Anna Traver
For some, the idea of turning 50 can feel a little daunting. Especially as women, we’ve been told all of our lives that we’re “over the hill” once we hit 40, no less 50! — but that simply couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, many women over 50 will tell you they feel like their life is just really beginning. We recently caught up with some of our favorite celebs who’ve already hit this half-century milestone at QVC’s “Age of Possibility” summit in Las Vegas — and we’ve never been more excited about what’s in store for all women as we age. From Martha Stewart to Sherri Shepherd to Donna Kelce, read on for what these influential, powerhouse women have to say about turning 50.
“I think being over 50 is a bold new time of life to take on new challenges, to take all the wisdom that you gained in your first 49 years and apply it to your dream,” encourages Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society.
Celebrities on turning 50: Go for what you want
It may sound cliche, but it’s true: It’s never too late to start. Whether you’ve had a dream of starting your own business for the past 20 years or you just found a new passion, the only mistake you can make is not trying — and there’s no better time to do that than when you turn 50.
“I think that women should embrace their dreams after 50,” television chef and author Sandra Lee tells us. “It is a very special time and it is the time to just do it, or you’ll never do it. And I believe in not having ghosts in your bedroom when you’re ready to go to heaven, and the things that you don’t accomplish are going to be those ghosts in the room — so I’m taking them out!”
“This is where I say, you’re approaching your 50s and now you get to all of those dreams that you put up on the shelf with the fine china — that you couldn’t see to because you had your partner, you raised your kids, you had to make a living,” says Sherri Shepherd, comedian, host, actress and author. “Now is the time, this is a new act in your life, go for it. Look at life and go, ‘Now what?’ and be excited about what life is going to bring. Those little deep things that you never told anybody about? Go for it. I always say on the other side of fear are where all of the blessings are.”
Ask for what you want
Once we near 50, it’s probably safe to say we are tired of waiting: Waiting for that promotion, waiting for that person, waiting for that new change. Women on the other side say this means you need to be forward and ask for what you want, rather than waiting for it to come to you.
America’s favorite football mom, Donna Kelce, agrees: “If you want anything in life, you should go for it, definitely. If you’re working and you want a particular job, don’t think just because you do a good job you’re going to get promoted,” she says. “You have to ask for what you want, because people don’t know that you want something. You can’t think they’re going to get it through any other way — you have to tell people what you want.”
Embrace and accept yourself for who you are
It can be hard at any age to learn to embrace every part of ourselves. But what many of these women told us is that they want this time in women’s lives to be about owning and embracing who they really are.
“For so many women I think we’ve been told that it’s kind of all over at 50. And we’re really here to say, it’s really just beginning,” affirms Sandra Bennett, QVC host. “I think women our age now tend to have more time, we know ourselves more, we know what we like, we know what we don’t like — and so I think it’s a really beautiful stage of life that we should be celebrating.”
Beloved author Debbie Macomber has loved learning to let go of the pressure we tend to put on ourselves. “One of the things I’ve learned is about the art of being myself and letting go of expectations,” she says. “I don’t have to prove anything to anybody. I don’t have to go ahead and say, ‘Hello I’m Debbie Macomber, I am…’ and list all my credentials. I can just rest in who I am already.”
Others encouraged to lean into practicing self-love at 50.
“I hope that women fully embrace the knowledge that you are powerful, you are amazing, you are curious and thoughtful and kind and generous. I hope that women who are approaching the age of 50 learn to love themselves profoundly and embrace that fully,” says Rachel Boesing, QVC host. “Do not be afraid to know and love and value yourself. Maybe it’s the first time in your life you’re really going to step into that, but from that self love, you can launch yourself into the stratosphere. I hope that women who are approaching the age of 50 understand that 50 is not anywhere near the end, it is absolutely the beginning of perhaps maybe the first time in your life really feeling strong in the decisions that you’re making, in knowing what really makes you happy — and I mean profoundly happy — and that you feel that you have a place and a space in this world, and that you really own that space and place.”
Pay attention
The secret to slowing down is to start paying attention even as the years feel like they’re flying by. “You start getting old the day you’re born,” Martha Stewart tells us. “So pay attention. And you can turn back the clock just so much, but you can really slow down that clock a lot if you pay attention.”
Get ready for compliments!
At the very least, turning 50 can boost your confidence!
“Everybody worries and gets concerned about getting older. When I was 49, no one ever said, “Wow, you look great,” and then I turned 50, and everybody said, “You look amazing!” says Jane Treacy, QVC host. “So get ready for the compliments. Get ready for your reinvention. And at 62, 60 was better than 50! So, what are we worried about?”
For more celebrity content, click through these stories:
Daytime Emmy-Winner Courtney Hope Talks Love, Loss and Love Triangles
Patti LaBelle Talks New Music + Her Advice For Women Turning 50
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