25 things to look forward to about growing older
You don't give a hoot what people think of you, for one
Perspective
Perspective
"The older I get, the more empowered I feel. Each life experience brings a broader perspective, and greater clarity about people, about coping, about problem resolution. I'm better able to personally navigate life's challenges, and I'm able to use this knowledge to help others." — Wendy Solomon, spa owner, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Independence
Independence
"I enjoy not having to be apologetic when it comes to my point of view. In my youth, I was always concerned and measured in my corporate life [and] how I raised children. Now, if I choose not to participate or go along with the masses, no one gives me the stink eye." — Janice Elliott-Howard, author, Atlanta
Indifference (to others' opinions)
Indifference (to others' opinion)
"With each passing decade, I've definitely cared less about what other people think about me. When I was younger I was so concerned about what other people thought about me that I ensured even people I didn't like liked me…I now know everyone doesn't have to like me and I know I don't have to like everyone. This has been very freeing." — Christine Baumgartner, dating and relationship coach, Fullerton, California
Growth
Growth
"As you grow, you learn more. Aging is not just decay … it's growth." — author Mitch Albom, in Tuesdays with Morrie
Insight
Insight
"Looking back, it seems to me that I was clueless until I was about 50 years old." — the late writer and director Nora Ephron
Priorities
Priorities
"Getting older is the gift of seeing around corners where you previously had no perspective. Some moments surprise you, like the ability to shrug off being called 'ma'am' by a cocktail waitress. Other moments delight you, like the ability to see with precision what's important and what is trivial. I love how that gives me so much more confidence in my relationships and in how I say yes or no to life." — Lauren Doyle, business owner, New York
Clarity
Clarity
"I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman." — First Lady Michelle Obama,
Compassion
"With age also comes compassion. I have seen and experienced more and can appreciate situation from multiple perspectives. Therefore I am better able to negotiate and build a consensus. I wouldn't trade where I am in life for my younger self. Except, of course, for my wrinkles!" – Wendy Solomon, spa owner, Chapel Hill North Carolina
PHOTO: Photo by O.C. Gonzalez on Unsplash
Ownership
Ownership
"I've gathered strength behind my years, I owned them, I've earned them, I've deserved them, I have a right to have them…Behind my years I have value that doesn't come when you're 50 or 40 or 30 or 20, it doesn't come until you've been in that saddle for a number of years." — actress Sally Field
Experience
Experience
"Did you just call me old? … I really prefer the word 'experienced.'" — actor Morgan Freeman, as Vitruvius in
Strength
"Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength." -the late write and activist Betty Friedan
PHOTO: Photo by Cyril Saulnier on Unsplash
Confidence
Confidence
"As you get older, you get better at so many things. My friends who are older than me—which is most of them—are a lot more caustic than they used to be. But a lot of them only became great when they turned 40. Everything is a little bit sexier when you're older. You're sexier. You're more confident. You can do what you want." — comedian and writer Chelsea Handler, speaking to
Letting loose
Letting Loose
"People can get crazier as they get older. I can just be weird whenever I want, and there's the freedom of not caring what people think." — actress Candice Bergen
Getting better
Getting Better
"My mother always used to say: 'The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana.'" — actress Betty White, as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls
Excitement
Excitement
"Just remember, when you're over the hill, you begin to pick up speed." — the late cartoonist
Self-assurance
Self-assurance
"When I was in my 20s I wasn't sure of myself. Now I can really stretch. I don't have to stay in the box. At this point I can say to myself, So what if I fall, so what? I'm going to get back up." — singer and actress
A sense of security
A sense of security
"I feel better now than I've ever felt. I look at pictures of myself when I was younger and I think, 'God, I was so gorgeous there, but I didn't feel it.' Or, 'Wow, I look so much better now.' I was such a dork and I can see insecurity written all over my face, trying to be something I wasn't—even though at the time I thought I was cool." — model
Mellowing out
Mellowing out
"I like the equanimity that comes with my age. I don't have big highs, and I don't have big lows. Even if this job goes away tomorrow, the nonstop ambition is a thing of the past for me. I've mellowed." — actress Jane Lynch
Taking the lead
Taking the lead
"At a certain age you realize that you're not just a wife or a mother or a sister. You are the main character of your story. You have a chance to rewrite your story and do the things you've always wanted to do—and were afraid to try. At age 59, I left my husband and started over. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but now I am loving my life, and I found a partner who loves me for who I am. There's something fantastically sexy about having a new 'boyfriend' at 63!" — Jill Weaver, communications consultant, Guilford, Connecticut
Self-knowledge
Self-knowledge
"Growing to this age, I realize, is kind of like feeling your voice deepen. It's still your voice, but it has more substance, and it sounds like it knows its own origins." — actress
Fearlessness
Fearlessness
"When you get older, there isn't a lot left to be frightened of." — actress Helen Hayes, as Ada Quonsett in
No regrets
No regrets
"I don't want to be thirty again—do you? Sure, I may sometimes think I'd like to look like I'm thirty and feel like I'm thirty, but I've benefitted immensely from the experience and wisdom these years have brought me, and I wouldn't trade them for anything." — Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP, in
Second chances
"In life, the first act is always exciting but its the second act— that's where the depth comes in." –Joyce Van Patten, as Gloria, in
PHOTO: Photo by Lindy Baker on Unsplash
Doing what you want
Do what you want
"You can say no more easily, without much, if any, guilt. No to a spouse/partner who wants to go to a movie when you want to stay home and read. No to a dinner party invitation with the same old, boring guests. No to a friend who requires too much attention and gives back little in return. " — Jane Leder, writer, Evanston, Illinois
Freedom
Freedom
"Fifty is a big corner to turn. It used to mean being put out to pasture, but it's the opposite with me. I feel more vibrant; I'm more active than I've ever been. The F-word really is freedom. It's the freedom to have dropped the rock—the rock of addiction, of family, of comparisons with other people. It's being fit and focused and kind of furious." — actress
Perspective
Perspective
"The older I get, the more empowered I feel. Each life experience brings a broader perspective, and greater clarity about people, about coping, about problem resolution. I'm better able to personally navigate life's challenges, and I'm able to use this knowledge to help others." — Wendy Solomon, spa owner, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Independence
Independence
"I enjoy not having to be apologetic when it comes to my point of view. In my youth, I was always concerned and measured in my corporate life [and] how I raised children. Now, if I choose not to participate or go along with the masses, no one gives me the stink eye." — Janice Elliott-Howard, author, Atlanta
Indifference (to others' opinions)
Indifference (to others' opinion)
"With each passing decade, I've definitely cared less about what other people think about me. When I was younger I was so concerned about what other people thought about me that I ensured even people I didn't like liked me…I now know everyone doesn't have to like me and I know I don't have to like everyone. This has been very freeing." — Christine Baumgartner, dating and relationship coach, Fullerton, California
Growth
Growth
"As you grow, you learn more. Aging is not just decay … it's growth." — author Mitch Albom, in Tuesdays with Morrie
Insight
Insight
"Looking back, it seems to me that I was clueless until I was about 50 years old." — the late writer and director Nora Ephron
Priorities
Priorities
"Getting older is the gift of seeing around corners where you previously had no perspective. Some moments surprise you, like the ability to shrug off being called 'ma'am' by a cocktail waitress. Other moments delight you, like the ability to see with precision what's important and what is trivial. I love how that gives me so much more confidence in my relationships and in how I say yes or no to life." — Lauren Doyle, business owner, New York
Clarity
Clarity
"I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman." — First Lady Michelle Obama,
Compassion
"With age also comes compassion. I have seen and experienced more and can appreciate situation from multiple perspectives. Therefore I am better able to negotiate and build a consensus. I wouldn't trade where I am in life for my younger self. Except, of course, for my wrinkles!" – Wendy Solomon, spa owner, Chapel Hill North Carolina
PHOTO: Photo by O.C. Gonzalez on Unsplash
Ownership
Ownership
"I've gathered strength behind my years, I owned them, I've earned them, I've deserved them, I have a right to have them…Behind my years I have value that doesn't come when you're 50 or 40 or 30 or 20, it doesn't come until you've been in that saddle for a number of years." — actress Sally Field
Experience
Experience
"Did you just call me old? … I really prefer the word 'experienced.'" — actor Morgan Freeman, as Vitruvius in
Strength
"Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength." -the late write and activist Betty Friedan
PHOTO: Photo by Cyril Saulnier on Unsplash
Confidence
Confidence
"As you get older, you get better at so many things. My friends who are older than me—which is most of them—are a lot more caustic than they used to be. But a lot of them only became great when they turned 40. Everything is a little bit sexier when you're older. You're sexier. You're more confident. You can do what you want." — comedian and writer Chelsea Handler, speaking to
Letting loose
Letting Loose
"People can get crazier as they get older. I can just be weird whenever I want, and there's the freedom of not caring what people think." — actress Candice Bergen
Getting better
Getting Better
"My mother always used to say: 'The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana.'" — actress Betty White, as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls
Excitement
Excitement
"Just remember, when you're over the hill, you begin to pick up speed." — the late cartoonist
Self-assurance
Self-assurance
"When I was in my 20s I wasn't sure of myself. Now I can really stretch. I don't have to stay in the box. At this point I can say to myself, So what if I fall, so what? I'm going to get back up." — singer and actress
A sense of security
A sense of security
"I feel better now than I've ever felt. I look at pictures of myself when I was younger and I think, 'God, I was so gorgeous there, but I didn't feel it.' Or, 'Wow, I look so much better now.' I was such a dork and I can see insecurity written all over my face, trying to be something I wasn't—even though at the time I thought I was cool." — model
Mellowing out
Mellowing out
"I like the equanimity that comes with my age. I don't have big highs, and I don't have big lows. Even if this job goes away tomorrow, the nonstop ambition is a thing of the past for me. I've mellowed." — actress Jane Lynch
Taking the lead
Taking the lead
"At a certain age you realize that you're not just a wife or a mother or a sister. You are the main character of your story. You have a chance to rewrite your story and do the things you've always wanted to do—and were afraid to try. At age 59, I left my husband and started over. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but now I am loving my life, and I found a partner who loves me for who I am. There's something fantastically sexy about having a new 'boyfriend' at 63!" — Jill Weaver, communications consultant, Guilford, Connecticut
Self-knowledge
Self-knowledge
"Growing to this age, I realize, is kind of like feeling your voice deepen. It's still your voice, but it has more substance, and it sounds like it knows its own origins." — actress
Fearlessness
Fearlessness
"When you get older, there isn't a lot left to be frightened of." — actress Helen Hayes, as Ada Quonsett in
No regrets
No regrets
"I don't want to be thirty again—do you? Sure, I may sometimes think I'd like to look like I'm thirty and feel like I'm thirty, but I've benefitted immensely from the experience and wisdom these years have brought me, and I wouldn't trade them for anything." — Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP, in
Second chances
"In life, the first act is always exciting but its the second act— that's where the depth comes in." –Joyce Van Patten, as Gloria, in
PHOTO: Photo by Lindy Baker on Unsplash
Doing what you want
Do what you want
"You can say no more easily, without much, if any, guilt. No to a spouse/partner who wants to go to a movie when you want to stay home and read. No to a dinner party invitation with the same old, boring guests. No to a friend who requires too much attention and gives back little in return. " — Jane Leder, writer, Evanston, Illinois
Freedom
Freedom
"Fifty is a big corner to turn. It used to mean being put out to pasture, but it's the opposite with me. I feel more vibrant; I'm more active than I've ever been. The F-word really is freedom. It's the freedom to have dropped the rock—the rock of addiction, of family, of comparisons with other people. It's being fit and focused and kind of furious." — actress
Perspective
Perspective
"The older I get, the more empowered I feel. Each life experience brings a broader perspective, and greater clarity about people, about coping, about problem resolution. I'm better able to personally navigate life's challenges, and I'm able to use this knowledge to help others." — Wendy Solomon, spa owner, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Independence
Independence
"I enjoy not having to be apologetic when it comes to my point of view. In my youth, I was always concerned and measured in my corporate life [and] how I raised children. Now, if I choose not to participate or go along with the masses, no one gives me the stink eye." — Janice Elliott-Howard, author, Atlanta
Indifference (to others' opinions)
Indifference (to others' opinion)
"With each passing decade, I've definitely cared less about what other people think about me. When I was younger I was so concerned about what other people thought about me that I ensured even people I didn't like liked me…I now know everyone doesn't have to like me and I know I don't have to like everyone. This has been very freeing." — Christine Baumgartner, dating and relationship coach, Fullerton, California
Growth
Growth
"As you grow, you learn more. Aging is not just decay … it's growth." — author Mitch Albom, in Tuesdays with Morrie
Insight
Insight
"Looking back, it seems to me that I was clueless until I was about 50 years old." — the late writer and director Nora Ephron
Priorities
Priorities
"Getting older is the gift of seeing around corners where you previously had no perspective. Some moments surprise you, like the ability to shrug off being called 'ma'am' by a cocktail waitress. Other moments delight you, like the ability to see with precision what's important and what is trivial. I love how that gives me so much more confidence in my relationships and in how I say yes or no to life." — Lauren Doyle, business owner, New York
Clarity
Clarity
"I have never felt more confident in myself, more clear on who I am as a woman." — First Lady Michelle Obama,
Compassion
"With age also comes compassion. I have seen and experienced more and can appreciate situation from multiple perspectives. Therefore I am better able to negotiate and build a consensus. I wouldn't trade where I am in life for my younger self. Except, of course, for my wrinkles!" – Wendy Solomon, spa owner, Chapel Hill North Carolina
PHOTO: Photo by O.C. Gonzalez on Unsplash
Ownership
Ownership
"I've gathered strength behind my years, I owned them, I've earned them, I've deserved them, I have a right to have them…Behind my years I have value that doesn't come when you're 50 or 40 or 30 or 20, it doesn't come until you've been in that saddle for a number of years." — actress Sally Field
Experience
Experience
"Did you just call me old? … I really prefer the word 'experienced.'" — actor Morgan Freeman, as Vitruvius in
Strength
"Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength." -the late write and activist Betty Friedan
PHOTO: Photo by Cyril Saulnier on Unsplash
Confidence
Confidence
"As you get older, you get better at so many things. My friends who are older than me—which is most of them—are a lot more caustic than they used to be. But a lot of them only became great when they turned 40. Everything is a little bit sexier when you're older. You're sexier. You're more confident. You can do what you want." — comedian and writer Chelsea Handler, speaking to
Letting loose
Letting Loose
"People can get crazier as they get older. I can just be weird whenever I want, and there's the freedom of not caring what people think." — actress Candice Bergen
Getting better
Getting Better
"My mother always used to say: 'The older you get, the better you get. Unless you're a banana.'" — actress Betty White, as Rose Nylund in The Golden Girls
Excitement
Excitement
"Just remember, when you're over the hill, you begin to pick up speed." — the late cartoonist
Self-assurance
Self-assurance
"When I was in my 20s I wasn't sure of myself. Now I can really stretch. I don't have to stay in the box. At this point I can say to myself, So what if I fall, so what? I'm going to get back up." — singer and actress
A sense of security
A sense of security
"I feel better now than I've ever felt. I look at pictures of myself when I was younger and I think, 'God, I was so gorgeous there, but I didn't feel it.' Or, 'Wow, I look so much better now.' I was such a dork and I can see insecurity written all over my face, trying to be something I wasn't—even though at the time I thought I was cool." — model
Mellowing out
Mellowing out
"I like the equanimity that comes with my age. I don't have big highs, and I don't have big lows. Even if this job goes away tomorrow, the nonstop ambition is a thing of the past for me. I've mellowed." — actress Jane Lynch
Taking the lead
Taking the lead
"At a certain age you realize that you're not just a wife or a mother or a sister. You are the main character of your story. You have a chance to rewrite your story and do the things you've always wanted to do—and were afraid to try. At age 59, I left my husband and started over. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, but now I am loving my life, and I found a partner who loves me for who I am. There's something fantastically sexy about having a new 'boyfriend' at 63!" — Jill Weaver, communications consultant, Guilford, Connecticut
Self-knowledge
Self-knowledge
"Growing to this age, I realize, is kind of like feeling your voice deepen. It's still your voice, but it has more substance, and it sounds like it knows its own origins." — actress
Fearlessness
Fearlessness
"When you get older, there isn't a lot left to be frightened of." — actress Helen Hayes, as Ada Quonsett in
No regrets
No regrets
"I don't want to be thirty again—do you? Sure, I may sometimes think I'd like to look like I'm thirty and feel like I'm thirty, but I've benefitted immensely from the experience and wisdom these years have brought me, and I wouldn't trade them for anything." — Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO of AARP, in
Second chances
"In life, the first act is always exciting but its the second act— that's where the depth comes in." –Joyce Van Patten, as Gloria, in
PHOTO: Photo by Lindy Baker on Unsplash
Doing what you want
Do what you want
"You can say no more easily, without much, if any, guilt. No to a spouse/partner who wants to go to a movie when you want to stay home and read. No to a dinner party invitation with the same old, boring guests. No to a friend who requires too much attention and gives back little in return. " — Jane Leder, writer, Evanston, Illinois
Freedom
Freedom
"Fifty is a big corner to turn. It used to mean being put out to pasture, but it's the opposite with me. I feel more vibrant; I'm more active than I've ever been. The F-word really is freedom. It's the freedom to have dropped the rock—the rock of addiction, of family, of comparisons with other people. It's being fit and focused and kind of furious." — actress
You don't give a hoot what people think of you, for one
Like traffic and taxes, aging is inevitable. But why cringe every time another birthday comes around? Wine gets better with age, and so do we. Read on for some compelling reasons why you should actually be excited about the years to come.