8 Reasons Not to Fear Major Birthdays ...

I really don´t get why turning 30 makes people freak out so much. And as for turning 40 … you´d think that some people had one foot in the grave the way they talk! Yet it´s just a number, so why attach negative significance to it? It doesn´t mean your life is over – there´s a lot of it still to enjoy, so don´t worry about the numbers.

I have several friends who, like me, are in their forties, and we all have one thing in common. None of us feel that we are old (we´re not!), and we all feel that our forties are the best stage in our lives thus far. If you decide that turning 40 means that you are old, then old you will be. Keep a young outlook, and you will enjoy life.

We all have to get older – and as they say, it´s better than the alternative. So celebrate birthdays – it doesn´t have to be with an enormous party. Do whatever you want to mark the occasion; see it as a great new stage in your life, use it as an incentive to achieve something you´ve always wanted to do, or just quietly let it pass because it´s irrelevant. But don´t see it as the end of anything!

There are so many wonderful role models out there who show us that a few more years on the clock are absolutely not a barrier to having a fantastic life. Look at the people who refuse to let other people´s preconceptions about age deter them from anything. Take their example and you´ll soon start to celebrate birthdays rather than fear them.

It used to be said that 40 is the new 30; now I´d argue that 50 is the new 40! Times have moved on, and the stages in our lives are no longer defined as sharply by our ages. Women are having babies in their forties, starting new careers in their fifties, studying for degrees in their sixties and finding partners in their seventies. There are no barriers any more!

I´m all in favour of using significant birthdays as a positive incentive. Ladies, it´s all about attitude! When you are about to hit that milestone, take the opportunity to reflect on what you want to achieve in your next decade. Whatever it involves - your career, family life or finances – move onwards and upwards, and be determined to enjoy yourself.

Our grandmothers were much more restricted by their age than we are. They probably looked and dressed much older than than their years, whereas we no longer have to dress a certain way simply because we have a birthday. Many women look younger than their ´real´ age – with a great haircut, flattering makeup and looking after ourselves, looking good is well within our reach, whatever our age.

Finally, don´t allow any room for negativity in your life when it comes to your age. There really is no need to let a birthday define you, so either view it as unworthy of comment, or shout out about it, loud and proud! I don´t call it aging, I call it advancing through life. Enjoy the present, look forward to the future, but don´t worry about the years behind you.

I´ve given you lots of great reasons to celebrate birthdays – not in the sense of having a party (although go ahead if you want to, and don´t forget my invitation), but in the sense of seeing them as something positive. It really can enhance your life if you let it. What do you plan to do to celebrate birthdays like 30, 40 – or even 90?

Top Photo Credit: weheartit.com