E224 Is That Ageism? with Rachel Lankester
Ageism. What? Maybe. No! Okay, yes.
Are we as women over 40 promoting the very ageism that we decry?
Does coloring your gray hair promote ageism? Anti-wrinkle creams? What if you just use a really good moisturizer? Is it all about intention? Vanity? Do you make jokes about yourself being old? Listen as my guest Rachel Lankester of Magnificent Midlife calls me out on making fun of myself with an ageist stereotype.
Is that okay? Am I promoting ageism? Maybe. I don’t know. My brain hurts just trying to figure this out. I am awash in conflicting ideas.
Does “pretty” conquer “invisible”?
Where do we get these ideas? Rachel Lankester is perfectly clear on her message. I’m so jealous of her clarity! We do agree that life for women over 40 is just the starting line and not the journey’s end. It all gets tricky when we fight the signs of age instead of facing forward and living large.
Many women over 40 struggle with self-confidence as their dewy beauty fades. Rachel is fierce in her message to women that becoming invisible is not an option. Speak up, be heard, and take up space. Wear red!
Beyond wrinkles
When you find new wrinkles or gray hairs, are you less inclined to go skiing or arrange a far-away solo adventure because you’ve been inundated with messages that equate age with inability? What we are being told AND what we ourselves say about aging may literally change our behaviors.
Mentioned in this episode:
Research:
Gendered Ageism: Trend Brief
Article:
The next #MeToo movement: Older women confront ageism By Bonnie Marcus
Book:
This Chair Rocks, A Manifesto on Ageism
About my guest, Rachel Lankester
Rachel Lankester is the founder of The Mutton Club and Magnificent Midlife, an online hub and community supporting and celebrating women in midlife and beyond. She’s on a mission to change how the world and women ourselves view going through menopause and getting older. We’re not over the hill at 40,50,60, we’re just getting started. We all deserve a magnificent next chapter. Learn more
