What Do We Expect 40 To Look Like?

When you close your eyes and think about being in your 40's, what do you see? Do you instantly imagine that gravity has taken over your face and breasts? Does your wardrobe become more conservative? Are you, well, old? When my folks turned 40, I was about 10. My father was given a bumper sticker that said "40 isn't old if you're a tree" and something else that referenced 40 as being over the hill. My mother was subjected to a lawn full of 40 flamingos and a 'Lordy, Lordy look who's 40!" sign. I didn't get it. They didn't appear any different than they had in their 30s. But they were. 40 meant adult. Grown up. It meant thinking about college funds, mortgages and retirement savings. It meant being 'old.' But these same baby boomers seem to be changing things. The older they get, the younger everything else seems to be. They have proven that life doesn't end at 40. And neither does your sexuality. It drives me bonkers when a woman's beauty is qualified by a "for her age." What the hell is that? Beauty is beauty at any age. Take Jennifer Aniston. She's 46. She doesn't look great for her age, she looks great. Period. She is every single bit as 'alive' as she was in her 30s. J-Lo is yet another example. She's doing more now than she was at other, earlier/younger stages in her career. There is absolutely no reason why 40 has to be a devastating milestone. You are only as old as you feel. We all know 'old' 30 year olds. If you treat yourself right, inside and out, you're all set. You can define what 40 is. It can be just as bad ass as your 20s. Think of how much more fun you would have had in your 20s if you knew what you do now? My closest friend is in her early 50s and she goes out dancing every weekend. Why not? Who makes the rules when it comes to these things? You do. If there is something you want to do, do it. If there is something you want to wear, wear it. Embrace yourself at any age. Your beauty abounds. Sure, gravity is real. Aging is real. I've noticed it already in my mid 30s. Own it. Walk around in the world knowing what you know about yourself and knowing that you are beautiful and those qualities do NOT have an expiration date. Especially not at 40. Elle Macpherson is rocking the hell out of her 50s. The way I see it, we just keep getting better. What do you think of 40? Has your idea of '40' changed over time? Source: Daily Mail