The Train of Life: Did I Just Pass My Stop?

Life is short—a journey of only eight stops.

Life is but 30,000 days.

Born in 1988, turn 37 this year. A careful calculation reveals I have about 11,680 days left.

This number suddenly flashed like a red light, reminding me: Time is not an infinite resource, but a constantly depleting account.

If we compare life to a train journey with eight stops (with each stop marking a decade), at 37, we are midway through the fourth stop. Having just passed the sign for "Thirty and Established," the tunnel of "Forty and No Longer Confused" lies ahead, and the scenery outside the window is beginning to change.

During the first three stops, we were busy chasing: Before 25, desperately trying to prove "I can"; before 30, anxious about whether we could "catch up"—buying a house, a car, getting married, having children, getting promoted, and receiving a raise… It felt like taking an exam set by someone else, where even the speed of answering had to match everyone else's.

Then, a few years ago, late one night after working overtime, a sudden realization hit me: I seemed to have never asked myself what kind of life I truly want.

This "37-year-old awakening" came at just the right time. I began to reject the script of "how things should be," focusing instead on "how I want to be" in the present moment.

I gave my health back to my body: Early nights, exercise, and less internal conflict are proving more effective than any health supplement.

I learned to be alone: I am no longer afraid to eat, travel, or watch movies by myself; instead, I enjoy the peace and completeness of solitude.

I still work hard: But I no longer prove my worth by "working myself to the bone." True value shouldn't be built on depleting oneself.

I started to simplify: Reducing ineffective social interactions, material desires, and self-criticism.

Life has no standard timetable. Some find their direction at 25, others don't set off until 45. But at 37, we are not "too late"—we are just right.

With experience as our foundation, and sound judgment as our guide, we are clearer-headed than in our twenties, and more agile than we will be in our forties.

If you are also feeling a bit hesitant at the 37-year-old stage, I want to say this: This isn't a midlife crisis, but a midlife opportunity.

We finally have the chance to take the steering wheel back into our own hands and drive towards the truly worthwhile scenery at our own pace.

Thank you for reading!