What You Ought to KNOW by your 40th…..

Relationship Diva here, turning forty is not like it used to be. Today’s women are still youthful, vibrant and want to have fun. We have the options of dating men who are much younger if we choose to do so. We can start new careers, businesses and families in our forties. Be excited about arriving at the 40 mark it’s a new chapter in your life and remember each birthday reminds us that we are still alive.

By the time you hit 40, we believe and hope, you have become aware of a few things about yourself and life in general. Some women get these things earlier, some later and some… not at all. If you haven’t discovered the following yet, that’s okay. Sometimes just introducing it into your awareness will bring things to light.

GURL KNOW’S List of What you Ought to KNOW by you’re 40th…..

1. When your body doesn’t feel the way it used to or just doesn’t feel “right”. That’s usually a signal something is out of whack and needs to change such as better eating habits, needing more sleep or coming up with a new exercise routine.
2. What your body needs and what you need to do to manage stress such as walking, taking a relaxing bath, reading a good book or watching a funny movie. Screaming is a good one too.
3. When a Man is not right for you ( immature, selfish, lacks ambition, boring). Trustworthy friends and family usually have good sensors where this is concerned. We women get our own warning signs but we tend to ignore them.
4. When it’s time for a change such as career, relationship, living environment, personal style, etc. Learning to read, acknowledge and act on the signals for change is sometimes challenging because we don’t like to admit to what we’re seeing, hearing or experiencing.
5. When it’s time to say “Adios!” to old beliefs, values and mindsets that are no longer serving you. These include feelings and beliefs about money, dating outside your race and dating younger men.
6. That it’s time to love yourself in spite of being alone or never being married. This one is huge for many women. We have got to treat ourselves well regardless of our relationship status. Having a healthy self-esteem and self-worth becomes a built-in monitor for keeping us safe and out of drama.
7. When you realize you still have a lot to learn about yourself and your life and that it’s okay to seek help ( therapist, life coach, mentor).
8. When it’s time for a new attitude about the way you feel about your body, your changing looks and getting the most out of your life.
9. When to take extra special care of your skin, especially the skin on your face to help you manage the increasing years and sun/environmental exposure. This includes seeing a dermatologist when necessary and scheduling regular facials.
10. When it’s time to find new dreams or new goals to pursue now that you have some of your emotional baggage under control or eliminated. Also a good time to start checking off items on your Bucket List.
11. When to compassionately let go of a relationship regardless of how long you’ve been in it, especially if it’s no longer in your best interest and it’s keeping one or both of you from growing and evolving.
12. When its time to release some emotions down on paper (Journal) so that your body can feel like itself again. Our bodies hold on to emotions for years, causing any number of health problems and blockages. Journaling helps you to get those emotions out and to give you insight to the situation.
13. When it’s time to experience something new because your life has become too routine and too boring. Maybe it’s time to take a trip, go on retreat or actually check off a dream on your Bucket List.
14. When it’s time to reorganize your home, your thoughts, your emotions and your life into manageable compartments. If your life is out of control, then it’s time to rein it in and get things in order. If its time to throw things out, throw them out, including old thoughts, mindsets and emotional baggage.
15. When it’s time to go into business for yourself. This doesn’t have to be some über elaborate scheme. It can be a simple home-based business to start you off.
16. When you are living out of alignment with your values, beliefs and passions. You’ll know in your heart when you’re doing this because you will begin to feel like a fraud. You just won’t FEEL RIGHT and you may begin to experience a kind of disappointment and disillusionment with your life.
17. When it’s time to have more and better sex. No further explanation needed.
Maturing in the 21st is nothing like previous years or decades. Women of all ages are having vibrant careers, sex lives, learning new things and experiencing new things that our foremothers couldn’t possibly have dreamed about.

It’s a AWESOME time to be alive, so if you’re letting turning 40 depress you, it’s really time to take tilt your head and create a different perspective. You made it to 40, many women did not so CELEBRATE and REJOICE at making it to this milestone in your life.

This is Relationship Diva signing off; I have things to learn, places to explore and people to meet. Until next time, may your days be filled with peace, passion, pleasure and purpose.