Are You Anxious About Getting Older?
Happy New Year! I hope 2023 is off to a pleasure-filled start for you.
I turned 48 over the holiday break. It’s been my tradition for the past 5 birthdays or so to post a picture of myself with my age over on Instagram to normalize women talking about our age.
Because there is no shame in aging.
Somebody give me a megaphone so I can shout that a little louder! THERE IS NO SHAME IN AGING!!!
I’m shouting because the society we live in is unrelenting in it’s messaging that growing older is practically a fate worse than death—especially for women.
We are told that we’re not relevant anymore. Not beautiful anymore. Not sexual beings. Not valuable. That we should spend a small fortune on “anti-aging” products in an effort to cling to youthfulness. And simultaneously clad ourselves in beige sweater sets and fade into the background.
I don’t know about you, but I am opting out of this bullshit patriarchal messaging. And I want you to opt out too.
Because here’s the thing that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough: You don’t have to do any of that.
You don’t have to feel gut-wrenching anxiety about turning 50 or 40 or 30 (or whatever age it is women are supposed to feel bad about being).
You don’t have to break your bank account on “anti-aging” products.
You don’t have to feel unsexy. Or boring. Or staid. Or irrelevant. Or invisible.
You can feel vibrant, beautiful, engaged and self-accepting at any age.
But society is not going to give you that for free.
You have to choose it.
You have to choose to take up space. To be visible. To engage with your sexuality. To recognize your power and your wisdom.
You deserve to have that. We all deserve that.
Which is why I recorded a new podcast episode for you all about how to own your age, say no to aging anxiety and realize that you are magnificent at every age, from 18 to 118.
Click here to listen. Or search “Lionesse” wherever you listen to podcasts.
Here’s to starting out a fresh year feeling good about yourself exactly as you are.❤️
XO,
Olaiya
