So This is 60+… Is That All There is ?
A Journey to Authentic Living
by Terri D. Symington Laki
Welcome to Your Second Act
Good morning, girlfriends. If you've landed here, chances are you're asking yourself some version of the question that inspired this space:
“So this is 60+… and is that all there is?”
Maybe you’ve caught yourself humming Peggy Lee’s haunting melody, that tug-of-war between disappointment and defiance. Maybe you’re wondering if this chapter is just a slow fade—or something bolder. Maybe you're secretly hoping it's not too late for a surprise twist.
Here’s what I want you to know:
You’re not at the end of anything. You’re at the edge of becoming.
You’ve earned this moment—not just through years lived, but through identities worn, roles played, dreams deferred, and strength summoned. The world may have grown quieter around you, but your inner voice? It’s never been louder.
This is a space where we shed the "shoulds," strip off the roles, and remember who we were before the world told us who to be. It’s for the woman who has spent decades holding everything together, and is finally ready to hold space for herself.
This isn’t about fixing or improving. This is about reclaiming, rediscovering, and rewriting. It’s about choosing authenticity over approval. It’s about saying, without apology:
*"This is who I am. And she’s just getting started."
So grab your coffee, get comfortable, and let’s begin again—together. The second act starts here.
The Beautiful Rebellion of Starting Over
There’s something deliciously rebellious about reinventing yourself after 60. Society whispers that your story is mostly written, that your biggest moments are behind you. But what if society is dead wrong? What if your most powerful, authentic self is only now stepping into the light?
You’ve spent decades being who you were supposed to be—dutiful daughter, tireless caregiver, steady professional, peacekeeper, planner, provider. But those roles, as necessary as they were, aren’t your full story. They’re chapters, not your whole book.
Now, with fewer eyes watching and more wisdom in your back pocket, the question becomes: Who am I when nobody is scripting the role?
The Gentle Excavation
Rediscovery isn’t a loud or flashy affair. It’s a quiet, soul-deep excavation. You peel back the layers of who you’ve been told to be and stumble upon fragments of your original self—the girl who danced in front of mirrors, the dreamer who wrote poetry, the young woman who felt most alive deep in conversation or barefoot in the garden.
This isn’t regression—it’s reconnection. Those impulses weren’t childish. They were clues. They still are.
Authenticity isn’t a makeover. It’s an unmasking. You don’t need to become someone new. You need to finally become the woman you were always meant to be.
Shedding the Shoulds
Let’s talk about the word should.
Should have saved more. Should have tried less. Should have spoken up. Should have stayed quiet. Should’ve kept the peace. Should’ve started sooner.
But who decided all these shoulds?
Living authentically means replacing the question “What should I do?” with “What do I actually want?” It’s refusing to live the rest of your life by someone else’s script.
Your joy might look unconventional. You might want to travel solo, adopt a dog, start painting, launch a side hustle, or say goodbye to people who drain your soul. You might want more naps and fewer obligations. You might want glitter and poetry and Italian lessons. You’re allowed.
It's Never Too Late for a Plot Twist
Some of the most iconic women found their calling later in life:
Grandma Moses picked up a paintbrush at 78.
Julia Child didn’t cook her first meal professionally until 50.
Diana Nyad swam from Cuba to Florida at 64.
So no, it’s not too late. You haven’t missed your moment. You’re just warming up.
Your plot twist might not involve press releases or public accolades. Maybe it’s simpler: you finally decorate your home to reflect your taste. You stop explaining your choices. You take yourself out to dinner in lipstick and linen because it feels good.
Small acts of self-truth are revolutions.
But this isn't about achievement or recognition. This is about that quiet satisfaction that comes from finally living in alignment with who you really are.
The plot twist doesn't have to be dramatic to be meaningful.
The Liberation of Enough.
Here’s the radical truth: you are already enough. Not almost enough, not getting there—right now, just as you are.
This doesn’t mean you’re done growing. It means you no longer have to earn your worth. You are free to explore, express, decline, and delight. You’re free to fail and begin again. You’re free to be seen.
This is your permission slip.
You can:
Take up space without explanation.
Be complicated, curious, bold, and soft.
Start over as many times as you want.
Choose joy over perfection.
There's a particular kind of freedom that comes with this stage of life—the freedom of caring less about impressing others and more about expressing yourself. The freedom that comes from understanding that approval from others is nice but not necessary. The freedom of knowing that your worth isn't tied to your productivity or your ability to meet external expectations.
This freedom is your superpower. Use it.
The Question Isn't "Is That All There Is?"
The question is: "What do I want the rest of my story to be?"
Writing Your Final Chapters
This isn't about denying the reality of aging or pretending you have unlimited time. It's about recognizing that however many chapters remain in your story, you get to decide what they contain. You can author them from a place of authenticity rather than obligation, curiosity rather than resignation, intention rather than default.
Your remaining chapters don't need to follow the same patterns as the earlier ones. You're not bound by the themes that dominated the first part of your life. If your early chapters were about achievement, your later ones might be about connection. If you spent decades being responsible for others, you might now write chapters about responsibility to yourself.
Consider what you want these chapters to feel like rather than just what you want them to contain. Do you want them to feel peaceful or adventurous? Expansive or intimate? Creative or contemplative? Solitary or communal? There's no right answer—only your answer.
Think about what you want to explore in these chapters. What questions do you want to live with? What experiences do you want to have? What parts of yourself do you want to develop or express? What kind of impact do you want to have, whether on individuals or communities or the world?
Your story can have multiple genres. You might write chapters of romance at 70, adventure at 75, or creativity at 80. You might discover you're a late-blooming entrepreneur, artist, activist, or philosopher. You might find that your most meaningful relationships are still ahead of you.
The key is conscious authorship. Instead of letting your remaining chapters be written by habit, circumstance, or others' expectations, you can actively choose their direction. You can decide what themes to explore, what characters to include, what settings to inhabit.
You're not too old. You're not too set in your ways. You're not too late to the party. You're exactly where you need to be to start becoming who you were always meant to be.
The Circle of Authentic Connection
There's one more crucial element to living authentically at this stage: community. Not just any community, but one built around your authentic self rather than your former roles and obligations.
Here's the reality many of us face at 60+: our circles naturally begin to shrink. Friends move away to be closer to children or grandchildren. Health challenges limit some relationships. Career networks fade when we're no longer in the professional arena. Long-time friends may drift apart as interests diverge. Some friendships were built around shared circumstances that no longer exist—the couples you socialized with when marriages were intact, the neighbors from houses you no longer live in, the parents you met through your children's activities decades ago.
That’s why this space exists. For real talk. For honest reflection. For new friendships built on mutual respect, curiosity, and authenticity—not convenience or past history.
We are not here to compare wrinkles or rehearse regrets. We are here to ask, What now? and Who with?
Why Community Matters More Now, Not Less
This natural winnowing isn't necessarily bad—it can be part of shedding what no longer serves you. But it makes intentional community-building essential. You need people who see and celebrate your authentic self, especially as you're discovering and expressing it more fully.
Authentic community at this stage serves multiple vital purposes:
Witness and validation: When you're making changes or exploring new aspects of yourself, having people who acknowledge and encourage your growth becomes invaluable. They see your courage to change direction, your willingness to be vulnerable, your commitment to growth.
Shared exploration: Finding others who are also on journeys of authentic living creates a powerful sense of companionship. You're not the only one questioning, growing, or changing. Their questions inspire your own; their discoveries encourage your exploration.
Fresh perspectives: New relationships formed around authentic interests often bring unexpected insights. The 65-year-old taking her first pottery class might find profound friendship with the 45-year-old single father also discovering clay. Age becomes less relevant than shared passion and mutual support.
Purpose and meaning: Community involvement—whether through volunteering, learning, creating, or simply connecting—provides the sense of purpose that many miss after major life transitions like retirement or loss.
Building Community Around Your True Self
The beautiful opportunity at this stage is that you can be intentional about the community you build. Instead of accepting social connections based on convenience or circumstance, you can seek out people who resonate with who you're becoming.
This might mean joining groups centered around genuine interests you've finally decided to pursue—the book club discussing authors you actually want to read, the hiking group exploring trails that call to you, the volunteer organization addressing causes you truly care about.
It might mean deepening existing relationships by showing up more authentically—sharing your real thoughts and feelings, expressing your actual interests, being vulnerable about your journey rather than maintaining the polished exterior you once felt necessary.
It might mean seeking out intergenerational connections that break you out of age-segregated bubbles. Some of your most meaningful relationships at this stage might be with people much younger or older, connected by shared values, interests, or perspectives rather than birth year.
The Courage to Start Over Socially
Building authentic community later in life requires a particular kind of courage—the willingness to put yourself out there as your real self, not your accomplished self or your socially acceptable self. It means showing up to new situations without your professional identity as armor, engaging people based on curiosity rather than networking, and being willing to be the beginner in social situations.
This social courage pays dividends. The friendships you form now, built on authentic connection rather than convenience or circumstance, often possess a depth and honesty that earlier relationships may have lacked. There's less pretense, more genuine care, and often more laughter at the beautiful absurdity of it all.
What mask are you ready to set down? What authentic part of yourself is ready to emerge? What do you want your next chapters to feel like? Where might you find community that celebrates your authentic self? Share your thoughts in the comments below—this is a safe space for honest reflection and mutual encouragement.
About This Blog
This space is for anyone who's ever felt like they're living someone else's definition of their life or merely want to enhance the one they’ve already created … and perhaps help guide someone else that is not as far along in their journey. It's for those who are ready to shed the expectations, quiet the "shoulds," and discover what authentic living looks like in this beautiful, complicated stage of life.
Because it's never too late to become who you were meant to be.
Your Story Isn’t Finished
This blog is your invitation to write the chapters only you can write. To create not just a life that looks good, but one that feels honest. To claim your voice, your pace, your power.
So this is 60+? … Honey, this is just the beginning.
Let’s write it together.
With love and rebellion,
Terri