Five Takeaways From My 50s

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Takeaways From My 50s

Recently, I celebrated another milestone, my 60th birthday. It is hard to believe that my 50s disappeared like 10 blinks of an eye. Despite the 50s zooming by, I gained things from living through those years. As I think about the many things that happened during my 50s, there are five takeaways from the 50s.

Health is a Priority

The first takeaway from my 50s is my health is a priority. If I don’t take care of myself, no one else will do it either. Also, I cannot take care of others if I neglect my own body and mind. Physical and mental health are equally important. I considered myself to be relatively healthy until I wasn’t. I tried to eat right and exercise. However, I did not recognize the amount of stress that I experienced would take an extreme toll on my physical health. 

At the time, my work as a public school principal was difficult, taxing, and probably more unhealthy than I realized. My work weeks consisted of long drives to get back and forth, long 12-14 hour days, and long lists of too many directives, mandates, meetings, and more. These things cut into my personal time to exercise, family and friend time, relaxation, and decompression. Before I knew it, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels increased to the point of treatment with medication. In the summer of my 56th year of age, my blood pressure spiked to 199/120. I was in stroke mode, and it was a wake-up call. No job is worth your health!

In December 2019, I went to my annual mammogram, and a small lump was found. I was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ breast cancer. It is an aggressive form of cancer, but thank God my case was diagnosed early. I preach to every woman that I know to get an annual mammogram. I had a lumpectomy in February 2020, and then the Covid-19 pandemic hit. Focusing on getting well during my chemotherapy, immunology, and radiation treatments was my primary goal. My health was front and center in my face. Even after completing all of the treatments, my health remains at the forefront of my mind.

Support Systems are Essential

The second takeaway is personal support systems are essential. You can have all the prized possessions and material things that money or a good job can provide. Still, you need people in your life who will come to your aid and provide support during dark times. Keep your family, friends, and mates close and in the loop. Think about who you can call during a distressing time or situation, and that person will drop everything and come to you. I know who is my ride-or-die person in my life. I have more than one person, and I will do the same for them.

During my cancer treatments, I had many who supported me in so many ways. My best friend was ill from lung cancer, but she stood with me until her last days in September 2020. Family members cooked meals, took me to appointments, and listened to my worries. My significant other took time away from work to get me to and from doctor appointments. My village is strong!

Reconnect With Your Passions

My third takeaway from my 50s is reconnecting with your passion(s). I am a Baby Boomer and was taught that you must work and stay on that job forever. That’s a slight exaggeration, but people stayed on the same job for 25-30 years whether you wanted to or not. 

Suppose you were a creative person, such as an artist, musician, actor, or singer. In that case, you need to conform to what is supposed to be expected. In other words, give up your fantasy or passion for becoming a successful creative person. Join the natural world and get a real job. Creative people hear the words, “You gotta eat, so go get any job to pay the bills.”

In my 50s, I began to rediscover the creative things I love. Doing things like photography, travel, motorcycle riding, writing, and hiking makes me happy and brings out a smile. These few things soothe my soul. If I knew then what I know now, I would have pursued my creative side more personally and professionally. My advice is to find your own method to soothe your soul. Reconnect with your passion.

Ageism is a Reality

The fourth takeaway from my 50s is ageism is a reality in the work world. I often read about ageism but never thought I would experience it firsthand. I lost my career in 2017 after dedicating 27 years to the public school system. Hard-working, professional, knowledgeable, and loyal adjectives describe me as an educator and employee. Loyalty means nothing when your employer pushes you out of a job. I left the position with many marketable skills and an excellent track record. One thing I did not have is youth. Sending resumes, making calls, and networking did not move the scale at all. In the eyes of employers, I was too old and expensive.

Yes, ageism is a reality. Consequently, I learned to use my skills to create multiple income streams and promote my expertise differently. The effect of the experience made me reflect and change how I work in my favor.

Be Resilient

Lastly, the fifth takeaway from my 50s is to be resilient personally and professionally. Resilience is how we handle difficult situations, distress, or trauma. All kinds of things happen in our lives. The question is, how do we bounce back from those situations. During my 50s, I dealt with sickness, the death of my stepfather and best friend, job loss, being a co-caretaker, and a few other things. Guess what? I am still standing strong enough to make it to 60 years old. 

We build up resilience over time. I had five decades to build up my resiliency. It comes from learning from different situations and experiences. Stability also comes from having a deep support system, problem-solving skills, and common sense.

The five takeaways from my 50s are a small part of what I learned during my fifth decade. My experiences take me into my 60s as a stronger and wiser person and woman. Everything that happens is another feather in the Sustah-Girl Chronicles.

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