It’s no secret our society covets youth, especially for women. So when I reached my 40s, my natural instinct was to be fearful. I started to think about how time was running out and if I should I start trying Botox.
I don’t think I’ll live to be a 100, nor do I have the desire to — but these concerns were constantly in my head. Once I actually hit my 50th birthday, however, I noticed a change: I started feeling more and more at peace with who I had become and the choices I had made.
Now 50 years old and working as a therapist, I feel so much gratitude for how far I’ve come, in a way I never expected. Here’s why I’m happier than ever at 50:
1. I’m a lot more confident
In my 20s and 30s, I would lay awake at night thinking about a bad interaction at work. I would beat myself up for the things I did or didn’t say.
But I’ve stopped caring about what other people think. My self-worth is too important to hand over to another person.
I also have a strong sense that I know what I’m doing when it comes to my life’s work. After 20 years of work experience, I can tell if I’m the right fit for a new therapy or coaching client within minutes of speaking with them.
2. I no longer obsess over the future
In my 20s, I had so many questions and doubts. Would I ever find the right job? Would I meet the one? Would I have children? Did I even want kids? Would I be able to buy a house? I so afraid of making the wrong choices.
But all of those big life events eventually happened. I found the right career and I got married. I had my son and bought a home. I’m so excited about what’s next, like watching my son and niece come into their own, and more time with my husband — we just celebrated our 20th anniversary!
Being 50 is like the third act of a movie. Maybe it didn’t play out like you thought it would, but you finally have a good sense of the characters and the structure, and you can see where things are going.
3. I have a 360 degree view of life
One of the harder parts of being 50 is that…
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