Turning 50 Sucks – Or Does It?

So August 1st is the big day.

The day I turn the big 5-0!

Inside I am still 25 – I do not feel older, but the mirror is definitely telling me something different. Also, the 8:30pm bedtime requirement may be another inclination I am getting old! (But in my defense I am up at 5:30am every day!)

As long as I can remember old folks complained about turning 50 – like something horrifically bad happens when you do. Especially women – just the thought of turning a half a century made them feel depressed or anxious.

That is what had me terrified about turning 50 – what other people were saying.

But is turning 50 really all that bad?

Should I make my 50th birthday disappear and just continue to lie forever and say I am 49 for as long as I can get away with it?

Hell No!

I am damn proud of turning 50 – after all not every one gets to celebrate the 50th, so just for that reason alone I am thrilled I get to celebrate this milestone. I have lost several friends over the years that never made it to 50 – I am blessed to have this chance, so I am not going to spend it hemming and hawing about getting old.

Then there are those that say “well 50 is the new 40” – no, no it’s not, 50 is 50 my friends.

But how you deal with it and how you take care of yourself is what really matters.

The Good Things About Turning 50

Below are the things I am personally embracing about turning 50!

Traveling – being a little more financially stable than ever, I have the chance to see more of the world and learn more about different cultures. While I will never be rich or have an excess of money – I prioritize what I can to enjoy what I love which is traveling! Maybe you want more shoes – or to donate more, whatever you do with your income – make it mean something!

Confidence – having always been on the shy side and lacking in any kind of confidence, the last few years have brought a change that only comes with age! I find myself making more connections and meeting more new people than ever before.

Napping – although I think everyone should nap, this is a new concept I have come to love! I always felt guilty about doing it before – but now that I am getting older, I have an excuse to do it more without the guilt.

Appreciation – every day is a new opportunity to experience something amazing. Whether a walk in a new park or making a new work connection, I appreciate every day much more because I understand it may be my last. When I was younger – I just assumed I would live to be old (and for the record 50 is NOT old!) – now I know that we may not all get that gift.

Not Giving 2 Shits – this is the biggest thing I love about turning 50! I just do not give 2 shits about what people think of me – whether they are talking about me or if they like me. I am 10% comfortable in my skin (which I have never been) – and know I am a good person and if they do not see it, oh well! At one time I would make myself sick if someone did not like me or I hear they said something about me — not anymore!

The Bad Things About Turning 50

Wrinkles – while I am pretty genetically blessed in this department I have some, and it sucks. Watching your face change is hard……very hard. Especially when you have a teenage daughter with perfect skin and hair.

The Grays – this shocked me and actually at the age of 49 I colored my hair for the FIRST time because of them. Those scraggly little annoyance were popping up and I was not having that.

Flaboleum – it is everywhere, the boobs, the legs, the belly – everything seems to be softer and squishier than ever. The signs of surgeries are more prevalent and difficulty to lose it is down right infuriating.

Food – sadly eating the things I used to love so much not only makes me gain weight by looking at it – but a lot of it gives me heartburn. Chocolate, tomatoes, pineapple – some of my favorite things that I do still eat – but know I am going to pay for it later.

Tired – just plain tired. Now this could be that I work on a computer for 12 hours a day, but even so – I embrace my 8:30 bed time these days. But in my defense I am up at 5:30 am every day! But I think back 20 years ago and staying up to midnight was a non-issue, these days you better have something exciting going on that is more fun than my bed!

Patience – when I was a kid I always wondered why older people were grumpy. Now I know. I have so much less patience for people these days. Much less.

What Society Tells Us About Being 50!

This is the biggest barrier to enjoying midlife! Society has us so fixated on appearance and youth and make those of in that middle-age period feel like second class citizens.

In a recent survey by U.S Trust it was found that people born between 1981 and 1996 consider the age of 59 as being “old age”.

Great, I have 9 years to go to be officially old in many peoples eyes. But that same group also feels youth ends at 40, so I guess there is a bright side.

So should we allow society and the media tell us we are old because we are middle-age?

Um, HELL NO!

As a group we need to embrace this amazing time of our lives – not be embarrassed by it.

After all EVERYONE ages, and we already know how fast it goes – those young ones have no clue how quickly they will be middle age!

How I Am Celebrating My 50th!

Well, I am sure as hell not moping around the house that is for sure. While I will enjoy a simple dinner and night out with the family – I will also be enjoying a 10 day girls trip to Africa.

This is dream trip for me and to be able to go with some fellow animal lovers is the perfect way to kick off the next phase of my life. I could not do this in my 20’s as I was a lost soul with no money – I could not do this in my 30’s because we had a baby and money was still super tight – I could not do this in my 40’s because we were just finally catching up financially and I was working hard on my business to get me to a more stable financial place.

Now is the time! 50 is the time!

Seriously – I am not sure I have ever been so excited about a birthday as I am my 50th!