Ironic title for a site created for women in their 40s, I know. And though age is just a number, it’s an important number when it comes to observing milestones, celebrating birthdays, and remembering how far you’ve come.
When does age threaten to be more, and less at the same time? When we use it as a gauge to judge ourselves. We all do it, women at 40 don’t have a moratorium on beating ourselves up about not being at a certain place in life by the time we hit our 40s. But for some of us, the day we turn 40 hits us with the force of that gong they used on The Gong Show, and we often, and not always consciously, take ourselves out of the running because now we’re just too damn old to [fill in the blank].
I got two words for you. Diana Nyad.
While some have always questioned why (dude, that’s 110 miles!), and others are now questioning how, the fact remains that this world record long distance swimmer, in her fifth attempt, successfully swam from Florida to Cuba. And she’s 64.
Not all of us will break world records when we attempt for the fifth or hundredth time to finish something important to us. Most of us won’t make the news for doing it. But, as long as we’re drawing breath, the possibility still exists that we can and will get ‘er done – whether it’s our fifth attempt or hundredth.
So whatever it is you’ve set your heart to doing, and whether you set it 20 years ago or 20 hours a go, don’t let your age be the thing that stops you.
Image Source: NPR
