Forget the Black Balloons and Tombstones, Turning 50 Is Your VIP Pass to Reinventing Your Life!
Remember when turning 50 felt like you slammed into a dead end?
Like you’d run out of road- just limping with your “granny” cane into the great void of time and space?
Cue the black balloons, dead flowers, and cakes decorated with tombstones. For generations, we were taught to feel sorry for ourselves at 50.
How charming, right? What a ridiculous sabotage of self-worth!
Thank God those days are gone. And I would also like to publicly recognize the women who made the bold move to stop wearing pantyhose- true heroines of our generation!
These days, hitting 50 is like getting handed a VIP pass to the next great chapter. Women are healthier, have more choices, and way more freedom than ever before.
In fact, the average healthy 50-year-old woman can expect to live to nearly 82. That’s right, sister — you potentially have another 30 years to do all the things you’ve always wanted. Thirty more years!
As the ever-wise Mary Oliver once wrote:
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
How To Reinvent Yourself
Reinventing yourself after 50 is becoming a cultural movement — for good reason! No generation before us had the freedom, opportunity, and longevity we have now.
If you’ve got a decent handle on your health, some financial stability, and a pinch of creativity, you’ve got the perfect recipe for a fabulous “second act.”
Here’s my TLDR story: On my 50th birthday, I found out I would be a grandma. It was like a thunderstorm was brewing inside of me. Joy colliding with confusion = tears.
I was thrilled but also felt like I was just waking up after years of being in “mom mode.” My house had emptied, and I was finally starting to focus on myself — just in time to be someone’s grandma!
Oh, and did I mention I ended a marriage around the same time? Yeah, most days felt like I was living in a washing machine, stuck in a cold spin cycle!
The next few years were full of surprises, but eventually, I found my lane, hit the gas, and cruised down the highway of reinvention.
Trust me, if I can do it, you can too!
3 Things That Might Cause Women Over 50 To Reinvent Their Lives
#1 Divorce
Ah, divorce — that bittersweet freedom bell. For many women, ditching an unhappy or unfulfilling marriage brings an incredible surge of energy. Suddenly, there’s space to dream again! No more being weighed down by other people’s expectations or commitments. It’s your time to focus on you.
Now, I won’t sugarcoat it — divorce can be tough, especially financially. So, if it looks like you are headed in that direction, hire the best lawyer you can afford. You need to protect your financial future like your favorite pair of shoes depends on it!
Research shows it can take up to two years to get back to a sense of normal, but most women eventually thrive post-divorce. Some find a new partner, while others realize they’re perfectly happy flying solo. Either way, personal freedom changes everything!
#2 We’re Living Longer (and Healthier)
As you already know, health is the new wealth.
It’s hard to believe that up until 1986, medical research didn’t even focus on women. We were just considered “smaller versions” of men. Yep. Not even kidding.
Thankfully, women’s health has come a long way (although there’s still work to do). As recently as 2024, the McKinsey Health Institute called for closing the health gap between men and women. The study states that addressing women’s health could boost the global economy by a whopping $1 billion!
Focusing on giving women the resources and opportunity to get healthy will change the world!
If you have had a health scare or a recent unwanted diagnosis, you might be thinking about how to recover or restore your health. You need to know that it is completely possible to build a healthy strong body after the age of 50.
Invest in a trainer, go take some classes, do whatever it takes to move the needle on your health. If you live another two-three decades, you must begin to build your health.
Living longer doesn’t mean much if you’re not living well. You’ve got to invest in your health now to enjoy all those extra years.
Treat your body with the respect it deserves. That means getting educated about menopause, embracing exercise, and dialing down the sugar and processed foods.
Trust me, your future self will thank you.
#3 More Time and Energy
Here’s the beauty of being 50+ — you finally have the time and energy to do the things that light you up!
Reinventing yourself as a small business owner? Absolutely a flex.
Whether you want to be a content creator, an interior designer, run a doggy daycare, or launch a consulting business, now’s the perfect time to build something you’re passionate about!
You’ve already mastered juggling family, work, school and sports while making hundreds of PB&J sandwiches! Running a business will challenge you, but trust me, you have way more skills than you think.
Post-divorce,I went to grad school at the age of 53. I had this pressing sense that I wasn’t done with exploring life. I wanted to invest in myself, even if it meant achieving my education goals later in life. I had a lifelong dream of building a small business.
As a result, I am a trained therapist with a Masters in Marriage and Family therapy.
In the two years since grad school, I have built a business working with clients who want insight and support as they navigate difficult relationships.
My 50+ age brings me wisdom and patience that I wouldn’t have had as a younger mental health professional.
Let Yourself Dream
Go ahead and press reset, build the life you have always wanted!
Reinventing life after 50 isn’t just possible — it’s exciting! It’s your chance to write a new chapter, venturing on a journey you have dreamed of for decades.
