A friend of mine asked me recently:
What is midlife? Does it mean you must be in your forties? After all, I’m only 35, but I feel dissatisfied with what used to make me happy. I want more out of my life.
I think midlife is wherever you think or feel it is. It’s the time in our life when what’s come before us is no longer acceptable. It’s that time when we come to the realization that there are more choices and ways to live our lives. It’s ironic really, when you think of the adage for young people entering adulthood — the world is your oyster — but many follow paths that have been prescribed to them, not necessarily discovered or chosen by them.
If you want to get all Jungian about it, James Hollis says, in Finding Meaning In The Second Half of Life:
..the middle passage occurs only when a person begins to discern that his or her repetitions, compensations, and treatment plans for life have their origin not in conscious life but in unconscious history.
Midlife gives us wisdom.
Instead of midlife crises, we have midlife opportunities.
Our life span today is longer than ever. There is a saying “50 is the new 30.” Now we have a chance for that second or third career. We can bring meaning and satisfaction into our lives and those of others. We can consciously create the life we want to live. We can have our midlife reinvention.
Photo by:Philwirks
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you for choosing my photo to go with this-I’ve been there!!
TGC
Phil
I like how you have explained mid life and your recommendation of James Hollis’s book. I highly recommend it if anyone is going through their little crisis. Joseph Campbell once gave a nice definition of wisdom that is appropriate to this issue: KNOWLEDGE + LIFE = WISDOM
At 50 look at your life the way you did when you were approaching college at 17. Your head has to be full of ONLY endless possibilities and “what next”.
mid-life —kick it to the curb
I love your philosophy, Rebecca! The only difference between now and college days is our wisdom and learning from mistakes. Mostly the only difference!
I love the comment: look at 50 like approaching college at 17 – so many choices and so much time . . . If I knew then what I know now -and to have the open mindness and the energy – mostly still there! I wouldn’t go back – it is great right now! Carol