What Shocked Me About Turning 50

Hey friend,

Let’s talk about the big five-oh. Yep. 50. Half a century.

The age when your knees make more noise than your Bluetooth speaker.

To be clear, I passed that milestone a few years ago — and what shocked me most wasn’t the grey hairs or the joint pain. It was how free I started to feel.

I used to think turning 50 meant you suddenly became wise, grew a beard like Gandalf, and dispensed life advice on mountaintops. Spoiler: no beard. The wisdom? Still very much a work-in-progress. And the only thing I’ve dispensed lately is ibuprofen.

Here’s the thing: time shifts. One minute you’re 32, the next you’re trying to remember why you walked into the kitchen. You start saying “no” more — not to be rude, just because you’d rather be home in your pyjamas.

But that “no” is important. At 50, you stop chasing things: promotions, approval, abs. The only six-pack I care about now is cold and in the fridge. And those big dreams of status? They’ve been replaced with something better — purpose.

Last year, I traveled the world in 30 days. Five countries, three continents. Should I have done it younger? Sure. But I’m so glad I did it now, at 56 — before my legs stage a full protest.

And yes, your body changes. Things crack and pop. Stretching becomes survival. Dropping something? That’s a 5-second negotiation with gravity. But even through that, you start to care less about what people think — and more about what keeps you sane.

The pressure to keep up with trends, outfits, tech, the Joneses? Gone.

The gratitude for the small things? Bigger than ever.

And here’s what really matters: you still dream. You still chase. You still create.

So tell me — what surprised you after 50?

Drop me a reply or hit comment — I’d love to hear what changed in your world when the candles hit that next tier.

With a lot of laughter and a bit of back pain,

Max

The English Musical Nomad