Why Midlife is the Best Time of Life
“Midlife is when the Universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear:
‘I’m not screwing around. It’s time. All of this pretending and performing – these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt – has to go. Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through you. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.”
Brené Brown
I tried finding some photos for this email by going to my usual sources – Pixabay and Unsplash. These two sites usually have some amazing royalty free images, however, looking for images of midlife women who were independent or vibrant was futile.
The only images of vibrant midlife females were ones where the woman wa accompanied by her male partner. What few images of midlife women on their own that I could find showed women who were ill and in need of a wheelchair or medical help of some kind, or women who were very old and fragile, and even these were few and far between.
Even within society, it’s still challenging to find positive stereotypes or role models of women at midlife or beyond.
Midlife women, women over the age of 45, are basically invisible – and this is awesome!!
Because
Being unencumbered by social stereotypes or role models leaves us free to create the type of lifestyle that we want to create for ourselves, in whatever way we want to create it!!
Social life stages have been well defined for generations, and these stages are based on an lifespan of roughly 65 to 70 years.
From birth to age 5 or 6 is pre-school. From age 6 until we are ‘adults’ (around age 18 to 24) we are in school. From age 25 to 65, as adults, we work, raise families, buy houses, do adult things. From age 65 on we retire and do ?????.
In 1927, the old age pension was first introduced in Canada. A person needed to be 70 years of age in order to receive this pension. Life expectancy for someone born in 1927 in Canada was 59 years for a male and 62 years for a female. If someone was 65 years of age in 1927, they could expect to live, on average, for another 7 or 8 years. Rarely, if at all, did someone enjoy living into their 80’s or 90’s. For those who were fortunate enough to retire, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for them to pursue, except, perhaps for some hobbies.
The conditions of retirement are very different today.
A woman aged 65 years old today, can expect to live at least another 25 years.
At 45 years of age, a women is only half way through her life. She has twice as many years ahead of her as an adult as she has already lived!
At 45 years of age, a woman’s circumstances are likely more flexible than they were when she was 25. For example, if she has kids, they are increasingly more independent, leaving her with more time to explore opportunities to expand her own potential, develop her own talents and abilities, create the lifestyle she craves! If she also has a career, then this is often a time when women begin looking at what else is possible, what other options they have open to them, how they can make a difference in the world!
Think back to where you were 10 or 15 years ago. How much have you changed during those years? How much has your life changed?
Now, think ahead 25 to 30 years. Who do you want to be during those years? What do you want your life to be like?
What unexplored adventure lies ahead of you?
Have you always wanted to become a location independent entrepreneur?
- To be an ageless nomad and travel the world while running a successful online business?
- Or maybe your dream is to live by the beach during the summer and in a thriving city during the winter?
- Or maybe your dream is to spend more time on your hobby (jewellery making, painting, photography, writing, woodworking, working with stained class….) while you sell your art and teach others how to do what you are doing?
- Or maybe your dream is to be able to spend more time with your grandchildren?
.
What one thing can you do right now so you can start creating the next 20 – 30 – 40 years of your life?!?
What’s stopping you?
Until next week
Live Adventurously!!
Anne
