Over 50 is an exciting time of life. You have many life experiences, are not afraid of opinions, and are more peaceful. You can reinvent yourself, try new things, and finally know yourself.
I spoke to my niece the other day, and she has struggled with the pressure of..well life. There is pressure in society to have the best job, strains of a romantic relationship, and feeling anxiety about everything. Ugh, when you are young you carry so much weight on your shoulders. Yeah, sure I miss the body I had – I could run 5 miles easily, have great amounts of energy, and not gain weight at the drop of a hat. But other than that, I prefer being over 50.
What’s so great about over 50?
With age comes mellow
With age comes mellow. Moreover, as you get older, you learn to accept your conditions in life. Older individuals embrace a sense of well-being. It’s ok if you don’t have a perfect job, energy, and body. My Mom always says, “it is what it is.” And I finally agree with her. Actually, as long as where you are at, you are comfortable with it. There are some that never accept life as it is and get grumpy. Additionally, that takes a lot of energy. who needs that?! Get over it and move on. Improve what you can and accept the rest.
With age comes wisdom
I remember being younger and thinking, yah yah, your wise when you are old. Looking back, I wish I could have given myself advice; however, I realize that all that silly crap I did teach me a lot. In fact, I no longer overanalyze every situation and have to have plans A, B, and C. I’ve been around long enough to figure out what I need and not worry about wants. For example, I need a home, not a massive house. Having more significance and better comes with the work of keeping it. Forget that. I’d rather have smaller and more freedom.
With age comes self-confidence
I am about to turn 58 and I feel good about me. Having been on the earth for this many years I feel confident to speak my mind and know when it is just not worth saying something. I used to worry about being heard and feeling the need to talk about it. Now I consider “who” I want to hear me. I don’t have to share my thoughts and opinions about everything to everyone. In fact, it is more interesting to hear what others have to say. Good or bad.
Being over 50 you no longer fear trying something new. You will find yourself braver. For many, it is because they have that new-found courage to do something new, to break societal norms, and the confidence to take on a new challenge. We are all faced with different situations and challenges. If the need arises, and self-preservation is required, you will gain that courage to take a long hard look at things that don’t work for you, turn on your heel and walk away without looking back.
With age comes tolerance
Boy, oh boy, this really hits home. I was a bit of a firecracker back in the day, short fuse and quick to react and judge. I guess you could say I have mellowed out. They say that you mellow with age. It’s like wine. The young wine is sharp and acidic on the palate. Leave it for a few years; the resultant vintage is usually smoother and less acidic. I can safely say that people like wine to mellow with age.
I find that I am more tolerant with mistakes both my own and others. I am more willing to compromise, find a solution and less quick to lash out. “Shit happens”. There is no reason to place blame or beat yourself up. Further, you don’t have to agree with me, and I don’t find it necessary to lash out, overreact and hurt someone’s feelings. These are the days that I just slightly nod and move on; let it bounce off me. It is also about self-perseveration; I don’t need to feel my blood pressure boil over trivial matters.
With age comes self-acceptance
With age comes the inevitable decline of physical and cognitive functioning. Self-acceptance is a crucial part of your psychological well-being. Being over 50 gives you wisdom to not be overly self-critical, obsessing over failures and shortcomings.
True self-acceptance means being aware of both your positive and negative traits without attaching negative emotions or judgment on who you are. “I am who I am”. I might be too tall, fight my weight on a daily basis and don’t get me started with excel documents. Despite having made mistakes and flaws, these things do not define me.
Once you have self-acceptance, you have the freedom to be yourself, take risks without worrying about the outcome, and live more authentically.
Summary
Being over 50 isn’t a party. Health concerns and retirement are coming. However, it is a time to pay attention to your needs and not worry about what others think you should be. In fact, this is the time to embrace life and try something new or be content at where you are. Moreover, this is the advice I would have given myself earlier in life.
