Inspiring Tips on Aging from Celebrities Over 50

Frank Lloyd Wright once said:  “The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes.” Turns out many celebrities over 50 feel the same way.

As do I. To my delight, I discovered there were many perks to turning 60. In fact, it was downright liberating.

As I described in a previous blog, during lockdown I was sitting in my courtyard with classic 60s music blaring in my earbuds. “Let’s face it, I was rocking out – I mean full on with arms swinging above my head – with my eyes closed,” I wrote. “Okay, so maybe I had a glass of wine and, by the way, I really like to dance. Suddenly, I heard a noise at the gate and opened my eyes. It was the UPS man delivering a package with a huge grin on his face. In my younger years, I would have died of embarrassment. But you know what? I didn’t even care. He left the package and I closed my eyes and rocked on. That’s the beauty of being 60.”

While aging isn’t always easy, it does have its benefits. I’m more comfortable in my skin. That makes me more confident. I’m determined to make the most of my remaining years and focus on meaningful activities. That makes me feel feel more content. I’m grateful for each day of life. That makes me more appreciative. I’ve lived through adversities and know that I can survive. That makes me stronger.

Interestingly, research shows that the oldest Americans (age 65 and up) are the happiest. In fact, a recent study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that in general we feel happier as we age. So there’s reason for hope.

With that in mind, check out these celebrities’ positive thoughts about getting old. Enjoy!

Regina King

“I feel like I’m so much more interesting now, as a soon-to-be-50-year-old woman, than I was at 25. I can bring so much more to the table,” King, now 51 said in the January 2021 issue of British Vogue. “You may not have the stamina that you had at 25, but what you know now? So much better.”

Cher

“I do think that when it comes to aging, we’re held to a different standard than men,” Cher, now 75, said in an interview for Fifty on Fifty: Wisdom, Inspiration, and Reflections on Women’s Lives Well Lived by Bonnie Miller Rubin. “Some guy said to me: ‘Don’t you think you’re too old to sing rock n’ roll?’ I said: ‘You’d better check with Mick Jagger’.”

Gloria Steinem

“Fifty was a shock, because it was the end of the center period of life,’ admits Steinem, now 87 said in an interview in The New York Times . “But once I got over that, 60 was great. Seventy was great. And I loved, I seriously loved aging. I found myself thinking things like: ‘I don’t want anything I don’t have.’”

Dolly Parton

“I don’t think about my life in terms of numbers,” the 76-year-old said in November 2020 during an interview for The Oprah Conversation. “First of all, I ain’t never gonna be old because I ain’t got time to be old. I can’t stop long enough to grow old.”

Glen Close

Close, now 75, related to Good Housekeeping that turning 60 was not the nightmare she anticipated, noting that one of the keys to aging is a simple shift of perspective. “All your life, you think 60 is ancient, and all of a sudden, you find you’re 60 and you don’t really feel that different. I feel stronger and more engaged. This is the best time of my life,” she said.

Oprah Winfrey

“Of course I want to look my best. I want to feel strong and vibrant,” Oprah wrote in an essay that appeared on HuffPost. Now 68, she stated: “But I know for sure that the pathway to your best life isn’t the route of denial. It’s owning every moment. Staking a claim in right now. And, with gratitude, embracing the age you are.”

Would you agree with these celebrities’ opinions on growing older? Has aging been a positive experience for you? Let me know in the comments below.