How Do You Look at Midlife?

Midlife… is it a transition? A crisis? Or both?

I would submit that midlife is a transition, can be a crisis and for some is a transition and crisis all rolled into one.

There are many differing views on what constitutes a midlife transition and crisis and based on that ultimately it comes down to perspective and how one view’s their life.

In researching a bit more on this topic I was struck by how there is such a difference of opinion on what constitutes transition in midlife and crisis in midlife. Suffice it to say there are moments in midlife when we probably are feeling a little bit of the following:

Discontent
Ennui
Restless
Questioning of decisions made years ago
Meaning of life
Sadness that tends to persist
Feelings of frustration
Feelings of panic that there is little time left
Confusion as to who we are and where we are headed

To me, these can be natural feelings of transition and if we get stuck move into feelings of crisis.

What to do?

You may know from my previous writings that I am all about being grateful having arrived at this point in life. It’s also a time when I believe that embracing who we are, embracing our wisdom, life experience and knowledge truly makes us whole. We no longer have to live according to someone’s terms! We have arrived and can live the life we choose.

It is also imperative that if one is feeling stuck or is in a state of persistent sadness that professional help be sought. There is nothing to be ashamed of; some of us cope better than others and that is okay.

Midlife transition is that time when we realize there may be more life behind us than ahead of us, but is that true? I’m not sure. Living healthier lives equals longer life so we may have more years ahead of us than we believe.

No matter what midlife truly is a transition. We are no longer kids, we are no longer teenagers, nor are we young adults.

Some of us have gray hair, some of us have wrinkles and crow’s feet. Some of us are experiencing the menopausal body changes. Some of us are fighting our aging with a dogged determination, some of us are accepting it and embracing it.

Some of us are excited by the possibilities, some of us are not. Some of us are invigorated. Some of us are tired. Some of us see what we were meant to do and go for it.

Whatever we are, we are in midlife; transition, crisis or both.

I, for one, say we embrace it! That is much better than the alternative, for sure.