Turning 42 put some things into perspective for me like how I have actually spent 4 whole decades on this earth, like whaaat?? But more seriously, how lucky I feel to be at this age with no emotional baggage to off load or paralyzing responsibilities to handle. It may sound cliché but I feel the most content and settled this year than I've ever been and for that, my gratitude to God is endless.
So I was just browsing through Google the other day and wanted to know what the almighty know-it-all had to say about what life skills I should have mastered at this age. With lots of articles telling me what I should know how to do now that I am 'grown', I figured I would share some of what I discovered first before letting you know which ones (if any) I have perfected in my own life.From the online publication called bestlifeonline.com, they put out out an article titled "The 15 Essential Skills To Master In Your 40S" which is targeted at men but I suppose can also include women in order to be considered as the article says; "well-rounded and knowledgeable". These skills are as follows and you can read it all HERE
1. How to give a compliment
2. How to do basic first aid
3. How to tell a story
4. How to deliver a speech
5. How to apologize
6. How to keep romance alive
7. How to stay in touch
8. How to update your resume
9. How to network
10. How to pitch and interview
11. How to buy good wine
12. How to cook at least one fancy meal
13. How to get a last minute table
14. How to resolve a conflict
15. How to fix a car
If this list was to be considered the holy grail of what skills I ought to have mastered by now, then I'm screwed! So let's toss this list in the trash lol, while I share with you what I actually have perfected in my life and they are only 5 of them.
1. I have perfected the fine art of PUTTING DOWN THE PHONE. At this age, I can't be so consumed by social media that I get nothing else done throughout the day so 30 minutes or less is all the time I have and allow myself give to my phone.
2. COOKING: I am not a chef by any means nor do I even enjoy cooking that much. I have not been able to figure out why I should spend 2 hours prepping and cooking a meal that will take me 10 minutes or less to eat! Having said that, my cooking skills have gotten better and I can actually cook a lot more meals than I used to which is truly a good skill to have.
3. In Nigeria, I had my own personal people/places I go to for my basic self care needs but since moving to this country, I've had to master the skill of DOING MY OWN HAIR/MANI & PEDI. These things can get expensive when totaled so learning to take care of my natural hair and doing my own nails has been a game changer.
4. UNDERSTANDING MY BODY: These days when my hormones start acting up as they seem to do more often now, I can almost immediately recognize the effects on my body. Unlike before when I could not figure this stuff out.
5. Fifth and finally, I am more keen to ASSEMBLING PRODUCTS now than I ever was. Figuring out how to assemble stuff like my work chair, TV stand and end table is actually empowering and fills me with a sense of pride. There isn't always going to be a handy man/boo or husband around so I better learn how to assemble the small stuff at least otherwise....
So there they are folks! The 5 Life Skills I have been able to perfect since entering into my 40s. What skills have you mastered? Comments always welcome!
XOXO
Ibogirl
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