12 Reasons Why it’s Great to Be Over 50…or 60

12 Reasons to Enjoy Our Maturity

Getting older is not really what most of us look forward to, other than maybe when we were 15 and couldn’t wait to drive. 😉 But getting older and reaching the decade milestone of 50 or beyond doesn’t need to seem as daunting or distressing as you may think. Being ‘over 50’ may have it’s challenges, but I believe, and I hope you’ll agree, that it’s actually great to be ‘over 50’. There are so many reasons to embrace our ‘over 50’ life. Here’s a list of our top reasons why it’s great to be over 50…or 60 – 12 reasons to enjoy our maturity.

1. Life Experience:

We’ve had all the good and bad experiences in life to make us who we are today. And we can tap into all that knowledge to make our life even better now. Rather than dwelling on the past hurts, scars or experiences, we can use them to give us strength, power, a solid character, and a new way of thinking and living.

We’ve moved on from the past and can be excited about the present, about living in the moment…now! We are on our second wind…recreating ourselves, finding new opportunities and passions, or rediscovering a dream we had put aside to take care of family and work. Now is our time to be our greatest self! What one past event or relationship to you need to let go of so you can live now? What are you doing to recreate yourself or what new passion are you pursuing?

2. Relationship Experience:

We are relationship-wise. We know what makes a loyal friend and companion and how precious those friendships and partnerships are. But we also know the people to avoid; the ones who cause drama, strife and conflict no matter what. We have the maturity and the freedom to choose the people we want in our life. We have the wisdom and courage to be with new people who align with who we are now, as well as continue to nurture our true life-long friendships. It’s no longer a popularity contest. It’s about having high quality people in our lives. What new friendships have you forged since you’ve turned 50?

3. We are more secure in ourselves:

We don’t worry as much what others think about us. ‘Keeping up with the Jones’ is not something we worry about. We have the freedom to be who we are without having to prove or compare to others. We are finding that we are pretty awesome just as we are! What is one thing (among many) that makes you uniquely awesome?

4. We are done or nearly done raising our children:

We have the satisfaction and joy of seeing our children become amazing adults after all our hard work. And now, we get to start a whole new chapter in our life. We get to set new goals and find new or rediscover old dreams, and we have the ability to make them a reality. What one dream or goal are you going to work on now that your parenting days are over or almost over?

Hey there…So after you’ve read a few reasons why ‘over 50’ can be great, does any of it resonate with you? Do you have any of your own thoughts or comments on life after 50? Leave a comment and let’s start a conversation. Ok, break over…now read the rest of our reasons why it’s great to be 50+!

5. We may have grandchildren to spoil:

Now that the kids have moved on and started their own family, we have the joy of seeing our children become parents. And one of the great benefits of being a grandparent…we get all the fun and joy of the kids without the discipline, money and day to day parenting. Yay! Even if you can’t see them a lot, the simple joy of seeing their pictures or hearing their little voices is thrilling enough. What is one highlight of being a grandparent?

6. We have more time:

We’ve been putting off all those things we’ve always wanted to do, whether a specific hobby, traveling, spending more time with friends and family. And now we have the time to do it. Our responsibilities have slowed down. (Or if not, it’s time to rethink some of those obligations…;) ) We do not have to wait anymore for the proverbial someday. It’s now! What one thing have you been putting off that you can make happen right now? Make that Someday…today. Be marvelous in mid-life!

7. We have the freedom to seize opportunities when they happen:

Nothing needs to hold us back. We have learned to not allow fear of the unknown stop us from discovering new and exciting things. We can change careers; start a business; go back to college; move across the country or even move abroad. What new opportunity will you seize in the next few months?

8. We have created a healthy relationship with money:

We know how to earn and we may or may not have built up some savings. But more importantly, we’ve learned that spending money on experiences, discoveries and people is so much more important than spending money on things. How is your spending different now than it was when you were younger?

9. We can simplify our life:

We find we need less and less stuff to fill us (and our house) up. Instead, we can revel in the simplicity of life. We embrace downsizing and getting rid of the clutter of our house and ourselves. Have you started the freedom of downsizing? If not, list at least 5 things you can get rid of today to help on the path to simplifying your life.

10. We are not afraid to try new things:

In fact, we can embrace the challenge of discovery. You want to travel? Then do it! You want to learn piano? Find a teacher. Have you always wanted to write? Then set aside time everyday. What have you always wanted to try? There is no reason to wait anymore!

11. Life is still full of possibilities:

We are not limited by age– we have the knowledge and wisdom and education, without the to do anything we set our mind to. Time does not limit us – we have the ability to use time more wisely. We have learned to say no and guard our time and not over extend ourselves. We are not limited by our capability or our physicality – we are still healthy and strong (even with a few wrinkles and grey hair) and we can do anything we set our minds to do. What new thing are you going to go after right now…today?

12. We still know how to have fun!:

We are still that wide-eyed, slightly crazy, love to have fun kind of person, albeit a bit more serious, maybe cautious, and definitely with more common sense. We’ve aged but that does not stop us from being thrilled by life, having a wonderful time with our partner and friends, and finding joy in every moment. That is what we have now over our younger selves.

13. We savor every moment.

We would rather smile and make others smile, than allow worry or regret to steal that happiness. Name three things today that makes you thrilled by life? A new plan? A daffodil in winter? A hug from a friend? A terrific bottle of burgundy? Make your list, now and everyday, my friend. Just doing that will make being ‘over 50’ awesome!

So that’s our list of reasons why it is absolutely great to be ‘over 50’.

Our life experiences; relationship trials and joys; children and grandchildren; respect and love of friends, partners and self; our ability to seize opportunities now; freedom to try new things; knowing how to handle money; seeing the possibilities of life; enjoying the simplicity of life; and still having fun through all of it. It’s not an exhaustive list and I’m sure we can add more reasons to love being ‘over 50’.

Let’s continue the conversation by leaving a comment. Let me know what you think of our list. What would you add? or maybe subtract? I’d love to know your thoughts. Thanks for reading and remember, Someday…is Today!

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