Who Knew Being an Older Woman Could Be Cool?

When I started Lifeshiift almost five years ago, I did it because of something I noticed among a few of my friends. With every life transition — the loss of a spouse, retirement, empty nesting — their worlds seemed to shrink. Their sense of adventure dimmed, and they began to feel smaller somehow.

It bothered me even more to see how older women were portrayed in the media and marketing: weak, fragile, a little dotty, as if life after 55 was just one long downhill slide ending with irrelevance and wrinkles. Yikes!

I wanted to protest, and the best protest was to build a vibrant community where strong, adventurous women could connect, inspire each other, and remind the world (and themselves) that empowered aging is the new cool.

And wow — what I discovered along the way has been incredible. It turns out, there are countless bloggers, writers, and creators out there cheering women on to make this chapter the absolute best of their lives. I wanted to shine a spotlight on a few of the many voices who inspire me, and might inspire you, too:

• Margaret at Sixty and Me – Through her newsletter and video channel, Margaret Manning tackles everything from fashion to makeup, travel, motivation, and positive aging. Its all about staying fabulous and fearless after 60.  Just a note on this, her newsletter comes out every day so it can feel a bit like drinking from a firehose!
• Ageless Possibilities – Women Rowing North – Helen Davidson’s work explores fresh perspectives on thriving in later life and is a great source of inspiring books and quotes.  She has a great system to help people write their memoirs as well.  Read her guest blog on the transformative power of stories (and why you need to write your own novel).
• Life in My 70’s – Candace Cima’s newsletter and blog are rooted in fashion inspiration, but she also dishes out wisdom on embracing aging. She happens to be very attractive so models much of what she shows.  We reposted her fabulous article, What I Love About Aging.
• Kathleen Rehl – An expert in widowhood and finances, Kathleen wrote Moving Forward On Your Own, a fantastic resource for women navigating decisions after losing a spouse. I had the privilege of interviewing her for a video — her advice is both practical and deeply comforting.

Wait, the Men Are Getting in on the Fun, Too!

• The Happy Grownup – Hal Rubenstein, once a fashion editor and food writer, now produces lifestyle content with interviews of celebrities such as Norma Kamali  (who is in her 80’s) who are making the most of this era of their lives.

• ROAR forward– Michael Clinton, a men’s fashion editor turned reinvention guru, profiles people who’ve made fascinating life pivots (he calls them Re Imagineers) and wrote a book celebrating the spirit of second (or third!) acts.  He believes in something he calls “life layering” (creating goals and challenges in various parts of your life). 

Lastly, Our Silver Pro Age Icons

Don’t forget the celebrities like Jane Fonda, Jane Goodall, Maria Schriver, Jamie Lee Curtis and Lily Tomlin who are outspoken about how aging is not the end of the line but just a new beginning.  Heck even Oprah is 71!

This is a huge topic, and that’s a good thing. The more voices we hear, the faster we shift society’s outdated views on aging. Positive aging, thriving in this part of life , embracing reinvention — it’s all happening, and it’s definitely cool.  Who are your favourite voices?