Yoga teacher Tao Porchon-Lynch is 97, so if you’ve just had a 50th birthday and are feeling “invisible” all of a sudden, take a leaf out of Tao’s book and watch her TEDx Talk “There is nothing you cannot do” on YouTube. She talks about how travel shaped her and about dancing with partners 70 years younger than her…we need more Taos in our world!
Every time I hear someone moan about an upcoming birthday “ohhh the Big Whatever O” I think you know what? You’re lucky to have got this far! Somewhere along the chronological graph of the history of beauty and women’s evolution in a socio-cultural arena, we took a drastically wrong turning. But we’re steering the wheel again, things are looking up.
Thanks to big brands like L’OREAL who are cleverly and powerfully positioning their marketing to embrace the older woman (Susan Sarandon is their newest “face”), grey is the new beautiful, and literally! Platinum/grey hair has never been more in) and you, whatever age you are, are truly beautiful. Reminder: You are YOU. (Not your age).
The more we see older beauty icons, the more we open up to wrinkles, sags, age spots, imperfection, etc….and the more we appreciate the beauty of growing older, the better things will be. You can have all the Botox, lipo, whatever in the world you like, but if you think it’s going to guarantee your husband doesn’t stray, or bring you love, that’s roulette you’re playing. If you do it because you love it, fair enough…
“Love yourself like your life depends on it” says Kamal Ravikant (a quick weekend read if you’re in the mood for a new book)…I would add “keep a sense of wonder, don’t give into conforming, and the more you shine your light on others and spread good energy, the brighter your own light will shine”. Retaining a childlike sense of wonder and appreciating the small, simple things works for me, but we all have our own individual magical ways of getting the most out of life.
I no longer give a hoot about age (I never did, really) but a couple of years ago the years in my life started to etch themselves more deeply into my face…it bothered me for a couple of months but I don’t even see them now. I don’t peer into a magnifying mirror looking for new lines. I just grab a mascara, lip gloss, a good primer and SPF and head out the door.
MAY is THE MONTH OF AGELESS BEAUTY on The Beauty Shortlist (coinciding with our Baby Awards opening again for entries so we’re spanning lifetimes!) and we will be looking at the freedom not worrying about your age brings. I would love to know your views and ideas on all this, so please join the conversation here, on Twitter or Instagram…it’s an important one right now…I think we could look back on this shift in years to come and realise it was one of the most crucial socio-psychological/cultural movements in centuries.
It’s exhausting, expensive and time-consuming trying to be perfect. Why not lighten things up and cut all of ourselves some slack? Enjoy the passing years instead of dreading them because we’re all on the same road – so we might as well smell the flowers and love the scenery along the way….
So please don’t dread hitting 30, celebrate getting to 40! I passed the 36 mark years ago but I “stuck” at that age and don’t feel a day older most of the time unless I’m over-tired or have seen too many airports.
Resenting an upcoming birthday I feel is the greatest insult to yourself, to those who don’t and can’t make it as far as you have, and to life itself. Life is precious, here’s to Ageless Beauty, and a lot more slack!
