obedient; 
at 70 I could follow my heart’s desire without overstepping the boundaries of what was right.”
- Confucius

I wondered, if I were to write something similar in my 70s, what would it be? I could write about my 20s and 30s now, and try to envision what I wish to be in the decades leading up. It’ll be a fun experiment, for the future me. Here goes, inspired by Confucius’ decades:

At 15, I was ignorant but idealistic;

at 20, I was lost but later found a path;

at 30, I ran the path too hard and was cheated - the path belonged to someone else;

at 40, I discard all paths to face the wilderness, alone;

at 50, I discover a path - my path - that makes my soul sing, for the very first time;

at 60, I attain mastery in my craft;

at 70, I no longer have any burdens nor care about mastery, and could follow my heart’s desire;

at 80, I release all paths and desires, and live according to the will of heaven.

Of course, the second half of that list is completely made up and idealistic. I’m not even sure I know what I’m writing about, to be honest. Like, at 50, what path? At 60, what craft? How to know if I can attain mastery when I don’t even know what craft it will be? I might not even live that long. Who knows for sure anyway? But even if my future 80-year-old me would laugh at the present me for writing this, I will still try. I must. 

The road ahead is hazy for sure, but one can dream!

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Just realised this after posting - this is my 200th post on 200wad! Woohoo! ?