When I Hit 50, It Nearly Took Me Down. Then I Woke Up To The Truth.

How to toss all the myths of aging aside, so you can tap into unique ‘over 50 only’ success elements.

I swear I unknowingly walked through a dark magic portal about four years ago.

It happened when I turned 50. I say dark magic because one minute I was fine and the next, a negative, defeated state of mind consumed me. One that said, “You’re too old. You should have ‘made it’ by now. You’re a has-been. It’s too late.”

At 49, I was cruising along thinking life was pretty good. I did not see myself as ‘old’ or even ‘older’ because I didn’t feel any different than I had in my 30s. Then, BAM, I walked through that darn invisible portal. I never saw it coming.

The Invisible Ledge

It took a millisecond to fall victim to societal views and stereotypes. Worse was the realization that I was now old enough to be a ‘grandmother’.

Go into any stock image database and search for “older woman” and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

As a result, my mind began to toy with the terrifying images of nubby sweaters with plenty of pockets for tissues. A short, boring haircut and elastic-waist pants that creased neatly down the center of each leg.

“I should take up knitting.” I thought, “Or crochet.” (Not that there’s anything wrong with these hobbies, except when it’s an activity started after age 50).

I debated saving every container that came into the house. I might need that empty mustard squeeze bottle. I started thinking I needed to ask the kids for more pictures. Maybe I’ll settle for sensible shoes and stop bothering with makeup.

And oh, “By the way”, I said to myself, “You can remove yourself from the attractive category. Those years are over.”

Alright, you get the idea. I took a deep tumble down the negative rabbit hole. You can see how I blame dark magic. I blame something I can’t see for removing me from my happy reality and carelessly depositing me into a horrific, mind-crushing, heart-stopping one. 

In the blink of an eye.

Finding My Way Back: The Power of Mindset

And then I took a deep breath. I realized that this defeated state of mind was just an illusion. It’s a trick of dark magic, societal beliefs, and expectations. 

As a mindset coach, (yes, an insidious portal of doom and gloom made me forget for a second), I pulled out a few useful tools to combat this illusion and find my way back to pre-dark magic reality.

Find Evidence Against What’s Weighing You Down

I’m not old. I’ve been on this earth a while, yes, but I am not old. Old is a state of mind and a feeling, right?

• I have long hair (which is only about 15% gray. Even when it’s 100% gray, I’ll find a way to rock it).

• I don’t own any nubby sweaters or creased, elastic-waist pants (black, stretchy ‘workout’ pants don’t count).

• Success is a feeling, not a thing. And besides, I have two businesses: one that’s well-established and a newer one that is growing steadily. (That’s not knitting or settling for less, it’s thriving and building.)

Forbes’ “50 Over 50” list is a vault of self-talk silencing evidence. If you’re sensing that dark magic portal nearby, you should check it out. It’s filled with confidence-boosting stories. Here are a few:

• “Martha Stewart didn’t publish her first magazine until she was nearly 50.” She pursued a dream regardless of age.

• “Leanne Morgan, a professional comedian, is going on tour and ‘hitting her stride’ at the age of 57.” She hasn’t even hit her peak yet!

• “Internationally renowned performer and writer Joy Harjo became the 23rd Poet Laureate of the United States at 68.” How much do you think we appreciate things like this over 50 vs. under 30?

• “Dani Klein Modisett launched Laughter On Call in 2018, when she was 55.” Inspiration and success-laden ideas can strike at any time, any age!

If you’ve ever thought you should have succeeded by now (like I have), consider this: What if waiting until now was the best way to succeed? Maybe all those years of experience, growth, and learning made it easier for you NOW. Right?!

Point taken. Still, I dug a little deeper. What if over 50 is a super powerful stage of life where success potential is at an all-time high? I’m not talking about success with the Reader’s Digest crossword puzzles either!

In my digging, I stumbled upon these unique, ‘only over 50’ success elements:

The Convergence Point and it’s a BIG deal

The Convergence Point is the sweet spot in your life. It’s where your life experiences, insights, and newfound freedom collide. This collision creates a powerful potential for success. 

It’s the point where three unique elements converge in an incredibly beautiful way. They’re gems and it’s way too easy to miss them if you’re not looking.

Here are the 3 elements of The Convergence Point:

1. Life Experience

I’ve heard it before, it’s nothing new, but it’s often undervalued and overlooked. I’ve been around the sun a handful of times and on that journey, I’ve learned a lot about life. 

I’ve gained skills, learned lessons, and done a lot of people-watching (yes, that counts for something).

I’ve built up some resilience too. So, when that fear, doubt, and worry creep in around the things I want to achieve in my business and life, I’m better able to handle it and navigate it.

There’s also the decision-making that’s different. I can make judgment calls that I couldn’t in my twenties. I just didn’t have enough accumulated experience to refer to, so I struggled to know what to do.

I don’t even think my brain had that skill hardwired and online yet.

Suffice it to say, I’m stronger and more confident, my brain has all its parts online (most days). And I can navigate the emotional storms life throws at me better.

And hey, if you laughed at that last part thinking you’re not navigating emotional storms well, here’s a quick exercise. It’s helped me:

The NEAT Exercise

• Recognize that fear, doubt, and worry are 100% normal.

• Expect the storms. (Your brain is wired to create them as warning systems.)

• Accept this part of you as a human being and it’s all good.

• Take care of it. Create a plan that addresses what you’ll do to remedy the situation AND how you’ll handle the emotions.

This 4-step exercise, called NEAT, has been really helpful for me. Prof. Steve Peters developed it and I’m grateful.

2. Insight

I have a pretty good idea of what is meaningful and matters at this point, you know? Meaningful experiences outweigh material things. A laughter-filled conversation with a friend outweighs a night of drinks. And helping people, I mean truly helping people, is the best thing ever.

When I look back at the things I wanted when I was younger, it was largely material. It was the short-term burst of dopamine that I chased. Now, I prefer serotonin.

The homemade drug my brain releases when I’m happy as opposed to experiencing pleasure. Big difference. That’s not to say I don’t still enjoy a warm brownie right out of the oven (aka dopamine hit), but I know the difference.

Yum. I digress.

In my businesses, I’m focused more on how much I can help another human being. I want to bring a smile to their face, help them have an ah-ha moment, and tap into what they’re truly capable of.

I love working with the brain’s funky hang-ups and magical abilities while leveraging that deep passion you feel in your bones. It’s the sweet spot for progress.

With this deeper understanding of what matters, I feel more aligned with my purpose. I am more driven to make a real impact.

Take a moment to answer this question. Write it out. Don’t just answer in your head. What insight do you have today that you didn’t have when you were younger?

If you want to go a little further, ponder these:

• Reflect on a time you overcame a major challenge and how that has shaped your current perspective.

• Think about a recent interaction that brought you joy and why it mattered to you more than material success.

3. Breathing Room

My kids are grown. I’m not in college or working on a career. And, I don’t have people counting on me for things like dinner, homework help, and baking more brownies than I care to count. 

So, yeah, there’s breathing room. A lot of freedom too.

What does all of this mean? It means I have more time and mental energy to give to any endeavor I want. (Maybe you do too?)

And you know what? Even if you don’t have a ton of breathing room yet, it’s okay, you can still go after whatever you want.

Because relief’s coming. You’ll hit The Convergence Point eventually.

I’m a firm believer that what you put your attention on, pays attention to you. All the ways what you want can materialize will gravitate to you as you put your attention on it more and more.

It’s the same phenomenon that happens when you decide you want the newest purple electric vehicle. It’s brand new, you’ll be one of the first to drive it in town. Nope. There it is. You see it everywhere!

Your brain’s filter changed when you put your attention on that purple EV. Now, it allows all the instances of that purple EV into your sphere of awareness. 

Whereas before, your brain didn’t allow that into your awareness, so when you did notice it, it seemed novel.

This shift in focus and awareness is exactly what happens when you have more mental space. Breathing room gives you mental space. You begin to notice opportunities. 

You see ideas and inspirations that you missed before. Your brain’s filter changes. This lets you see and seize new possibilities that fit your goals and desires.

Embracing The Convergence Point

The human being is an incredible thing. It’s full of potential and a touch of magic that few tap into. And now that I’m at The Convergence Point, I’m all in.

I’m going after it all. The challenge I have now is thinking big enough.

If you’re a woman over 50 and you walked through that same dark magic portal unknowingly, I empathize. So let me just say a few things to you…

You aren’t old, age is your asset.

You have wisdom, resilience, toughness, and discernment.

You can create the business and life you want.

It might even exceed your wildest dreams.

Congratulations. If you’re over 50, you’ve hit the perfect stage in life for success.

Surround yourself with a supportive community of like-minded women who uplift and inspire you.

And finally, take a deep breath, trust in yourself, and step boldly into your prime potential. The world is waiting for the incredible impact you’re about to make.

If you’d like to come to terms with the truth too and get beyond all the fear, doubt, and worry, and create the business and life you desire, the Happy & Successful Business Mastermind might be just the kind of support you're looking for.

We’ll tackle the Dark Magic Portal together.

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Michelle Sera

Hi, I'm Michelle Sera, head coach and founder of  ElevatedMind®.

I'm also a best-selling author, Certified Happiness Coach, Marketing Mentor, Freedom Formula Facilitator, 7-Figure Copywriter, (human, dog, and cat) mama, farmer, gardener, and Dragon Boat racer.