A week ago, I was asked to participate in a performance project called, “Maiden, Mother, Matriarch.” I was one of the women/performers in the Matriarch group. In preparation for the performance, we had a few heart-to-heart discussions about our experience of being 60.

We spoke about health challenges. How do we keep ourselves joyful and active in spite of them? We spoke about the challenge of looking older. How do we maintain a sense of beauty in spite of an aging face and body? We spoke about the spiritual and emotional benefits of being 60.

I shared that to me, the best and biggest benefit is a sense of inner freedom; freedom to be me, to express my truth authentically and be relaxed within my skin and my life. This sense of freedom was hard-earned.

Since a young age, I have been dedicated to the process of shedding fears, masks and unnecessary efforts to get love as a validation. Peeling these layers one by one can be painful and uncomfortable, but I have kept going.

It feels great to be free to be. I have gathered for us 10 benefits of being 60. These will help us celebrate our age/ageless spirit.

Turning 60, We Finally Learn to Like Ourselves

We have been around enough to know who we are and to like ourselves. We have been through a lot and have learned to turn trials into treasures. It took a little while to appreciate me being me. Emotional and spiritual vigilance helped me become my powerful self. I know each one of you can say the same.

We Appreciate Internal Beauty

We appreciate our beauty more and more as an internal one that shines through our wrinkles. Somehow, despite the wrinkles accumulating, we look at ourselves and smile. We like the face we see in the mirror.

We Are True to Ourselves

We’ve learned to be true to ourselves. We speak up and stand up for what matters to us. We have earned our assertiveness and we have found our voice.

We Know Our Worth

We know our worth and don’t let people or situations compromise our happiness and peace of mind. We know we deserve happiness and peace and we protect these unapologetically.

We Recognize Life is Precious

We know that life is precious and is getting shorter. So, we are passionate about being in the moment, enjoying life to the last drop. We are not drowning in the past or obsessing about the future. We are grateful for each day and look forward to enjoying it.

We Are Open to Love

We’re open to give and receive love and we do it so much better. Loving ourselves helps us give and receive freely. Each day is an opportunity to experience love.

We Have Contributions to Make

We are dedicated to making a difference and making a contribution – and we are. We are rich in experience, knowledge and compassion. We can make the world a better place.

We Go for It

We are going fiercely for our bucket list, making sure we experience all we have dreamed of. No more ifs or buts; we just go for it.

We Use Our Power for Good

We know our power and use it for good. What a great feeling!

We Turn Heads

We feel sexy, sassy, and love it. Yes, we are sexy in that other way, the older woman sex appeal. It is real; we can still turn heads.

Look at the list and if one or more of these benefits is still a work in progress, know that you can take yourself there. You are in your prime of power and wisdom. You are an open, flowing river of love and creativity. You are! Let yourself be.

For “Maiden, Mother, Matriarch,” we were asked to write something to contribute to the written material for the performance. The process was familiar to me, since I often reflect on various parts of life on my blog.

I ended up writing a poem to express that feeling of freedom that, to me, is the most precious gift of getting older:

I’m finally here

Where the air is sweet and thin

Breathing with free, wide open lungs

Tasting the air

Smelling the colors

I am finally here

Soul naked, my legs rooted into the soil of life

My spirit free, playing with the wind

I’m finally here

Different shades of me melted along the way

Leaving behind the one that is pure celebration

I’m finally here

The owner of my life, the keeper of my soul

The river of all abundance

I’m finally here

Where peace sings a lullaby and the heart sighs a sigh of relief

So sweet to be beyond the faces, the masks, and the efforts

Being in the being is the gift of an honest search

Thank you, existence, for holding my hand along the way

What benefits would you add to this list? Is there a particular one that you have embraced? How has it let you be free to be? What did turning 60 mean to you? I invite you to write your own reflection about your experiences of being 60 and share.