I have been battling “Gerontophobia”  which is the fear of growing old. This has been largely influenced  by  my focus on the expectation of society which seem to insist that one must have some pertinent achievements attached to his/her name as he/she approaches a certain age bracket.  This has gone on for quite a while and  with the progress i have made in facing it thus far, i think i am on the road to finally vanquishing it. The recent upsurge in the success rate of women above 30 has led me to conclude that millennial women are redefining what it means to be 40 and i am living for it.  If observed carefully, it is apparent  women who have refused conforming to societal stereotypes look healthier, happier and brighter as they grow older.  Its almost like there is a self rediscovery and a shift in their focus or something;  they are changing the status quo. This new shift does not come as a surprise to me because women for so long go through their lives making sacrifices for the people around them, so much so that they forget to love themselves enough. They gave their youth to raising children, to raising a society and fulfilling their marital obligations. In some cases, these women become the head and neck of the family, carrying enormous  burdens on their fragile shoulders.  Many of these women gave up  their life long dreams and ambitions,  sometimes belittling  themselves by accepting societal definition and standards. As millennial women approach the forty (40) years  mark, they strode into the pool with a vigor and confidence that heretofore wasn't there.  She is more informed,  adventurous and more than willing to pick up from where she dropped off her fun years. Generally, one would think some of them don't get so much attention as before probably because of body changes and gray hair ( I personally find gray hair attractive) but that is quite the contrary. Most of them find new love at this age. At 40, there is a new level of balance as  it is no longer just about being a wife or mothering. It's also about her being herself. They tend to be more open  to new possibilities, new love and new passion. They get their body back in shape, eat right, laugh more and stress less about what society thinks of them. They are more accomplished at this stage and give little or no hoot about fears. Personally, I am looking forward to age 40, especially with  research findings revealing that women in their 40s tend to have more sex as they reach their sexual peak in their forties; lol.