I'm 50, Can I Please Be Allowed to Age Now?

Redefining Youth-Full in a Non-Aging World

There is a concerning “Then And Now” photo trend of celebrities including Anne Hathaway, Ryan Gosling, and others, going around on Social Media lately that shows side by side photos taken 20 years apart. While its cool to see the time warps in two photos, its disturbing that in the “Then And Now” side by side photos, there is No Discernable Difference in the person’s appearance. In 20 YEARS, not a wrinkle, not a grey hair. No sign that two decades of life have passed.

Once upon a time, we relied on flattering lighting and a little makeup to soften the years. Now, we’ve graduated to filters and a culture of perfectly preserved faces that look more like wax statues than people.

Aging Is Change

When someone posts two photos taken 20 years apart and they look exactly the same, what is the unspoken message? That the ideal is not to change, not to evolve? That our greatest achievement over two decades is looking like we haven’t lived at all?

Aging is Change. It is a natural phenomenon and a privilege. I refuse to accept a world where the ability to not appear to Age is a demonstration of beauty or the goal. Where signs of life including wrinkles, gray hair, body changes, or expression lines are flaws to be feared rather than stories to be told. That time, life, and growth are things to hide rather than honor and celebrate.

This is where it becomes more than vanity and becomes a subtle but dangerous narrative. One that tells society that aging successfully means preservation, not transformation.

When I look at myself from “Then and Now” between 2005 and 2025, I don’t see the same person. Not just in appearance, but in confidence, in comfort of her being in her own skin. I see a life that’s been lived, not curated.

The external presentation demonstrates nothing other than the outer shell of the person. It doesn’t convey the milestones in life, the big swings, and the big misses. Where is the depiction of what 20 years has brought to that life? Because real life does leave a mark. And it should.

I want to see change, to know that there is an evolution in not only appearance, but in who you have decided to become. Because when we decide to try Not To Change, the question becomes, what’s the point?

Vitality over Vanity

Let’s not sugar coat it. Aging isn’t all rainbows and unicorns. Gravity takes over and well, I’ll give it to you straight - those size 6 jeans in your closet, you may as well wear them as a hat because you are never fitting into them again. I know because I have pair in my closet too.

But even with the aging markers steadily appearing and the expanding waistline after only looking at a bowl of ice cream (okay, after only eating a small bowl of ice cream), an amazing thing is happening - I feel younger than ever. Vital. Energized.

Aligning myself with what brings me joy has made me feel so much more alive than I remember feeling when I was in my 20s or 30s. Owning my own worth has enabled me to be more intentional with how I spend my time and energy. Less is so much more. I savor life and enjoy the simple pleasures in life, ones that are not obtained through the next trending lipstick or anti-wrinkle cream.

So when the world is busy trying to show us how the “Then and Now” doesn’t have to change us like that’s a good thing, I will be over here counting the ways that this beautiful, messy life, has offered me so many opportunities to age over the last 20 years through:

• owning my worth

• gaining wisdom

• growing through pain

• giving and receiving love

• aligning with joy

And I’m not done yet!

Redefining Youth-Full

What good is it to look youthful and cease the appearance of aging if it comes at the cost of muting your own essence of who you have become? It’s time to redefine “youthful” as Youth-Full, meaning full of life, not free of lines.

To be Youth-Full is to move through life with energy and presence. To feel awake and consciously engaged in your own story and your own path. It’s thinking clearly, staying mentally sharp, and approaching life with an open mind that welcomes new ideas and perspectives.

Being emotionally grounded and resilient, able to navigate life’s ups and downs without losing your sense of self. It’s staying curious, asking questions, and continuing to explore the world around you with wonder. Trying new things, some which you’re likely to hate, while others you’ll love.

And most of all, it’s carrying a deep and genuine love for life itself, to embrace the beauty, the messiness, and everything in between. These are not just signs of youth; they are the hallmarks of truly being fully alive, deeply, and consciously, no matter your age.

Without these inner gifts of knowing how to be full of life, it doesn’t matter what the packaging looks like. Once the wrapping is removed, what’s left?

Just a box.

So let’s fill that box with rich experiences and memories, growth, and wisdom, to inspire others to embrace the soul-deep beauty and youth that can’t be filtered.

Let’s redefine Youth-Full in a non-aging world and support each other in showing up to continue to evolve into the beautiful imperfectly perfect person you are becoming.

Be Well,

Nicole