How to Make the Best of Mid Life Changes

Quotes are a wonderful way of succinctly making a point. Are you familiar with the following quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes who was one of our eminent Supreme Court Justices?

“Most people go to their grave with their music still inside them”.

I would like to see every woman and man refute this quote. It is in midlife that we have a new opportunity to implement steps that will assure that we bring forth our music. Mid life is the time when people become fully aware that life is no longer limitless. Prior to that time feels limitless. Mow there is a sense of urgency of desiring to be happy and follow ones dreams. Yet at the same time there are commitments and obligations to consider while at the same time to finding ways to bring forth ones music.

Mid life is a major time of transition. In many ways I see this as being as tumultuous as was the transition from adolescence to adulthood in the teen years. Mid life is the stage which prepares us for aging vibrantly. Just like all teenagers do not act out during this time of transition as they learn to become independent likewise not all men and women have a midlife crisis. What is true is that in both transition phases the transition cannot be avoided. There are necessary changes to deal with and confront in order to move successfully into the next stage of life.

As I look at midlife I see three significant events that happen simultaneously.

1. New awareness that life is no longer endlessr
Men and women become keenly aware that they are moving beyond the halfway point of life. Prior to this most did not worry about how much time they had left. Most did not even think about it. Suddenly there is an internal shift to a keen awareness of time running out accompanied by the question: what do I want?

2. For women:Menopause – this is the official ending of a woman’s reproductive life. This is a significant event for women. The changes that lead to menopause are physical and emotional and signify the ending of the ability to create life and clearly a sign of bodily aging.
For men: they also have hormonal changes which however are not as specific as menopause is for women. Yet men also experience physical and emotional changes in this mid life stage of life.

3. Creating a mindset for growthr
It is in mid life that the kind of mindset one has becomes very important at this transition point in life. A mindset that is built on the premise that we can keep growing through out life becomes the foundation for moving forward with courage, optimism, and a willingness to take action to make changes.

In order to bring forth ones music all three points above need to be addressed. Reality is that life no longer is endless. However, how we care for our bodies, if we pursue our passions, if we create relationships that give us joy and have a mindset for enjoying our lives those are all in our control. Mid life is the time when men and women become keenly aware that they still have a lot of music to bring forth. The ones who grapple with what they want and take responsibility to make changes will have set the foundation for aging vibrantly.