10 Unexpected Joys of Life After 50
More Than Just Grey Hair and Discounts
There’s a lot of joking about getting older—some of it funny, some of it downright grim. The phrase “Over the Hill” dominates birthday cards for anyone past 50, as if the second half of life is just a slow decline. What’s missing is all the little joys that feel really big that you get with age.
My hair turned silver early on in my 30’s. It’s received so much attention from strangers that I realized too many years later I should have made an instagram account for it! I started counting how many times in a weekend or on a trip somebody stopped to compliment me on my hair. I’ve done nothing but wash and style it all this time! It’s become something I expect around people and graciously accept that now that I’m almost 60, I’m still getting compliments for it.
Besides the compliments on my hair, here are 10 more joys that make me grateful to be here, now:
1. Caring Less What People Think
I cared so much about what other people thought of me when I was younger. My early career was all about proving myself and making people like me. I’m still a bit of a people pleaser, but the shift to caring less what others think about me was a liberating change in my later years.
2. Deeper Friendships, Fewer Pretenses
By 50, your social circle has likely shifted. Through time or intention, it’s gotten smaller. I grew out of touch with some friends while strengthening bonds with others who were more on the periphery of my social circle. Many things brought those changes on, but the end result is a closer knit circle of friends with much deeper connections – and heartier laughs!
3. The Return of Curiosity
In the thick of my career, I stopped being curious. I was so focused on staying afloat, meeting deadlines, and figuring out the next move that there wasn’t much space left. But in my late 40s, things shifted. I started drawing again. I picked up my camera for the first time in years. I got curious—not about climbing, but about creating. That curiosity has only deepened in my 50s. I follow it more freely now, without needing it to lead anywhere specific. Just the act of wondering feels like a kind of freedom.
4. Being More Comfortable in Your Own Skin
Learning to accept your physical self is probably one of the greatest challenges people face. Our weight, our hair, our body shape - they can all add up to a mixed bag of emotions. I’ve always had a boyish face and round, rather than squared, body features. For years I wished I had the classic square jaw and older features. Many of the classic square faced men I knew didn’t age as well as I did and I realized how lucky I’ve been!
I still have the boyish looks, albeit with the silver hair, less perfect skin and extra pounds. I work to improve my health, but genetics were never going to give me the square jawline!
I’ve stopped trying to fix everything. I do my best, and I accept the rest. There’s joy in simply being who you are, as you are.
5. Saying No Without Guilt
The people-pleasing side of my personality hated saying no to people. I always tried to find a way to accommodate, sometimes to my own detriment. I don’t know when it happened, but that changed for me. People-pleasing lost its grip. I freely started saying no to things I really didn’t want to do and had the choice to refuse. Doing so gave me space. Honoring my space and the need for it removed any guilt I might have had about saying no.
6. Rediscovering Your Body on New Terms
Aside from the physical attributes, your body just acts different when you’re older. It may not move like it used to, but it’s carried you through so much. I give myself some grace in trying to fight aging and do what I can to accept, or even slow it down. I have more gratitude for my body’s strength, resilience, mobility, and presence.
7. Rewriting What Work Means
For most of my career, I was always asking, “What’s next?”—the next role, next challenge, next project. That question kept me moving, but eventually, it started to wear thin. I began thinking less about advancement and more about alignment. What kind of work actually made me feel good? What could I still grow into without burning out? That shift didn’t happen overnight, but by my 50s, I was working differently—still engaged, but with a long-view mindset that prioritized fulfillment over momentum.
8. Moments of Solitude You Actually Enjoy
Having moments alone is a gift! I love my family and friends, but the times I get all to myself are special. They’re often small moments, like a walk by myself in the morning or an hour of reading on the patio in the hammock. I used to fill every moment and somewhere along the way, the alone times grew in importance and I started consciously making space for them.
9. Laughing More Freely (and Loudly)
You laugh with your whole face, your whole body. You let it take over. I’m not sure I was ever much reserved when it came to laughter, but it’s now an integral part of my life. I love to laugh. And I love to make others laugh. There’s something about making someone laugh that makes me feel good. Maybe it’s because I feel so good when I laugh, it brings me joy to make others feel that way.
10. Feeling More Like *You* Than Ever
After all the introspection, experiences, failures and growth, I feel more authentic than ever. I’ve let go of things that weren’t truly *me*. I stopped striving to become something and started being myself more openly and honestly - mainly because of #1 on this list.
Age Isn’t the Opposite of Youth
This chapter of life isn’t about fading—it’s about finally learning it’s ok to be yourself in all the ways that make up you. You focus less on proving and more on meaning. And if you let yourself notice it, you’ll see that joy doesn’t disappear with age—it just changes form.
Smaller, subtler joys. But somehow, more lasting.
What about you?
What’s surprised you about life after 50? I’d love to hear your unexpected joys—leave a comment or send me a note.
