Forget 50 is the new 40, or 50 is the new 30.  50 is better than 30 or 40. Yes, I have a few wrinkles, some cellulite and grey hair ? all of which are fixable in our modern age. More importantly though, I have wisdom, confidence and an inner peace with myself that I never had in my younger days. This is what makes being 50 priceless.

We try to be good people, be kind, and polite. The corollary to this though is that we often expect others to treat us the same way. And they don't! So we become hurt, disappointed, resentful or even worse we blame ourselves, and wonder what we did wrong rather than realizing it has nothing to do with us.

For those of you fortunate enough to be unfamiliar with the term ghosting, it is defined as the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication. Poof, and your boyfriend or girlfriend is gone.

Self-care is a struggle for many women. Between work, kids, spouses or dating, aging parents and all of the other demands we juggle, self-care seems like a luxury rather than a necessity. I learned the hard way that self-care MUST be a necessity, particularly if you are going through a major life transition like a divorce.

What I learned was that online dating was like a beast I had never encountered before. Yes, there are good people on dating sites.  Yes, it is possible to meet your prince. However, it is a complete minefield for the deer in the headlights that I was when I first dipped my toe in.  Here are some of the lessons that I learned:

 Loving myself has kept me on track with eating healthy, exercising and sticking to my healthier lifestyle. Looking better and feeling better about myself has affected my interactions with others resulting in an expanded social circle and increased self-confidence. Increased self-confidence has opened up unlimited career possibilities.