By the time we reach our forties and fifties, we women have often gone through such major life upheavals as the break up of a marriage, loss of a partner or career, health scares or watching our children leave home. But with the right mindset we can use our maturity, life experience and knowledge at this stage in our lives to become more attractive, self confident and more alive than ever before. Women such as Halle Berry, Sharon Stone, Sarah Fergusson, Emma Thompson and Diane Keaton are testimony to this.
Surviving a divorce or an emotional trauma gives you the chance to reinvent yourself, start a new fitness regime, which will change how you feel about your body, and a complete wardrobe overhaul. Use it as an opportunity for change, maybe take more risks and do things that you only dreamt about. A chance to let go of the strings attached to your old life and to look on every day as a new experience.
Live for the Moment
In our late forties we realize that life is made up of a series of moments. Those moments should be treasured and recognized for what they are; important elements of your past which have provided you with the memories, love and the determination to make you what you are today.
It's not about the car you drive, the size of your house, how much you earn or your status in society. In your forties and fifties you begin to realize that life is about people and places, knowledge and experiences - it is up to you to decide how to use them. There is so much of the world to see, so many people to meet and so many things to do.
Living in a Foreign Country Enriches your Life
Given the chance, everyone should live in a foreign country for a while. It is both humbling and exhilarating. The sharing of cultures, food and language, along with the opportunity to explore new places and make new friends is invaluable. Such experiences make us better people, and give us the ability to open up our minds to fresh ideas and concepts and learn to take the rough with the smooth.
There is nowhere in the world like "home" but living in a foreign country forces you to become more tolerant and patient in order to handle the day-to-day frustrations thrown at you, and the realization that your beliefs and ways of doing things (so deeply ingrained) may not necessarily be the "only" way.
As we get older it is very difficult to let go of the baggage that binds us to our native homeland. The initial move is always the most difficult but once you have taken this first big step you are likely to look back and wonder why you didn't do it before.
Life Changes at Forty
Making such changes in your forties gives you a better armor to cope with life's challenges than a twenty something - you may have more resources, you certainly have more experience and have developed a maturity that will enable you to handle situations more competently and wisely. If you have been through dramatic and emotional times, then use this opportunity to let go of the past and seize the now.
Your forties are a great time to concentrate on your own self development. Start each day with a good memory, however small. It is often the most insignificant that is the most meaningful - a scenic train ride, a chance encounter, a kind deed, a loving gesture or a beautiful sunrise. Such thoughts get you through the day and help you recover from traumatic times in your past.
No Regrets at Fifty
We do not want to look back in our fifties and sixties with the same view on life as Jorge Luis Borges in his poem entitled Instants, reflecting on all the things we could have done, full of regrets for lost opportunities having placed too much importance on prudence and material wealth.
Human nature is such that the things we regret most in our lives are the things that we didn't do, rather than those we did. If it all goes wrong, then pick up the pieces and move on. In the beginning it is very hard; easy to say but not so easy to do. However, as time moves on you get better at it.
