Aging is an incredible gift.

Despite society’s attempts to convince us otherwise, we know that every year is a gift. We can see that aging brings many surprising and wonderful benefits. 

Over the years, we’ve asked hundreds of women what they love most about the age they are now. And we’ve received hundreds of inspiring replies from Boom Ambassadors, Women of the Pro-age Revolution and all of you. 

We scoured your stories to find out… What are the best gifts that come with aging? Here are the top five...

But as we age, we let go of those comparisons. We learn to accept and love ourselves. As a result, comparisons and competition slip away.  

Sharon, 75, says, “When I was in my 20s, I was always checking myself out, comparing myself to the other girls… I guess it was around the ’70s when my girlfriends and I banded together and we just started talking about how we felt, what our insecurities were, and we were open about it to each other, not trying to be competitive with each other. And from that, we bonded.”

For Rosalyn, age 55, that confidence makes her feel sexier than ever before. She says, “There was always something that I held back. As much as I might walk boldly into any room—and I do that and I have done that since I was a kid—that was a facade. Now, it’s kind of for real.”

Deborah agrees. She says, "I think, in my 60s, I know what sexy is and I don't have to try at it. I feel it because I know what it is, and I'm confident about my own self in that skin.”

Of course, self-confidence doesn’t stop with how you look. That confidence affects every area of your life. 

Joanna, 64, describes how she also has so much more to say as she’s gotten older: “I feel like there's more of me inside that I want to bring out… In my 20s and 30s, my body was a different dance body, but it had less to say. Now, I can't kick my leg up as high but, somehow, I have more to say with my body than I did when I was younger.”

At nearly 50, Erica is more picky about who she spends time with. For her, getting older is about “spending time with people who I really wanna be around, as opposed to people I don’t wanna be around. I think the older you get, the pickier and choosier you can be about who you spend time with, and I think that’s really important.”

Sometimes redefining priorities means other kinds of changes. Growing older helped Leann clarify what she wanted from her life and career. 

She says, “I had a moment where I was at work and I was at the desk. And I remember that my mom… she passed away when she was 46. I just thought, ‘If I had 10 years left of my life, do I just wanna sit here and keep doing this, or do I just wanna get up and do what I love? Like, get out of my way and do what I love.’ So I did. I got up. I quit.”

Beth concurred: “I agree with Dulcy that, as you get older, you get to worry less about things. And I’m finding that if I worry less, then I am able to experience that ‘wonderful.’ I can’t experience that wonderful if I don’t release my worry.”

Julie, also 59, says, “When everything seems to be going wrong, sometimes it’s good to turn to that person who has a few more miles on their tires and go, ‘What did you do in a situation like this?’ Or, ‘What can we do together as a group to make an outcome that we’re looking for?’ We still have a lot to offer.”

Shira agrees. At 48, she says, “Honestly, for the women who are in their 20s, and even 30s, the best is yet to come. You have no idea how cool it’s gonna be in a few more years.”

We loved hearing about the many gifts that aging has brought these incredible pro-age women. 

What about you? What is your favorite gift that age has brought you?