See what being 40 really looks like

I could sit there and eat pasta all day long and not worry about it when I was younger, and now I really have to focus on making sure I set a good example for my kids.—Mia Hamm, soccer legendMost people recognize Mia Hamm as the best female soccer player in the history of the sport. After retiring from the game in 2004, she gave birth to twin girls in 2007 and a baby boy earlier this year. At 40, she sports the healthy glow of an athlete at the top of her game.

I think humans possess the resilience and the creativity to reinvent themselves in response to nearly any situation, and to reflect upon and celebrate the very process. —Tracy K. Smith, poetIn 2012, the Princeton University faculty member received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry. As a poet, Smith has been described as engaging and ambitious, traits that make both her and her work enthralling.

I think when women reach a certain age, they look better with a little fat in their face. I'm lucky I'm Latin because people expect me to be a bit more plump.—Sofia Vergara, actressWith her jaw-dropping figure, gorgeous smile, and luscious mane, Vergara proves not only that women can age beautifully, but also that they can do so by embracing their curves.

My butt has gotten a lot better because it's bigger. I do squats and walk on inclines. I don't look like a scarecrow anymore. I should really back into rooms because that's how confident I am.—Gabrielle Union, actressAt 40, Union looks as much like a teenager as she did at 28, when she starred opposite the much younger Kirsten Dunst in Bring It On. Claiming that she stays away from plastic surgery because of a deathly fear of needles, Union reportedly keeps her skin fresh by drinking tons of water.

Perfection is absolutely not necessary.— Natalie Morales, journalistAs the news anchor on the Today show, Morales is under a lot of pressure to look her best—very early in the morning. The gorgeous journalist—born in Taiwan to a Brazilian mother and a Puerto Rican father—makes it seem effortless. Clearly this beauty lucked out in the genetic realm, but the mother of two is also a devoted marathon runner.

Why would I fix [my gapped teeth]? I was born with them. —Vanessa Paradis, modelRegarded as an unconventional—and rapturous—beauty since she recorded her first album at the age of 14, Paradis has only gotten better with age. The French actress says she doesn't feel pressure to get plastic surgery—rather, like the gap in her teeth, she'll embrace the way aging skin can make a face unique.

Now that I'm 40, I want to be happy like I was when I was a kid flipping on the trampoline listening to Van Halen's 'Jump.' I want to remember how to be happy like I was when I was able to roller-skate backwards.—Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power), singer-songwriterRecently, at 40, the former Karl Lagerfeld muse cut off the long bangs that used to hide her eyes. After years of famously suffering from stage fright, she is finally baring her face to her audience, a move that makes her stronger, braver and more beautiful than ever.