“Being over 40 makes me feel curious why I ever thought 40 was old?”
Same, girl, same.
I was so thrilled when Ashley reached out to be part of my Come As You Are 40+ photo project.
Ashley is a Sacramento influencer with a focus on local eats, treats and unique places to travel to in the area.
Her focus on local small businesses really warms my heart
(small businesses really need that love right now! *wink wink*)
One of the things I adore about Ashley is her honesty, her genuine authenticity.
She is who she is online and in person.
Not only is she beautiful, she is also kind and she is real.
I love love love that!
This project is about documenting women who have reached Level 40 and beyond.
I want to show another side to getting older.
Not the side that society tries to push on us. The real and true side.
The one that shows you that once you hit 40, or 50, or 60+ you aren’t washed up.
You aren’t done living.
As Ashley so eloquently said,
“I feel like I have so much life ahead of me and there still so much to learn, explore, and see.
Society made me feel like everyone over 40 should just resign to staying inside their houses and wither away which is a ridiculous notion.”
I couldn’t agree more!
I believe as we reach higher levels we should also get louder, we should put ourselves out there more.
And the beauty of reaching those higher life levels?
You care less about any prescribed societal norms and more about what your heart says is true, for you.
There’s this pressure to do ALL OF THE THINGS by the time you’re 20 or 30.
Which is bizarre.
You’re still figuring out who you are.
A process that, quite frankly I believe, doesn’t end.
Which is a good thing!
“20 years ago I thought I had experienced a lot of life because I had a very difficult upbringing.
I thought I was mature.
Now I realize that with age, while I’ve learned a lot, I’m no where near being as mature, as cultured, as educated as I would like.
Becoming older has made me see how small my world view was and I’m so grateful it’s expanded!”
That’s one of the magical things you receive as you get older, the knowledge that you know far less than you thought you did.
Which shouldn’t be discouraging.
It’s awesome to realize you DO have time to discover more about the world and in turn, about yourself.
Some Life Wisdoms from Ashley:
“Keeping your mind open to learning new things and evolving will keep you young at heart.
Instead of fearing getting old understand that it is a privilege that many don’t get to experience.”
And one of my favorites from her:
“Collect memories, not things.”
Hell yea!
In a world that seems to scream at us from every corner to buy this or wear that or you won’t be popular or liked or important,
I prefer to lean into investing in experiences.
Experiences allow you to dive deep into the world around you and learn more about life.
And yourself.
Getting older isn’t the end of the line.
In a sense, once you reach a certain level, and if you are lucky enough, you get to begin again.
And again.
Over and over.
This is your life, your world, and you can choose to stand still or keep going.
As one of Ashley’s favorites quotes says,
“My wish for you is that you continue.
Continue to be who and how you are,
to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.”
~ Maya Angelou
Keep going.
Don’t be afraid of leveling up.
That’s where the magic lives!
Thank you again to Ashley for being a part of this project!
And thank you to @her_elevated for allowing us to to use your stunning space for these images.
Here are some more images from Ashley’s session:
If you’re interested in being part of this photo project, and over 40+, please reach out!The photo session is complimentary and you’ll receive all the proofs from your session.
Your images will be shared to tell your story both on my blog and on social media(Insta/FB).
Feel free to email me stacey@staceydoyle.com – that’s the best place to reach out.
Insta and FB msgs don’t always get to me. And it’s easier for me to keep the communication to one location.
Reach out with any questions! I would love to create with you!
