No longer wearing heels and 6 other things I love about getting older.

The beautiful thing about getting a little older is that the things that you were once a slave to, are gone. You become confident in yourself and the way you look, without seeking validation from anyone else. I’m not entirely sure why this happens but believe me, it does.

And I know as well as anyone that it feels like only a couple of heartbeats ago ,we were twenty-something years old, dancing around our handbags in questionable nightclubs, to the melody of Whitney Houston. HOWEVER, It’s also probably time for us to face some facts. Hands ups who still feels like 1990 was only ten years ago? Well, me too but to be honest, I’m not sure I’d want to go back there because with age, comes wisdom and confidence. Which also means that getting older doesn’t mean it’s all doom and gloom.

In fact, there are a great many things that come along with getting older that are quite liberating and exciting. Especially when you no longer care about those little things you once did. For example:

1. I no longer feel obligated to wear high heels.

For high-heeled fashion, I have endured back pain, rolled ankles, bunions and the mother of all blisters; and all of this, just to look good. Well I thought I looked good but in hindsight, I probably just looked like a baby giraffe that had recently learned to walk. Now I’m all about comfort and style, because those two concepts can in fact, coexist. Yes, I’ll wear a heel from time to time, I’m just saying I’m much more selective with my day to day footwear decisions. How great does it feel NOT to be a slave to fashion?

2. I no longer feel the need have plans for every night of the week.

If I didn’t have solid plans in place for my Friday nights when I was in my ‘20s, it felt like my life was basically over. I had a serious case of FOMO (Fear of Missing out) for I would say, almost a decade. That’s ten years of my life that I dedicated to making sure my Friday through Sundays were chock full of plans. Fast forward to 2015 and my greatest pleasure in life is doing just what pleases me - even if that means, putting on a pair of tracksuit pants, throwing my hair up into a bun and binge watching Netflix on the couch.

3. I no longer feel the need to wear uncomfortable underwear.

I’m at that ‘just-let-me-wear-my-big-faded-granny-undies-and-no-one-gets-hurt’ stage of my life. I want comfort. Doesn’t mean I have to sacrifice having cute underwear, I just no longer care about wearing g-strings so I don’t have a VPL, instead, I wear what fits, what makes me feel comfortable and what makes me feel amazing. For me.

4. I’ve found a hairstyle that suits me. And I’m going with it.

Remember when the ‘Rachel Green’ was in fashion? Well I do, mainly because I attempted to pull it off myself. I took myself to a hairdresser who I was assured “could cut curly hair”. Well you know what? Not even David Copperfield could turn my mop into a ‘Rachel Green’ and let’s just say, I used enough ‘Final Net ‘ hairspray during this time to have an ozone layer dedicated to yours truly.

Now I’m older, I have no desire to follow the latest trends. I’ve learned to stick with what works for me, and I’ve stopped being a slave to what everyone else is doing.  After all, there is a deep power that comes with acceptance and letting go - being comfortable in your own skin.

5. I don’t feel like I have to know what music is in the top 40.

Or any musical countdown for that matter. I just could…not…care…less.  I once would dedicate my entire day to the Triple J Hottest 100 countdown, having parties or going to parties and well, let’s face it, just partying. But back then I also knew almost every song they played. Now? Nope. Sure, I still enjoy music but this time around it’s all about embracing your true tastes, not trying to keep up.

6. You have more time to do more of what you enjoy.

Before now, you’ve been doing almost everything for everyone else. It’s a bubble we all find ourselves in, unwittingly most of the time. Suddenly, around the age of 40, we realise that we have a little more time on our hands. Time to do as we please. It might be yoga or a writing workshop or just reading a novel within the space of a month. Whatever it is,  the best thing about this time, is that you get the chance to explicitly explore your options.

7. My care factor about celebrity gossip is almost zero.

There was a time in my life when I could have named every single Kardashian and told you their age. This was also the time when I would buy four trashy magazines and pore over each one, obsessing over which famous celebrity was with who, how much weight they’d lost and what house they were living in. Now, it’s all white noise. Why? Because with age I’ve learned to love my body, my life and the people in it - there’s no longer any need for comparisons.

Getting older isn’t terrible. If you frame your mindset positively, you’ll find life is only just beginning. Remember: You are beautiful and a joy to be around so, enjoy it.

What perks about getting older do you enjoy?