by Judith Stafford | Jun 30, 2023 | Becoming a Wise Woman
Why you should embrace becoming an elder Nobody wants to get old. Most of us would prefer to avoid the ageing process if we could. But this is impossible; our bodies will age whether we want them to or not. That doesn’t mean there is nothing you can do to stay strong and healthy as much as possible, but that ageing is inevitable. The purpose of the second half of life The psychologist Carl Jung believed that the second half of life is for knowing and becoming your true self. It isn’t easy to pinpoint an exact age for when the second half of life begins. But I would say it is sometime in our late 40s. Nobody knows how long they have to live, but this is when most of us will begin to feel things have changed. The catalyst could be the death of a loved one, an illness or a traumatic event, or it could be as simple as realising that your priorities have changed. You begin questioning your values and what you want for the rest of your life. Past focuses, such as career or family, may take a back step as your needs change and you focus on what you want rather than the needs of others. Part of this process involves coming to terms with your mortality. It is scary – but you can’t ignore it or pretend it isn’t happening. Ageing in the 21st Century This new century has seen changes in the way we age. We are healthier and wealthier and have more time to spend after retirement than other generations....
by Judith Stafford | Jul 18, 2022 | Becoming a Wise Woman
A Beginner’s Guide to Growing Old Disgracefully I am sure you have heard the phrase ‘to grow old gracefully’, but what exactly does it mean? If you do an Internet search, you will find everyone has a different idea. From accepting you are now old to doing everything you can to avoid it. It is all quite depressing, really. I think the word ‘graceful’ is the wrong word. It either applies to the way you move or as an adjective to mean someone pleasant, polite and kind. All very pleasant, but not very inspiring and a bit passive for my taste. The words I associate with ‘growing old gracefully’ are nice, bland, and boring. This woman wears sensible clothes in muted colours and has neat, short hair. She doesn’t complain, accepts that she has had her time and is happy to step back and let the younger generation take the spotlight. I don’t know about you, but that isn’t something that I aspire to. But if you can age gracefully, does this mean you can also age disgracefully? Now that sounds much more appealing. What does ageing gracefully look like? During my Internet search, I found it covered how you look, and how you behave. Attitude didn’t come into it at all. How you look There are so many conflicting ideas. I can’t decide whether it means young looking as long as possible or letting nature take its course. According to The Lady, women over 50 should not be wearing miniskirts, skyscraper heels, false eyelashes, fake tan, leather trousers, baseball caps or glitter of any sort. Oh, and being...
by Judith Stafford | Feb 15, 2022 | Becoming a Wise Woman
It is time to embrace the Wise Woman. Looking around, I see many of my contemporaries, women over 50, eagerly reclaiming their power. Older women are refusing to fade into the background. Instead, we are using our experience and wisdom to create a better life for everyone. When I was younger, I didn’t notice how older women were treated. My mother and her friends didn’t appear oppressed; they just got on with their lives. She and a friend travelled around the world in their 60s, so I didn’t see getting older as a handicap. But as I got older myself, I noticed the misogyny, prejudice and negative stereotypes experienced by women as they aged. This really annoyed me. Getting older doesn’t seem to hold men back. They are still respected and considered sexy, even with grey hair and a paunch! The same cannot be said for women. Things are slowly changing. If you look around, you will see many more women over 50 in positions of power and influence. We are also more visible in the media, but there is still a long way to go. In response to this and my journey into middle age, I created the Ancient Wisdom of Women. As a woman in midlife, I am no longer prepared to fade into the background as I get older. I am determined that older women should take our rightful place in society as wise elders. What is a wise woman? The Wise Woman archetype can be found throughout many cultures and religions. She is often seen as a powerful, wise figure who can help and guide...
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