[Gem]

Just wanted to point out that in the English language, to be mindful typically means to be conscious and aware.

The way I look at it, if saying 'I did mindfulness for 40 years' comes from vanity, a yearning for admiration, credibility or something like that, then maybe the will behind the statement could be a little off, but if it's just to say 'in my 40 years of experience it seems to me...' then it's just a true thing was said. But the underlying point here is underpinned by the inquiry 'were my intentions pure, or was I impelled by underlying craving?.

I don't want to give the impression that the latter is bad, but only mention it because the OP brought it up, and due to the suffering that craving implies.

I'm glad it came up, because although it's not a popular idea, morality is the cornerstone of mindfulness, and where we wish understand the nature of our intentions and the reason for our impulses, we have to be completely truthful with ourselves.