Did anything good happen to you in your forties?

Intrigued by this as everyone I know says menopause is horrendous?

I'm late 30s and also concerned about my 40s as a lot of stuff people seem to be listing here seem to be things I've already done/have/aren't interested in and I feel like I only have wrinkles and hormone imbalances in my future...!

Yeah!

married my second husband, had a surprise "oh that's not the menopause then" baby and finally, after years of minimum wage jobs, started my own business.

My eldest started primary school when I turned 40 in 2011. I made a group of friends in her reception year who are (with the exception of my bestie) the best friends I’ve ever had. Now as our kids are older and we have more freedom - we have started taking city breaks and weekend trips to galleries etc. and have really supported one another through some tough times. Don’t know what I’d do without them!

I learned to ski at 44 and now go every year and absolutely love it. Who knew going down hill fast (it feels fast to me!) would be so exhilarating!

I kicked arse at work during my 40s and it was my most effective career decade by far.

I also put on a few stone that I should probably care more about and my eyebrows need work but we can’t have everything! Go smash it

I don’t find that to be true anymore. So many drama and some films now have older women as the leads!

Loads of fabulous things have happened in my 40's.

I am more confident and care less what others think which is incredibly liberating - like taking off an itchy jumper you've been wearing for years!

I changed my job - I earn more in my new role and feel valued for my experience.

My kids are so much more independent and I can see the end in sight of the day to day parenting responsibilities that have take up so much of my 30's

I have made loads of friends in my 40's and now have time to invest in those friendships and spend time having fun with those people.

I look much better now I am not constantly exhausted by small children and covered in sticky handprints and spilled orange squash etc.

It's honestly fabulous and it really is true that ageing is a privilege that not everyone gets to enjoy

2 of my kids left home in my early 40s. Had much more freedom. Started solo travelling at age 42 and still doing so 10 years later. Became self employed so not needing to do things on a bosses timetable

I took a really big step up in my career at 40 and got married at 43 :)

Time for a bit of manifesting OP!
Why not set some goals about what you'd like to do next?

And remember most people miss some stuff about their youth but still wouldn't choose to turn the clock back.

We asked my late grandad which decade of his life had been the best and he said definitely the current one. He was 90 when we asked.

Studied have shown that from age 55 onwards women tend to become increasingly happy with life every year. So there's that to look forward to!

I qualified as an accountant and became a grandmother. Im still (just!) in my forties, plenty more good times to come 🤞🤞

Having not worked much in my 30s due to kids, in my 40s I got to focus again on my career. I became a senior manager and my earnings massively increased.

I didn’t realise the value of this until both kids went to uni. It’s an expensive few years.

Nearly at the end of my forties now. In the last 9 years I've:
Found a career I love
earn 3 times more than I did in my 30s
Gained 2 professional qualifications
Got promoted
Have the best sex of my life
Am happier and more content than I've ever been
Marriage is the best it's been after nearly 30 years together
Finally spent time in therapy to sort out all my childhood shit

I'm the youngest in my friendship group and have the honour of being surrounded by clever, funny, kind women aged 50 to 75 who show me that age really doesn't matter.

40 is young!
I’m 60 very soon. In my head I’m 40 😁

Going to Glastonbury for the first time 😁💃... and getting out and about more.

https://imga.ch/2023/03/07/international-womens-day-alex-rotas-75-changes-perception-about-ageing-through-her-photos-of-older-women-in-sports/?fbclid=IwAR0mbnBTOfrXQZ4bOHDi0QXj5t2L2lnDGuSTdsiFyJLMvDoK_QrAZ1rhpXc_aem_AZp2GaoYGKKN4qnDit9sAVTFPdUmLGkqZRfJmvNHwolQTFcHu3BZwrY5mJDgA6L261yfBYqMLYgV7BO6VLgSGApm

Re your first paragraph, I’d be interested to know the demographic split of people who get Botox, cosmetic procedures etc- it wouldn’t surprise me if the highest proportion was women in their 30s still trying to hang on to ‘youth’! And of those who get it in their 40s, 50s and beyond- maybe they’re the small proportion of women of this age who still seek male approval/care what others think?
Certainly of all my friends/acquaintances in their 40s+, I don’t know any who have Botox (I realise maybe some don’t admit to it but there are no visible signs anyway). The people I do know who partake are female colleagues in their late 20s!!

The menopause,aged 49 - hallelujah! Glad to see the back of that phase of life......

I'm glad you've found peace x

I met my husband. Very much a good thing!

I was finally able to seperate from my abusive stbxh, that's a good thing.

I took a gap year, travelled the world, came back and got a fabulous new job.

This thread is a tonic. I'm in tiz at 42 over whether you leave my well paid job and retrain in something I'm v passionate about. Feeling super motivated by all your brilliant posts x

I got married at 40 and had my kids at 41 and 43! So quite a lot!

Fabulous woman :)

Nope. Started bad and is ending bad. A decade of looking for help for my youngest child, dropped out of OU as I couldn't juggle it all, far more anxious and self conscious, painfully aware it's all downhill and nothing to look forward to on the horizon.

Just, why?