50 IS NOT THE NEW 40 ... 50 IS THE NEW 50!

​Everywhere you look social media, lifestyle blogs and magazines are saying 50 is the new 40. I too have repeated that same sentiment, and may have even included the quote 50 is the new 40 on an inspiration board. Perhaps, it was because I spent my forties healing and rehabbing from my accident - and was hoping to "recoup" that lost decade, in my fifties. But we all know that you can not get back time, once it's passed. And I have to be honest - having spent a year at 50 I no longer believe 50 is the new 40. 50 is the NEW 50!! and I'm embracing 50 and creating the next chapter with more zest for life than I ever imagined possible.

13 things being 50 has taught me ...
1. It is not the cream that makes the model in the advertisement youthful looking, it is her youth. Most models in anti-wrinkle, anti-aging cream ads are in there 20s.

2. The importance of drinking water. Staying hydrated benefits both your skin and your mind. Too often we mistake dehydration for hunger. Always reach for a glass of water before food; wait a few (15-20) minutes, then if you are still hungry eat.

3. You can still have long hair at 50. It can be grey, cloured - even purple, left curly or straight. And cutting it short is OK too. It is up to you how you choose to style your locks.

4. You don't need a spouse to be complete ... You are already complete. Whether you are on your own by choice, divorce or loss, know that you will be OK. 

5. Experiences (memories) last longer than things. You will remember that trip you took, the adventures you had, the feeling when you accomplished something you didn't think possible - long after it happens. You will eventually discard the shoes, clothes, handbags and furniture. Have more experiences!!

6. You are never too old to live the life you want. You can go back to school to study a subject that is of interest to you; move to a new country; take up new interests; start a new career... it is up to you to create the life you want.

7. Getting 7-8 hours of sleep really is the fountain of youth. Science has proven the benefits to our body and mind when we get the proper amount of sleep. You are OK with going to bed by 10 p.m. sometimes 9 p.m. and a nap is not just for children.

8. We don't stop moving because we are aging - we are aging because we stop moving. OK, so the gym may not be as appealing, but simple walking, yoga can help you stay active.

9. Embrace your perfectly imperfect body - the wrinkles, scars, bumps and jiggles as a gift, because getting older is a privilege that not everyone gets to experience.

10. The importance of surrounding yourself with positive uplifting people. You learn it's OK to let go of toxic, unhealthy relationships, be it family, or persons who have been in your life for years. 

11. You realize the greatest relationship you will ever have is the relationship you have with yourself. You begin to treat yourself with the same compassion, care, respect and love you so freely give to others. You no longer feel guilt about taking time to nurture yourself.

12. You don't need permission. You are 50! do as you please - provided it's legal. You are the parent/boss of you. Wear the heels, the outfit, eat what you want, live your life on your terms. 

13. Age really is just a number. You stop letting a calendar and society's image of what a women of 50 should be, impact how you live your life.
Today, 50 is definitely not the 50 of our grandmothers and even mothers. Women are fitter, healthier and living full lives on their terms. And we have role models that inspire us by how they live their life. Life doesn't stop at 50 ... it can actually become better in the decades ahead. 50 is the NEW 50!

Tao Porchon-Lynch is the world’s oldest yoga instructor. Her advice? Find something you love. She told CBS News: “I love yoga. It brightens my day, and it makes everybody smile.

​Sophia Loren at 80, looking wonderful and and confident. She has been a role model of living life on your own terms, for as long as I can remember.

​​Ernestine “Ernie” Shepherd, at age 79, is a personal trainer, a professional model, a competitive bodybuilder and happier and more fulfilled than she’s ever been in her life.

​"There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age." ~ Sophia Loren

​This article was inspired by a chat I had with 62 year old women at a Winners. She was trying to decide whether to treat herself to a pair of leopard print ankle boots, to celebrate her birthday. She was worried her son and family would think she was crazy. The ankle boots looked great with what she was wearing. As we chatted another woman chimed in, and as the three of us chatted in the middle of the shoe area, like we had known each other forever, it dawned us, in our 20s, 30s, 40s, the only criteria would have been: do we love them? do they fit? - SOLD! definitely not, "what others would think". She bought the boots! and if our size had been available the other gal and I would have bought them too!