Midlife Moments
“Most of us abandoned the idea of a life full of adventure and travel sometime between puberty and our first job. Our dreams died under the dark weight of responsibility. Occasionally the old urge surfaces, and we label it with names that suggest psychological aberrations: the big chill, a midlife crisis.” ~ Tim Cahill
Responsibility. A word that invokes a vast array of thoughts & emotions. A dark cloud for most. A dream killer for some. A producer of profanity for many. And we never really notice when responsibility takes over our lives. In the words of Sade, it hits us like a slow bullet.* It’s so subtle we don’t even think to duck or dodge it. And for some the slug rips through the ligaments of hope…shreds the internal organs of dreams…and leaves their souls feeling defeated & depleted. The desire for more lingers, but it’s hard to pursue your dreams when you’re in survival mode. When the moment arrives where the screams of your desires overtake the nagging voice of your responsibilities, the world attempts to diminish you, reducing you to a condescending phrase: midlife crisis.
“There was a time when people had the decency to wait until they were approaching 50 to have a mid-life crisis. Now it seems many thirtysomethings find themselves succumbing to existential navel-gazing.” ~ Mark Barrowcliffe
Coming to the realization that the life you built isn’t as fulfilling as it used to be isn’t reserved for a particular age group. Midlife moments can occur at any stage in life. We’re constantly changing, and what we need in one season will no longer be applicable in the next. There comes a time for many when you’ll say, “I did what I NEEDED to do to get to this point in my life. Now…what do I WANT to do with the rest of my life?”
“You can see it as a mid-life crisis or you can see it as a mid-life awakening.” ~ Dan Pearce
Midlife moments can lead to midlife awakenings. An awakening in your spirit. An awakening to the belief that you don’t have to continue being a slave to the status quo. The question is how badly do you want it? You can design the life of your dreams, but it’s going to take effort, consistency and, possibly, a little experimentation. Spending years stuck in a rut can make it difficult to know who you are & what you really want for yourself. Maybe you’ve spent most of your adult life focusing on your career and now you’re ready for love. Maybe you feel you’re ready to start a family. A passport full of stamps may be just what the doctor ordered. The sky is the limit. Knowing you need a change…and knowing what that looks like…are two different things. Start a new hobby. Take a class. Acting. Art. Dancing. Cooking. It doesn’t matter. Broaden your horizons, and keep going until something sticks. Don’t focus on finding one thing. Focus on living & enjoying life. Everything else will fall into place.
“Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it.” ~ Marcus Aurelius
Time waits for no one. You must make the most of every moment you’re above ground because there are no do-overs. If your soul feels inclined, seize the moment. Make sure your list of fond memories is longer than your list of regrets. The world will never stop telling you who to be or what to do. Drown out the noise and listen to your soul. The world is your oyster, and the pearl of your dreams is waiting to be discovered.
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