I have long feared the aging process. In my teens and 20s, I even dramatically swore that I would end my life on my 30th birthday, so I could escape the perils of getting older. However, my 30th birthday came and went, and here I am a couple years later, my heart still ticking and my lungs still breathing. I have to say I'm quite happy that I didn’t fulfill my stupid childhood fantasy to escape getting older, because my 30s, so far, have been a blast, and far better than my 20s. Despite this, though, I don't look toward the day I turn 40 with open arms, because growing up and getting old is scary as hell.

But being 40-something isn't quite what it used to be. Once a decade synonymous with having settled down into mediocrity in the suburbs somewhere, now women in their 40s are hanging on to their youth far longer than they ever did in the past—and I'm not talking about plastic surgery. Whereas 40 seemed like the end of the world once upon a time, women in their 40s are actually embracing the decade with gusto and confidence.

A recent study has found that women in their 40s are pretty stoked to be there and prefer it to being in their 20s, even saying that things are more fun in their 40s. What the wha --?

The most common theme for women in their 40s is their confidence level. When asked what piece of advice they would give to their 20-something selves, 64 percent of women over 40 said that self-confidence would be the most important thing they'd want to impart. As Kezia Noble, a dating coach explains, women in their 40s are actually in the prime of their life, adding, "Successful women in their forties are enjoying the money and status that their well-earned career has given them.

Although they may no longer possess the youthful looks of their competition, they make up for it in confidence, financial independence and wisdom.” But while women in their 40s may not have the wrinkle-free, extra taut face of a 20-year-old, 56 percent of women over 40 think they look younger than their age, and most do. I mean, look at Halle Berry, who's 48, and Cameron Diaz, who's 42; neither one looks their age at all.

Another place where women in their 40s are thriving is on the dating scene. Not only are they dating more, but also dating younger men, to fit with the more money they're making and the better they're looking. It's as if decades of things being just "OK" have finally paid off, and it’s time for these ladies to flourish and reap the rewards of having made it through their 20s and 30s in one piece. Basically, its women in this age bracket whom, as Sex and the City's Samantha Jones pointed out, really do "have it all," while the rest of us mess around and try to get our lives together. But, hey, at least we have something to look forward to, as opposed to dreading, right?