I was asked this question the other day and I actually didn’t know the answer. I’m 42, I don’t feel 25. At 25, I had smoother skin (but also spots). And I could party for several days straight. I was free and lived into the day. But I was also naive and nowhere near as confident or strong, physically or mentally, as I am today. I wasn’t a mother, the only responsibility I had was to myself. At work, I always had the feeling that I wasn’t being taken seriously, even though men were hanging on my every word. I wanted to please everyone and couldn’t say no. And vegetarian food for me was spaghetti with pesto. Every single day.
No, I don’t even want to be 25 anymore. Or 30, I want to feel 42. Who says being over 40 means you are „old“? We should stop comparing ourselves to our parents‘ and grandparents‘ generation.
My grandmother was about 50 when I was born, in my memory of childhood days she has always been the older lady with graying hair, a headscarf and dusty views. Today I have women in my circle of friends who are in their early 50s themselves. They are full of joie de vivre, have great style, well-paid jobs and love to celebrate life. They afford big vacations and designer handbags, declare Laurent Perrier their favorite champagne and wear killer heels. What’s the point of wanting to feel younger, when NOW you’ve achieved (all the things) you dreamed of in your mid-20s? It’s not the number that makes us older. It’s our views. Our heads.
Recently, I went for a facial. At the end, I asked the cosmetician how old my skin looked. „Like in my late 20s“ was the answer. Well, that’s the exaggeration of the century, of course, but there’s even some truth to it. (I probably wouldn’t have asked otherwise.) Nothing comes from nothing, as the saying goes. If we invest just 10 minutes a day in our skincare and 30 in our bodies, which is just 3% of the time we have available, there will be visible results as a reward. If we keep our finger on the pulse, talk to our children at eye level and not from above, take an interest in everything, learn new things, live positively and celebrate life, we will stay young. Regardless of our age.
What else makes me different from my 25-year-old self? Fifteen years ago, I didn’t worry about these things.
new-me.blog 