The stages of life

Life is in stages and as we progress, we grow and then develop into maturity. This transition from one stage of life to the other is a natural process, jam-packed with lessons of life that will prepare us for the next stage.

Since every human being will undergo these phases of life, it is vital for you to know about them so that you will have adequate knowledge of what to do when it comes to your growth as well as your pursuit of happiness and success. You will learn where most people usually get stuck in their journey of life and how to avoid this or break free if you are already at this stage in your life.

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The first stage spans from birth to adolescence. Conception is where the whole journey of life starts from, and here you depend entirely on others. All you do is breathe, eat, and sleep. During this stage, your brain continues to develop, and your mind is at peace.

From infancy, you enter the toddler stage where you learn how to walk and talk as well as socializing. This is where you learn how to differentiate between the outer world and your inner life.

You enter the ‘early childhood’ phase. You still depend primarily on your parents for survival. Soon, puberty begins knocking at the door, and your hormones become activated.

This is where you start to assert yourself, be willing to take more risks while initiating the process of divesting yourself of your parents or guardians. This feeling of independence continues to grow with each passing year.

The second stage spans from adolescence to adulthood where you undergo self-discovery, become adventurous and enterprising. Whatever skills you may have learned in the previous stage are applied here. This is the stage of life that focuses majorly on exploration, self-discovery, and endeavors.

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At this stage, in ideal circumstances, you are still in school and learning to be an individual by making decisions and following through without anyone’s approval. This is an adventurous stage of life, and you become more daring and willing to take risks. It is the stage where you liberate yourself from childhood completely. This is also the stage where you are confronted by your weaknesses as well as your failures.

The third stage of life spans from adulthood to mature adulthood. This is where dedication, contemplation as well as benevolence take a position in your life. Responsibilities will force you to give up the second stage of life slowly. This is where the need to settle down sets in, and you desire to start a family. You do not only pick up lots of responsibilities for yourself but others as well.

This is the stage where you procreate, and then you start paying more attention to the growth of your career as well as the development of your family. Nurturing relationships that matter to you is prevalent at this stage of your life and cut down on time-wasting activities.

This stage usually engenders deep contemplation about the issues of life and for individuals not prepared for this stage, a midlife crisis occurs. But if you pass this stage successfully, you enter a phase of your life where benevolence and wisdom rule supreme.

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The fourth stage – and the last – spans late adulthood and the end of all humans: death.

At this stage, it is expected that you must have retired from active service and begin making vital contributions to the society. Your foresight and wisdom garnered over the years enable you to contribute positively to the community. This is the stage where you become a mentor to the younger generation and volunteer to guide them towards a better way of life.

It is a stage of life that serves as a reminder to the younger and upcoming generation that, sooner or later, they would also reach that stage – barring any unforeseen circumstances that may cut short their lives. Preparations are put in place for the next generation to take over and continue with the legacy.

This is where you accept your mortality and ensure that you leave something behind that will continue to remind others of you long after you have gone to the world beyond.

Carpe Diem!