Why It Doesn’t Need To Be Hard To Find Love After 40

There could be any number of reasons why you’re back “on the market” after your 40th birthday. But those reasons don’t really matter as much as your desire to find someone.

There’s no need to feel discouraged about your prospects at all. There is no age limit for love. If you use your age to discourage yourself, you are selling yourself short. Your options are anything but limited. Never use your age as a reason to be lonely or not to get out there and date again. If you do your part, there’s every chance you’ll find the love you want, no matter how old you are.

Here’s why you might find it easier than you think.

Confidence

Sure, you might not feel like the most confident of women right now. But think about it, you’ve been through so much. You have experience and wisdom that younger women can’t hold a candle to. You’ve probably been through other relationships—even marriage—and come out the other side. You know who you are and no longer need to care what others think of you. You know you are fine as you are, and they can accept you or you’ll just walk on by.

Your Life, Your Rules

You don’t need to play by anyone’s rules but your own. You make the calls and call the shots. Men like women who are assertive and confident, even younger men. You want to date a certain age bracket; that’s up to you. You want to focus on a certain “type”—why not? You’ve already done the career, child-raising, and building yourself up thing. Now you can be choosy and go after who appeals to you most of all. It’s quite possible that your tastes have changed since your younger years, which can be used to your advantage. You probably have a better idea what it is you’re looking for in a relationship and how to spot it early on, and you also know what to run a mile from.

You Still Have Love to Give

As long as you leave your heart open to love—not just romantically, but love in general—you still have so much to offer. A man will be able to love you as long as you’re open for it. If you feel you’ve been hurt too much, that you’ve closed your heart, or that you have nothing left to give, consider finding love again in everything you do before thinking about dating. Do humanitarian work, help a friend, be kind to strangers. Look for ways to give love, and love will happen for you in time.

There Are Men Out There

There are still plenty of men out there who are looking for a relationship and someone to love. There are older men who have also been through a lot, meaning that you can find one with experience. If you prefer one in your age bracket or younger than you, there are enough men who would rather find a woman with experience than some young thing. Men also have the ability to learn from their mistakes, to feel hurt, and to want a relationship that will last. There is absolutely no reason why you can’t find a good man who will love you in return. Not sure where to look? Try 182 Best Places to Meet Men on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

Your Time Frame

It’s entirely up to you how quickly or slowly you want to move in the direction of a relationship. You can let yourself fall whenever the time is right. There’s no need to rush things. You don’t need to worry about being young enough to have a family unless late motherhood is still part of your plans. You may have had long-term relationships that have ended, or you’ve chosen to be single so far. Whatever your reasons for being single now, you’re entirely your own boss. You call the shots and if you want to jump in with both feet, that’s up to you. If instead you want to pursue a relationship where you both live separately and enjoy each others company for a while, that’s also up to you. There’s no hurry, no race against time.

Online Dating

Thanks to Internet dating, you can find a man these days more easily than women could in the past. You have the option to get to know guys who are the kind you’re looking for without having to set foot outside your front door. Don’t neglect creating a busy social life, and just getting out and about, as that’s a great way to meet people and enjoy life, but through Internet dating, you can focus on the very specific demographic that matches who you’re looking for and meet lots of guys in a short space of time who are actively looking for a partner.

Society Has Changed

Years ago, there used to be a kind of shame in dating in later years, as if older people shouldn’t need love the way the young do. Happily that’s no longer the case and you’ll find you’re in good company with many people finding love and getting married in their forties, fifties and much later. Your friends will be happy for you when you find a guy later in life. Without all the pressure of a perfect fairytale wedding that so many of us struggle to achieve the first time round, you can have the celebration of your life exactly the way you want it with all your friends wishing you well.

Over to you: Do you have friends who have found love later in life? Or have you found love after 40 yourself? Four of my dearest friends have recently got married in their fifties. Love happens at every age every day of the week! Please share your experiences in the comments below.