Ahead of Turning 50, Gwyneth Paltrow Shares Bikini Pic to Talk Age Acceptance
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In a new Goop blog post, Gwyneth Paltrow shared reflections about her upcoming 50th birthday along with a carefree bikini photo.
The actress opened up about her past mistakes and what she hopes the next decade will bring.
Paltrow revealed she is learning to embrace herself by accepting her age, her personal shortcomings, and her body.
As Gwyneth Paltrow approaches the next milestone in her life–turning 50–she is taking the final week of her 40s to reflect on aging and share her goals for the future. The 49-year-old penned a blog post on Goop’s website titled “On Approaching 50,” where she opened up about her upcoming birthday (September 27th) and even shared a smiling, carefree bikini photo.
The blog post starts off with a candid shot of Paltrow jumping in the air, arms stretched out, and a big smile on her face while she wears a tiny gray bikini. But, despite what the image might suggest, the actress’ blog was quite somber and reflective. She began by acknowledging that though she is aware that time has gone by, she, to her core, has remained “unchanged.” She added that her physical being is simply a reflection of the days that have passed.
“My body, a map of the evidence of all the days, is less timeless. A collection of marks and irregularities that dog-ear the chapters. Scarred from oven burns, a finger smashed in a window long ago, the birth of a child. Silver hair and fine lines,” she wrote. “The sun has left her celestial fingerprints all over me, as if soaked a brush in dark taupe watercolor, flecking it over my skin.”
She continued: “And while I do what I can to strive for good health and longevity, to stave off weakening muscles and receding bone, I have a mantra I insert into those reckless thoughts that try to derail me: I accept. I accept the marks and the loosening skin, the wrinkles. I accept my body and let go of the need to be perfect, look perfect, defy gravity, defy logic, defy humanity. I accept my humanity.”
For a star who always seems to be touting the latest beauty trend (like her favorite facial cleanser), diet, or health solution, these words seem extra inspiring and raw. Paltrow continued to reveal that with age has come a self-awareness she hadn’t quite expected, adding that she has made many mistakes in the past.
But she wouldn’t go back and change her missteps if she could, she wrote, because each has put her on her own path. Instead of dwelling on them, she vowed to look toward the future, pondering what’s next.
“I would like to slow down. I would like to retreat a little bit. I would like to make my circle smaller. I would like to cook dinner more. I would like to see misunderstandings become understandings,” she wrote. “I would like to continue to open the deepest part of myself to my husband, even though it scares me. I would like to sing more, even if it’s just in the shower. I would like to tell anyone that had a negative experience with me that I am sorry.”
She continued, admitting some of her biggest faults. “I would like to fully acknowledge myself. I am imperfect, I can shut down and turn to ice, I have no patience, I swear at other drivers, I don’t close my closet doors, I lie when I don’t want to hurt feelings,” she wrote. Then she balanced those out with some more positive affirmations.
“I am also generous and funny. I am smart and brave. I am a searcher, and I can bring you alone on my quest for meaning. When I love you, you will feel it encompass you through time and space and till the end of the earth,” she wrote.
She concluded by considering the changes the world has experienced over her lifetime, some good and bad. “What excites me is the feeling that we are living the time of the spectrum. We seem to be embracing, like it or not, that life is not black and white,” she mused. “We are starting to be able to hold this idea of complexity, of grey area. We seem to be, in pockets anyway, embracing what is unknown to us might not be threatening. That every human being has their own spectrums and colors and different proportions of light and dark.”
With that, she presented her wishes for the next half-century. “I want to hold myself in that understanding as I move through this (hopefully) next 50 years. Hold myself to a higher standard of compassion,” she wrote. She added that she hopes her children will take these life lessons with them as well.
The courage Paltrow had to be so honest—and the wisdom she presented in her writing—show the beauty of aging, which is something we all should remember. Each milestone brings us closer to ourselves, and that’s worth celebrating.
Happy (almost) 50th birthday, Gwyneth!
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