The "Mature" Independent Woman of the 21st Century

In the past a woman's life was only portrayed as being two fold. The first 40 years were dedicated to really living and experiencing life and the second 40 years were dedicated to, well, being old and settled. Today this is not the case. Women are stronger, healthier, more independent and more in control of their destinies than ever before. As a result, women are learning that 50 is not the finish line, but rather the starting line for an entirely new life.

Independence at 50

There is a lot to be said for being young. You have opportunities to learn, grow and mature, and you have a body that will do just about anything you want it to. However, with this said, there are a lot of things that come with maturity that are invaluable, such as knowing yourself, being secure in your own body and having a sense of what is important.

Crossing the timeline into your 50s is a miraculous thing. At this point in your life you have gained the wisdom and self awareness that you need to be a truly independent woman. You no longer need people to tell you that you are smart, beautiful and interesting (although it doesn't hurt to hear these things), as you already know these things to be true. This sense of confidence makes you attractive and it gives you the power to be an independent thinker and doer.

The question now is, what do you do with the power you have earned as a "mature" woman?

Second Chances for First Times

Your second life have just begun. All you have to do now is figure out what direction you want to go. Do you want to start a new career? Find a new romance? Have an adventure? The choices are limitless, all you have to do is choose.

Finding the path for the second half of your life is scary and challenging, so take your time. Think about what you like to do, what you want to learn how to do and the experiences that you still want to have. Start journaling your thoughts and see what you learn about yourself. You may be surprised at what you find out.

As you progress through the best years of your life continue to keep a journal. Each day write down something that you learned, something that surprised you, something that made you feel happy, something that made you feel angry and something that you did to make a statement about who you are now or who you want to be in the future. Every now and then read through your journal from front to back and see how you are progressing and evolving as a woman and as a leader in your community. At the end of your journal create a list of questions that you want to answer during your lifetime. As you find answers to these questions enter them in your book and date them. This will be a physical reminder that you are growing in wisdom with every day that passes.

Madeline Binder, a mature woman herself, is also an education specialist who is interested in enhancing the quality of life of her readers.