50 isn't old - it’s where Life is beginning Again!
Fifty. A number that once felt like it belonged to other people - my teachers, my friends’ parents, women I looked up to - but never me. And yet, here I am, turning 50, and it feels nothing like I imagined.
For so long, society whispered that this age was about slowing down, fading into the background, or clinging to youth. But what I’ve discovered is the opposite. Turning 50 is not about disappearing; it’s about becoming. It’s about stepping into a version of myself that is more grounded, more unapologetic, and more alive than I’ve ever been.
Changing the Narrative
Let’s get one thing straight - 50 is not an ending. It’s not the time to shrink, to tone ourselves down, or to apologise for taking up space. If anything, it’s the season of life where we finally know our worth deeply enough to stop explaining it to anyone else.
People often comment, “You don’t look 50,” as if that’s the highest compliment they can give. I also hear, “You don’t look like a grandma,” as though stepping into that role must come with a certain appearance or limitation. But here’s the truth: I am 50. I am a grandmother. And I choose to wear both proudly. Looking young isn’t the achievement - living fully is.
And while I don’t look 50 in the way society expects, that’s not luck - it’s choice. When I turned 40, I committed myself to living differently. I began incorporating self-care into my daily rituals—not as a luxury, but as a way of life, doing things that make me feel good and treating myself to moments of joy. Taking care of my skin, my body, and my mind. Because if I hadn’t made these changes, I know the outcome would have been very different.
We are what we tell ourselves. I never tell myself I am old. Instead, I flipped the script on what “old” even means. For me, age is not decline - it is wisdom. Its growth. It’s an expansion.
Society likes to portray turning 50 as the moment you start shopping at Miller’s and settling into decline, as though life somehow becomes less from here. But that’s not the case at all. For me, it feels like my life is starting again. This milestone isn’t about endings, it’s about a fresh beginning, a new way of showing what 50 can look like. I’m keeping my inner child alive, holding onto hope, joy, and a youthful spirit, because we get to decide how we show up, not what society tells us fifty should look like.
Carrying her with me
The most special part about turning 50 for me is something deeply personal - I have now outlived my mum by five years. She passed away when she was just 45, and I was only 25. This year marks 25 years since I lost her, and she would have turned 70.
Reaching this milestone feels like more than a birthday - it feels like honouring my life and hers. It’s a reminder that every year, every choice, every moment is a gift not to be wasted. I live knowing that I am experiencing things she never had the chance to do, and that thought alone makes me hold this season of life with both gratitude and reverence.
But here’s the truth - my mum never had the tools, knowledge, or support that I have now. Back then, “self-care” and “healing” weren’t conversations people were having. Emotional well-being was brushed aside, and anything that looked like inner work was dismissed as “woo-woo.” She did the best she could with what she knew, but I’ve had to learn this wisdom for myself.
And that’s what makes it even more meaningful now. Because I get to share what I’ve discovered with my grandchildren. I get to ripple this wisdom throughout my generational timeline - changing the story, rewriting the patterns, and creating a legacy that my mum never had the chance to. In doing so, I’m not just honouring the past, I’m reshaping the future.
What Life Has Taught Me
I don’t claim to have it all figured out, but here are a few lessons that 50 years have etched into my heart:
Self-love is not selfish; it’s a matter of survival.
I spent too many years waiting for others to validate me. Now I know the deepest love I can receive is the one I give myself.Boundaries are a love language.
Saying no is not rejection - it’s self-respect. Protecting my energy is how I stay aligned with the woman I want to be.Healing isn’t about erasing the past; it’s about rewriting the future.
Every scar, every stumble has shaped me. But I don’t have to carry old pain forward.Joy is found in the simple, ordinary moments.
A coffee in the sunshine, laughter with my grandchildren, dancing in my kitchen - these are the riches of life.I am not behind; I am becoming.
There’s no finish line—just evolution, and permission to keep growing at every age.
No Mistakes, Only Lessons
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that everything we do - even the things we once wished we hadn’t - becomes part of who we are meant to be. The too many nights of partying, the wrong relationships, the heartbreaks, the losses, the choices that didn’t turn out the way we hoped… none of it was wasted.
There are no mistakes, only lessons to be learned. Each one arrives in our lives to shape us, teach us, and prepare us for what’s ahead. They become the stepping stones we carry into our future, giving us the strength and wisdom to rise into the person we were always meant to be.
Finding Clarity In The Pause
One of the most significant pieces of wisdom I’ve learned is the power of the pause.
When we’re faced with a block - it could feel like running on empty, like nothing’s working, things keep breaking, or the answer just won’t come - it’s the pause that changes everything. In the pause, we give ourselves permission to sit, rest, journal, and meditate. For some, it’s sitting quietly with a cup of tea, walking along the beach, listening to music, or simply closing their eyes and taking a deep breath. However it looks for you, the point is to allow space. And in that space, the answers come.
We can’t receive clarity if there is too much noise. When we pause, we rest our nervous system, our DNA, the very cells of our bodies. Our whole anatomy gets a reset. And in that moment, what we need to do next becomes clear, with ideas, guidance, and the expansion of the next step.
It is in the pause that we see clearly. Thoughts flow from a calmer perspective, rather than from a fight-or-flight response. Nothing can be seen clearly in a state of stress. So, relax, breathe, and have faith in yourself. The pause is not wasted time - it is where alignment is found.
Stepping Into What’s Next
This milestone isn’t just mine - it’s an invitation to you. Wherever you are on your timeline —30, 40, 50, or beyond —you are not running out of time. You are stepping into it.
What if age weren’t something we feared but something we celebrated? What if every birthday was proof that we are still here, still becoming, still capable of choosing differently?
I see turning 50 not as the closing of a chapter, but as a doorway to expansion, courage, and deeper self-trust. And I hope that you allow yourself to envision your next chapter in the same way.
Because becoming never ends.
Daily Prompt to Step into Your Future Self
What would it look like to celebrate the season of life I’m in, rather than compare it to the past?
Where am I still waiting for permission to shine, and how can I give it to myself today?
If I believed that the best is yet to come, how would I start showing up now?
Take a small step forward today - whether it’s wearing something that makes you feel radiant, saying no without guilt, or finally saying yes to something your heart has been whispering for years.
With big love & limitless belief in you,
Renee Cosh xx
