Theresa Curtis

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING YOUR AGE?
I love this age because I feel empowered to say no to things my younger self felt compelled to say yes to everything. I’ve also begun to trust my gut more and to take risks. I am more adept at listening to my body when it’s telling me that I am in a situation that isn’t good for me and to pivot. I’ve been getting good at pivoting lately. I’m in a constant state of metamorphosis!

DO YOU LIKE BEING 40+?
I love my grey hairs and the fact that I look back to all the hurdles I have had in life and how I have overcome them. There is something so valuable about being able to take all of those life experiences that you have had and use those not only to look back on but also to look forward to.

WHEN IN YOUR LIFE, SO FAR, HAVE YOU FELT MOST CONFIDENT, AND WHY?
Probably right now. I feel a keen sense of who I am and what I want from life that I have never felt before. It has also taken years to cull the perfect group of people I intentionally surround myself with. Starting my own business has been a huge leap of faith for me. I’m so profoundly grateful for everyone cheering me on along the way.

WHAT BRINGS YOU THE MOST JOY AT THIS AGE?
The ability to look back on all the things that I have accomplished and to say, “I did that!” I think also the idea of understanding where I belong and fit in. Understanding the places and spaces I should be in. This goes back to trusting yourself. If the situation doesn’t pass the scratch test, it’s time to move on.

WHAT IS YOUR SUPERPOWER?
My intuition! It is ALWAYS right. The tricky part is learning to listen to it quickly and not to overthink it.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
I’ve got a few, but graduating college would be the first. I was the first person in my family to do so, and I never thought I would actually do it, but I did! Homeownership would be right up there, too. I grew up in a really unstable environment, so the fact that I have a place to call my own is really special to me.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST EXTRAVAGANCE?
Massage and facial every four weeks. It keeps me mindful, and it’s something that I have to do for myself every month. Girlies out there: take care of your face! Get yourself a good sunscreen and slather that face in it every single day!

WHAT IS YOUR MOST TREASURED POSSESSION?
My Tiffany bracelet, I bought it immediately after my wedding (we got married in Vegas). It was the first thing I purchased where I signed with my married name.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU HAVE CHECKED OFF YOUR BUCKET LIST?
Going to the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl. Delightful being in sunny southern California knowing how cold and miserable it was here on New Year’s Day. Being able to take my kiddo there and see my husband’s absolute enthrallment was a wonderful day. A runner-up would definitely be taking my husband, daughter, and three friends to see Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour. Many memories were made that night!

WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF PERFECT HAPPINESS?
Perfect happiness would be the ability to tune the outside world out and not be caught up in the trappings of modern life. When I finally drift off to sleep every night knowing that I tried my best that day and will do so the next.

WHAT IS A TRAIT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF?
I think I am great at playing the long game in any scenario. Just be patient and keep the goal in mind. The path that you might think you’re going down to achieve something will have lots of unexpected twists and turns, but relish that you put yourself on the path to begin with.

WHAT HARDSHIPS HAVE YOU ENDURED THAT YOU FEEL HAVE MADE YOU STRONGER?
There are too many to list! But I think there is a misconception that hardships make you stronger when we really could and should be talking about trauma. Understanding your traumas and how to overcome triggers is key. Therapy is a wonderful place to be in! The one great thing about being this age is realizing that your “quirks” are manifestations from deep-seeded wounds you have been carrying around your whole life. Being able to identify and course correct when one pops up is very healing, which then makes me feel stronger.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR YOUNGER SELF?
Keep going – you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to. You’ve got this girl.

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR YOUNGER WOMEN?
Always be your authentic self. You will have people come into your life who will try to change you based on their own insecurities and flaws. Stay true to who you are, and never bend yourself into a pretzel to make anyone else happy. If they don’t accept you for who you are, move on! Another one that I would add is that women often get skipped over in the conversation, which is to invest money at an early age. Figure out how to make money work for you so that when you get into a relationship or get into a job that you hate, you have the means to get out.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO OR FAVORITE QUOTE?
Always be a lifelong learner. Stay curious and question everything! Martha Stewart says, “Once you’re done learning, you’re done living.”

WHAT DO YOU MOST VALUE IN YOUR FRIENDS?
My best female friends never judge me and are never in competition with me. The ones that are ride or die with me. My best friends support me and root me on. My best friends know when I need help to be lifted up and dusted off.

HOW DID YOU CHANGE OVER THE YEARS?
I quit allowing things to happen to me; now, I make things happen for me. The status quo doesn’t exist anymore. Technology has taken over, and I have had to learn and adapt. The biggest change would be to quit being a people pleaser. Being nice didn’t get me anywhere except for being taken advantage of and burned out. I can still be polite, caring, and honest, but now I do it on my own terms.

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT YOURSELF, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
As women, we generally put ourselves on the back burner to everyone else. There is a huge negative connotation to being selfish as opposed to being there for yourself. It’s something that I am still not perfect at, but I am working on it. To put me first.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS?
There is so much that I hope for. I feel like we are in this major shift in the generations. The Boomers and the Zoomers are two radically different humans, and being in the sandwich generation, it’s like we have to learn two different languages. I feel like there is going to be such a shift in human ingenuity in the younger generations that is going to fundamentally – for the better – change this world.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?
Aging is such a gift! Not all of us get to do it. Pat yourself every day on the back to let yourself know that you have arrived for the day and make the most out of every minute of it!