‘I do what I want to do’ was the caption of actress Halle Berry’s Instagram post, as she posed naked, strategically utilising the vines on her Malibu home balcony. Sipping wine, she said this was her guilty treat and was her mood of the moment that sunny Saturday. Go girl, I say, you look good. What we can take from this is to indulge ourselves in life’s simple pleasures, which are crucial to our well-being and ultimately our happiness.
Although she received positive feedback, she was lambasted by online bullies, pigeonholing her as a 56-year-old menopausal woman who should know better than frolicking in the nude for attention, instead of spending time with her grandchildren.
Lizzo, the rapper, singer, songwriter and actress has dealt with negativity regarding her weight for years. One famed incident was her twerking in a thong outfit at one of the 2019 NBA Lakers games. Her critics were aghast she dared to not only be fat and confident, but proud, oblivious of the fact they decide how much of her body will be tolerated, where, when and how.
At 50+ doing what you want is justified by the fact, you have more life in the past than the future and if you’re not doing what you want, the question is why? Could it be out of fear; lack of confidence; remaining in comfort zone; not trying new things; resisting change; not having a hobby, passion, or purpose; being negative; having an unbalanced professional and private life; discontinuing setting goals or living in the past? After all, being in charge of your life, you have the right to choose how you want to live it.
The extroverts and adventurers live life on their terms and we admire them. The extroverts with high self-esteem exude confidence, talk candidly and according to studies are happy people. Likewise, the adventurers live in the moment as they skydive and bungee jump for pleasure. That said, many simple pleasures of life are free. Many we take for granted, others we simply overlook e.g. the pleasure of watching sunrise and/or sunset; dancing to a favourite song; being hugged or holding hands with a loved one; the smell of baking bread and cake or, in Halle Berry’s case, innocently drinking a glass of red wine, in the nude, on her balcony, on a sunny Saturday.
So! Come on you 50+ black women out there, heed that caption and indulge yourself in whatever your pleasures of life are, simple or not and be damn what people think.
What are your simple life pleasures? Let us know in the Comments Section.
