There has been so much talk about age in my feeds lately. About being 40 and 50 plus, this is something I never gave an ounce of thought before that time.

Being 44 was NEVER an issue to me. Not one little iota! Why would it be an issue, and who too? First it was friends who were hitting 40 and getting really quite stressed about it. Now I never got this sense of dread when I hit 40, I was too excited about the attention and presents. That is how I roll. Chris calls me materialistic; I call it a love of being spoilt. There is a huge difference.

If you want to see me create my projects, follow me on Tik Tok and Instagram.

So here are all my friends fretting about being 40, worrying about lines, and dress codes of 40 something’s.

And it made me wonder, was I doing this whole ageing malarkey wrong? I hadn’t given it a thought. Ok the trauma of the boy’s growing up is hard to bear. But for me that’s a different issue, it’s about them, not me.

Then a blogger friend dropped a huge bombshell of a question. She asked me if I thought the older you get the less attractive to brands and readers we become. WHAT, I will repeat that WHAT. This never, ever entered my head.

I have been mulling this over in my mind for a couple of weeks now, observing everyone around me. Trying to analyse people’s ages. Which I have to say I am rubbish at, I think EVERYBODY is my age? Older or younger I have no age radar at all.

And I have come to a conclusion, well I say conclusion, I have not changed my mind at all. AGE DOES NOT MATTER

And here is why:

It’s all in the mind, if you feel old you act old. I see that all the time. As a teacher I used to sit with parents at parents evening that were 10 years younger than me, yet looked 20 years older. Because they felt it, acted it. Do that and it shows!

No one is going to stop reading my blog because I am over 40. They might if they find me boring, or can’t relate to me anymore. But that is nothing to do with age.

I represent a generation that lived through a technological revolution. They are never ever going to stop using technology; it’s in our genes. Our parents had to learn late in life, hence why we had to teach them. We are NEVER going to be those parents.

In this day and age 40 and 50 is not old. It’s just an age and a mission we choose to accept. Rock it or not! Yes, some of us are dealt luckier cards than others, but that is representative of every age.

We are more confident in our bodies, style, abilities and ourselves than we were when we were younger, look around our generation is rocking it. And if we are not, we are blooming amazing at faking it.

As a generation we spend money on ourselves. We have wholeheartedly embraced me time, unlike the generations before us; therefore we represent a generation who spend money. Who want to see women of their age enjoying life and embrace this?

I have learnt to accept people’s opinions of me is their business and their problem, not mine. I am not taking anyones negativity onboard they can keep that to themselves.

There is no great competition for being the best age or generation

We all have readers and all have a market. And brands love that, they love us and they love our 20 something and 30 something friends too, we are not competition we are women together no matter what our age. And as influencers we all have a place. Two of my fave Instagramers are 20 and 50 something and both blooming gorgeous.

At 40 I made the decision to change a career that was no longer working for me, I was either brave our stupid.

I will never regret that decision I am so happy. And so glad I never let the fact that I was in my 40s and that my kids think I am uncool hold me back. I trusted my ambition; my instinct and mostly I trusted me.

And as I wandered through Manchester with the lovely Colette, Karen and Jenny. Taking photos, posing under street art and standing on tables to take photos. No one threw tomatoes at us, or laughed, they were supportive and smiled. We also met a group of 60 somethings doing a street art photography walk just like us. And do you know what? They were rocking too! x

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