Sixty Is Not the Summit - It’s the Next Climb

I just had my 60th birthday party—which is slightly surprising because I may have mentioned once, twice or possibly 47 times that I didn’t want one. I said the same thing at 30, didn’t have a party and then was mad about it for an entire year. This time I wanted the laughter and all the different chapters of my life together in one room. It wasn’t just a celebration of me—it was a celebration of life, love and the amazing collection of humans I call my tribe.

Turning 60 has made me queasy for a long time – but recently I think about purpose. Western culture has a strange habit of treating people—especially women—as if we gradually become invisible after a certain age. Apparently, we are expected to retire quietly, nap frequently, get a weird haircut and settle into a committed relationship with Netflix. There is nothing wrong with a good nap or a TV binge when required, but that is not my plan for the next chapter. In many cultures, age is revered because it represents wisdom, experience and survival. You don’t become less valuable because you have accumulated birthdays. You become more interesting, more capable and far less willing to attend things you don’t want to– much less give a SH@# about what people think! 

For the most part, this is finally our time. Yes, many of us may be looking after grandchildren at times, helping grown children or caring for aging parents—and some days our purpose may simply be finding our air pods or our glasses when they are already on our heads. But our families are grown, and we no longer have to organize every life around us or solve every problem before breakfast. We can finally ask, What do I want now? What makes me feel alive? What do I still want to learn, create, teach, experience or become? We get to choose ourselves—not because we have stopped loving everyone else, but because after decades of showing up for other people, we are allowed to show up for ourselves too.

People say 60 is the new 30, but I don’t want to be 30 again. At 30, I had less wrinkles but considerably less self-trust. At 60, I know that purpose isn’t something you magically discover in a meditation 100% of the time. We create it through what we choose each day: looking after our bodies, following our curiosity, learning something new, sharing what we know and doing the things that make us feel strong and alive. I want to build cool businesses that help people, ride my bike ridiculous distances, walk in nature, travel, create, teach and keep becoming the woman I know I can be. I don’t believe our best work, biggest adventures or greatest transformations are behind us. I also believe we don’t have to move to a far away land to become relevant because of our age.

So let’s not go quietly. Let’s celebrate ourselves, accept the kudos when we get it and begin this next climb loudly and joyfully. Let’s be curious, purposeful and badass. Let’s try new things, change our minds, take up space and stop acting as though getting older means becoming smaller. Sixty is not the summit, and it certainly isn’t the downhill free-fall toward a recliner. It is a new starting line—with more wisdom, better boundaries and supportive friends. We are still here, still growing and still capable of doing extraordinary things.

This is our time. Let’s make some noise.

- Kim