Embrace Ageing with Confidence

Navigating Society's Beauty Standards & Embracing Age with Confidence

As the years have whizzed through teenage, young adult, parenthood into the post menopause ones, I find myself increasingly frustrated. Mostly by society's relentless pressure for us to conform to certain standards of behaviour and appearance at each life stage. Daily marketing is pushed at us, the latest fads, fashion, filters, pills, gadgets, surgery or the most hated term ever #Hack... All to hold back the hands of time. Why? Stop the ride. I want to get off!

I look at my reflection daily. I see a rawness that's unique to me. Isn't what you see of me "Good enough"? My past emotions are painted in my thin lips. My face has smiled, scowled, laughed and cried, creating deepening Spanish cannon lines. I'm reluctantly getting used to them greeting me louder each morning. No, I don't like it. No one does. But let's take off those rose-tinted specs.

That face. Those wobbly bits. That's me. That's who I AM. My body tells a story of my life and lifestyle. If I don't love it, then who else will. 

Embracing aging with confidence is hard. And its made harder with so much conflicting information to navigate out there for those of us "ageing". I am fatigued with the constant swiping them away. 

I am told that I should conceal my grey hair, but celebrate it. 

Wear age appropriate makeup, yet go au naturel like Pam Anderson. 

I should cover up, unless I've undergone breast lifts or butt enhancements, in which case, it's encouraged to flaunt those changes in the smallest bikini and declaring I have the perfect 50+ year old body!

Let's get back to being allowed to be ourselves, eh? And loving who we see as we look back. Let's get real. Life is way too short. With each passing day, I'm reminded of life's fleeting nature, prompting me to cherish simplicity and to live in the moment....In my ageing body.

I just wish I could have been there for the younger me. To give her some wisdom as she navigated her life decisions. I would have told her to stop worrying about not being good enough, too thin, too fat, too tall, too quiet, too sensitive, too this and too that. I would have told her to be yourself in that moment. If your so-called friends, partners, husband's, work colleagues, don't like you as you are, then please don't change to suit them. Change what you want to change. Never change to become what others expect.

To you reading this. Stand firm in your authenticity, refuse to conform to standards set by others. Be yourself, age like a good wine, and find beauty in the uniqueness in your individual journey, and the marks it leaves on you..... LOVE yourself for exactly who you are, at whatever age that may be