Interview With Lyn Slater, ACCIDENTAL ICON INFLUENCER

"I have accepted myself, with my strengths and limitations, so that the judgment of others is not something that bothers me. My colleagues were really interested and curious.”

Lyn Slater, the Accidental Icon influencer with more than 776k followers who have revalued the ageing process, dismantled her legend and exclusively revealed the true secret of her success, which she claims has nothing to do with chance and everything to do with her character, self-acceptance and hard work.

Lyn always combined her work as a university professor of Law and Social Welfare and continued to do so until she retired. That was when, according to Lyn, some photographers located in front of the "Lincoln Center" mistook her for a model during New York Fashion Week in 2016 and shared a photograph of her on social networks that catapulted her, at 63 years old, as an accidental icon for millions of women of all ages who realised you can physically grow older without complexes and without losing your style.

She has taken down the misconception that half of the world has about Accidental Icon, and she is not going to stop, “I don't like that story because it is a fairy tale, and it discards the fact that success requires a lot of work, dedication and risk. None of those factors are recognized in a story like that. It's so misleading for young people and older people who want to make a change... My skills as a teacher and social worker were what I believe made me ultimately successful. I think it was as much my attitude as my clothes.”

“What made me successful is my curiosity, critical thinking, flexibility, resistance, ability to adapt, collaboration, hope and optimism.”

“I am the same person in all my identities and, therefore, I did not have to conform with dress codes unless I wanted control and used them to enhance my access to power. I was more proactive than reactive. Basically, I have accepted myself, with my strengths and limitations, so that the judgment of others is not something that bothers me. My colleagues were really interested and curious.”

According to Slater, “My generation, when it was young, defied all the rules of society. I continue to do it even when they don't apply to me. Because I’ve been like that my whole life, it’s just a part of me.”

She is aware that her kind of behavior was not widespread, that her attitude “has helped women question rules and traditions that no longer feel good or relevant to them.” Now she takes advantage of the fact that she has “built a much larger platform and audience as a social media influencer” and that she can “gain important knowledge faster” to use her privileged situation and influence to support other people.
Interview With Lyn Slater, ACCIDENTAL ICON INFLUENCER
Simply placing yourself in the right public space has been a way to deal with age discrimination. And, for Slater, “There is a chronological age, which is the number of years you have lived, and a perceived age, which is the age you experience internally. Perceived age is fluid and can change from one day to the next.” And, like anything else in life, it doesn't consider "ageing to be good or bad, it just is that way and that's how I relate to it— as a fact."

It is surely easier now than in your grandmother's times, at least in developed countries, according to her theory, “The world has changed at an astonishing speed, and we are living longer and healthier lives if we are privileged." Old narratives such as retirement, senior living communities, illness and disability are no longer as relevant as they were in the past. “We should not be making policies or decisions using old paradigms, nor should we categorise people by their year of birth, use perceived age as a category to design or sell clothes," she argues.

The only thing that is relevant about human beings is “the possibility of reinventing ourselves while we are alive”, as Lyn claims, “Because change has accelerated at such a rapid pace, people need to reinvent themselves at all ages and often the old ways of doing things become obsolete. So, reinventing yourself is going to be necessary much more frequently than in the past. “You need to have courage, take risks, be a lifelong learner and be very open to change," as well as “to the ideas and points of view of young people, since they are the experts of today.”

"You will have many new opportunities and adventures like me if you are open to seeing things differently.”

Lyn considers it essential to surround herself with young people for as long as possible to maintain her commitment to lifelong learning, which is the secret of Lyn’s success, along with personal development and an incredible support network of family and friends. Her philosophy expands naturally which is just, “putting my experience into practice”, which seems to resonate with many women. “I will continue doing it. I don't like to lecture others."

However, when asked for some advice for women who are scared or worried about the passage of time and the changes it will cause in their bodies, she sounds categorical, “It's inevitable, so accept it. There is research that shows that if you have negative thoughts about being old, this will put you at greater risk of cardiovascular death and take 7.5 years off your life. So, stop worrying and change your attitude. You will live longer. You will be healthier and happier. You will also have many new opportunities and adventures like me if you are open to seeing things differently.”

Lyn has used her fame to take down the widespread misconception that women are incapable once they hit a certain age. She encouraged thousands to stop using their age as an excuse to be who they truly want to be.
When are you going to stop making excuses and make a change?

By:                                                         
Elisabeth Iborra and Revathi Sreejith

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