40, 50, 60+ - It's Your Time to Sparkle

Welcome to my weekly blog about life, work, and adventure at 40 & 50+, and the lessons learned along the way. (Scroll down to read the blog.)??

If this is your first time reading this blog, welcome. As the former co-founder of a pro-age women’s community, recognized Influencer in Aging by Next Avenue magazine, and Facebook Community Accelerator alum, I launched this blog to share personal insights gathered from my journey through middlescence to encourage us to be a little more empathetic and curious about people of all ages. You never know what someone else is going through unless you care enough to ask. Start asking.

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Dear Middlescent,

It is a beautiful time to be over 40 right now. The energy and excitement in the air is palpable.

But, had you asked me 10 or 15 years ago, I probably would have given you other choice words to describe being over 40. Like many of you, I was afraid of getting older. Beyond the greys and wrinkles, I feared what life would feel like at 40, let alone 50, which I turn on June 18. I feared the limitations, ailments, changes, and challenges that have been peddled from one generation to the next as truths.

You don’t get the opportunity to “test drive being 40, 50 or 60” before you actually turn 40, 50 or 60. And only until you turn 40, 50 or 60, will you know what life is like at that age. And here’s another age truth bomb, your 50 will look different than my 50. Why? Because we all take different paths.

And that’s why it’s a beautiful time to be a middlescent right now.

Thanks to better healthcare and lifestyles, we’re living longer, stronger, and more vibrant lives than ever before. But it’s more than that. ?

There is a pro-aging movement afoot that’s picking up steam. A growing, fierce group of organizations, advocates, universities, corporations, and everyday people like me and you that are challenging outdated aging beliefs and working to rescript our individual and collective outlook on turning 40, 50, and 60+.

And to that I say, hell ya!

I entered this space in 2019 when I co-founded SecondActWomen, a business club for women over 40, with my long-time friend and partner Barbara Brooks. During my time with SecondActWomen, I was fascinated by the conversations, experiences, dreams, and happenings of the community. This community of fab women was everything but what I had grown up thinking turning 40, 50, 60 or even 70 would be like. These women were changing careers, starting up, leaving toxic relationships, balancing adult and child caregiving, pursuing romance and more. These ladies were living examples of a life reimagined.

SecondActWomen opened my eyes to the idea that a beautiful, age-inclusive world is possible. Now, I’m not dismissing the impact of ageism, it’s real and we all need to work together to end it, but even in that dark truth, I am encouraged, uplifted, and energized by the many amazing trailblazers that are out there changing the narrative on aging.

I want to be part of that cool group of kids.

I want to be my biggest cheerleader at every age. I want to push boundaries. I want to prove to myself (not others) what I can be or do at 50, 60, 70, and beyond. I want to celebrate every year God leaves me on this earth. I want to live life in full color. If this sounds like something you want in your life too, check out last week’s Dear Middlescent blog where I shared five things you can start doing today to become a pro-aging advocate too.

And if you’re feeling the feels, digging the vibe, and are on board with living your next act on your terms, here’s a starter list of other fabulous pro-aging powerhouses you should check out. I realize this list is simply scratching the surface, but these are organizations or people I’ve personally crossed paths with, so please share in the comments any other pro-aging organizations, influencers, podcasts, and media we should support.

Marketing & Advertising

• Creagless, Eddie Prentiss
• Fancy LLC, Erica Fite & Katie Keating
• Grace Creative LA, Susan Lee Colby
• Grown-Ass Creative, Jackie MacDougall (Launching soon!)

Organizations

• Changing the Narrative, Janine Vanderburg
• Encore Network, Board-led organization
• Modern Elder Academy, Chip Conley
• SecondActWomen, Barbara Brooks
• This Chair Rocks, Ashton Applewhite?

Podcasts & Magazines

• Badass Women at Any Age, Bonnie Marcus
• Modern Gen X Woman, Mimi Bishop & Jackie Ghedine
• Next Avenue, Julie Pfitzinger
• Noon, Eleanor Mills
• Pro-Age Woman, Meri Frischman
• The Grown-Ass Woman’s Guide, Jackie MacDougall

Colleges & Universities with Midlife Programs

• University of Minnesota, Advanced Career Initiative
• Queen’s University, Advanced Leadership for Social Impact Fellowship
• Harvard University, Advanced Leadership Initiative
• University of Colorado Denver, Change Makers
• Stanford University, Distinguished Careers Institute
• University of Notre Dame, Inspired Leadership Initiative
• University of Chicago, Leadership & Society Initiative
• Oxford University, Next Horizons
• University of Texas, TOWER Fellows Program

Influencers & Journalists

• Ashton Applewhite
• Avivah Wittenberg-Cox
• Barbara Waxman
• Bonnie Marcus
• Chip Conley
• Ken Dychtwald
• Kerry Hannon
• Marci Alboher
• Michael Clinton
• Richard Eisenberg