Forty trips around the sun. Forty New Year’s resolutions I didn’t keep. Forty chances to stumble, rise, stumble again, and rise a little taller each time.
When I was little, honestly, 40 looked like a full stop. A number so big it felt like life would surely end there. You know… people at 40 were supposed to retire, sit in their verandas, and complain about their backs. Old. Grumpy. Done.
Well, LOL. How wrong were we?
Because here I am at 40 and the story’s just getting good.
Something flipped this year. Like a switch inside me. Suddenly, I don’t care who’s watching, clapping, or whispering behind my back. I don’t care to “keep up” or “prove myself.” I’ve found my lane, and I’m swimming in it—loudly, joyfully, unapologetically. And oh boy, it’s liberating.
This last decade? Whew. It wasn’t pretty. Between raising kids (while constantly wondering if I’m screwing it up), building a business from scratch, heartbreaks, failures, pandemic, bankruptcy, broken bones, losing people I loved, mental, emotional, and physical breakdowns, raising my voice for those who couldn’t, lawsuits, injuries, bankruptcy, vandalism—you name it. Life threw the whole kitchen sink at me.
And yet… in the middle of the chaos, I grew up.
I stopped chasing validation.
I stopped measuring my worth in applause, Instagram likes, or polite nods of “you’re doing so well.”
My definition of success shifted from validation → to impact.
Success no longer looks like trophies, promotions, or milestones.
It looks like, the sound of my kids’ giggles echoing through the house. A student telling me they feel “seen” on the dance floor. A random message that says, “Hey, you made my day better.” The quiet joy of knowing that my work has created a safe space for someone.
At 40, success is not about proving myself. It’s about improving the spaces I step into.
It’s not about competing. It’s about creating. It’s leaving a legacy etched in hearts.
Did I hit every target I once dreamed of? Nope. I missed plenty.
But what I gained instead? Love. Warmth. Blessings. COUNTLESS.
So here’s to 40.
To being bold. To being messy. To laughing out loudest. To being unapologetically me. To being silly. To being wildly ambitious. But ambitious for joy, not just milestones.
To building a life that will outlive me. Not in monuments, but in memories.
Because achievements? Validation? They fade.
But impact? Happiness? Legacy?
That’s forever.
And for everyone who’s walked beside me, cheered for me, lifted me—I am, because YOU are.
With love,
Deepali
