For most of us, reaching age 50 is a milestone to be celebrated and enjoyed with family and friends. We’ve built careers, gotten married, raised families, accomplished many of the things we set out to do. But it can also be a time of reflection and introspection, of asking ourselves what’s next over the next 50 years, or whatever time we have left in this life.
For Maryland native Maria Leonard Olsen, the question of how to celebrate her 50th birthday evolved into an enlightening book called “50 After 50: Reframing the Next Chapter of Your Life,” which became a catalyst for change for her that she hopes will spark inspiration in others as well.
At age 50, Olsen became an empty nester, re-entered the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom, got divorced, got sober, and finally decided to start living a life that was authentic to her.
“I set off at age 50 to find myself after willingly giving so much of myself to my family,” says Olsen when asked about the inspiration for the book, which actually began as a list of new things she wanted to try to help determine who she really was and what cultivated joy for her.
“In trying 50 new things, I learned more about myself than perhaps I’d learned in the first 50 years. By sharing my experience, I want to shine a spotlight on what women can do and learn in this important chapter of our lives. While some of the things I did in my 50th year are things that probably no one else would want to do, the point of the book is if you don’t like something about your life you have the power to change it,” she stresses.
Olsen’s experiences are highlighted in each chapter of the book, including travel and adventure, learning and teaching, social activities, physical challenges and well-being, spiritual endeavors, thrill-seeking adventures, and lifestyle changes. From hiking in the Himalayas to volunteering at local schools in Nepal, working at a bookstore in Washington, D.C., daring to date again, learning how to drive a motorcycle, and discovering how to slow down through yoga, meditation, retreats and other spiritual endeavors, she explains how she was able to learn more about herself and who she hopes to become.
“This journey has changed me profoundly,” says Olsen. “Overall, it was an exercise in cultivating gratitude for all that I had as opposed to all that I had lost. I found the silver linings in my life and realized that no one is responsible for my happiness but me. I’ve changed so many things about my life and in doing so discovered contentedness and serenity, which for me is what happiness truly is at this stage in my life.”
When asked which of these experiences were most meaningful to her, Olsen reflects more on the lifestyle and spiritual changes that she’s made as a result of her travels and the encounters she’s had along the way.
“Every single one of the things that I did taught me something about who I am and who I want to be,” says Olsen, who visited 68 countries on her journeys. “But you don’t have to travel halfway around the world to have meaningful experiences. Take to time explore the next town over or act like a tourist in your hometown. We’re very lucky to be in the suburbs of D.C., because there’s such a wealth of opportunities here in our own backyard.”
Olsen admits that learning how to ride a motorcycle and then getting one of her own was a bit of a shock for her children. “I wanted to try something daring, and this definitely was outside of my comfort zone,” she writes in the book, adding that she found it meditative, and the experience has opened her eyes wider with each new adventure.
To learn more about Olsen’s “50 After 50” visit MariaLeonardOlsen.com or @FiftyAfter50 on social media.
“At a certain point in our lives we need to stop living for other people and start living for ourselves.”