Isn’t Life an Amazing Adventure as Your Destiny Unfolds?
Our life is time unfolding. You can see the tapestry of your life unfolded to this point in time. The rest is a mystery, waiting for you to roll it out and choose your path. It’s like a movie that we’re watching, waiting to see what’s next. Age doesn’t matter because time continues to go on. If you pause now, you’ll miss the happy ending. Besides, the end may just be the beginning. Relax, and enjoy the unfolding.
The 40’s are full of vibrancy; they may actually be a second peak. The 50’s are still all you; maybe some hints of the years piling up. If the 20’s and 40’s are peak times, maybe the 60’s are another kind of peak: one of doing the things you always wanted to do. And if that’s a 20-year cycle, who knows what the 80’s can bring? No matter what, we do know that it is a pinnacle of wisdom! Lifespans are longer than they used to be. Today there more people living to 100 than ever before. Who knows how long our lives will last as we progress?
Michelle Fimon of the blog Alive at the Improv has written:
“Inside every aging or sick person is a vibrant person who still lives inside. We are made of both past and present, with the future holding a place for dreams to materialize. I feel that our transparency is vital to communicating authentic ideas about aging and health in the aftermath of illness. How to balance and reconcile all of the feelings as well as the realities is key in living a life filled with joy and acceptance. We don’t lose who we were as we age; we incorporate that into all that we are today! 
Jonathan Rauch wrote a perspective for the The Washington Post Magazine called The midlife doldrums are a social crisis. Now there’s momentum for some radical fixes. In it, he said:
“If you wanted to design a society that exacerbated midlife misery and squandered the potential of later adulthood, you might deliver education in a single lump during the first two decades of life, load work into the middle decades, and then herd healthy, happy and highly skilled older adults into idleness. In other words, you would do more or less what we have been doing for the past century or so. It’s a model that made some sense when most people needed only a high school degree, held only one kind of job for life, and died around age 65. But it offers nothing by way of guidance and support for the kind of midlife relaunch that today’s Americans increasingly demand, and that today’s America increasingly needs…
“On the printed page, the idea of a fresh start in midlife sounds pretty glorious; in real life, nothing is harder than jumping out of the deep grooves we have carved for ourselves by our 40s. What do I really want? Who wants me? How can I reinvent my life while meeting responsibilities and making ends meet? What are the options, and how can I sort through them all?
“Those questions and many more clobber anyone who contemplates a midlife relaunch. Relaunchers need guardrails to change course safely. They need institutions and programs and examples that provide support and structure. They need employers who will accommodate and hire mature workers who may want to work part time, undertake not-so-big jobs, and apply old skills to new ventures. They need universities and financial aid geared to retooling in midlife; pensions and 401(k) plans flexible enough to cope with the “retired but working”; career counseling and job fairs and internships and gap years for graybeards in search of new missions and opportunities. They also need society’s permission to experiment and grow and err.”
Catherine Grace O’Connell started a Facebook Group, Forever Fierce Revolution, to empower women at midlife and beyond. She states the purpose of the group and its related activities as such:
“The intention behind Forever Fierce: Empowered Women at Midlife are Cool is to put a new, fresh frame and perspective around midlife and beyond. We feel that midlife is a powerful time in a woman’s life and we are more vibrant than ever before. We believe that midlife isn’t an age but rather an experience or a feeling and it’s up to you to decide when you’ve reached midlife. We are coming together to create a collaborative community and to show the world that we are only just beginning. We are intending to shift a paradigm and a perception of women at midlife and beyond by coming together as one. We believe in lifting other women up rather than tearing them down. Together, we empower and inspire one another and send a powerful message to younger generations to look forward to becoming older rather than fearing aging as current marketing would lead you to believe.”
Women over 50, 60, 70 and even some in their 80’s are active today as fashion bloggers (hi, that’s me!), models, actresses, activists, writers, artists, you name it. Täo Porchon-Lynch is a sage yoga teacher who is now 100 years old. She said, ““I don’t feel any different now that I’ve turned 100. I’m not even scared. And I’ll never stop practicing yoga—it’s the dance of life! The breath is the breath eternal, which makes all things possible.” – Yoga Journal
There is a midlife revolution going on now, and of course it is stemming from the Baby Boomers — who else? They are a pioneer generation in so many ways. Of course, there will be many more powerful generations evolving who will make further strides as time unfolds. 😉
What do you think about life unfolding? Let us know in the comments below!
Like this post? You might also want to read:
- “How to Delight in the Age You Are Right Now“
- “Why Would You Want to Be 35 for 200 Years?“
- “Do You Want to be Told What to Wear in Your 60’s?“
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XO, Angie
Thank you for this great post Angie! Every day is an adventure and I feel as energetic as in my 20s.
It’s a wonderful life!
❤️carmen
https://fashionableover50.wordpress.com
Angie,
This is very thought provoking! So much wisdom here. I definitely feel like midlife is a time to reinvent. But like the author you quoted said, our society needs to catch up to this idea. Thank you for sharing your heart.
Pam
Hi, Pam – People are definitely living longer all the time; our society is progressing. Women are rising up to speak out because the stereotypes are not only out of date but repressive as well. The old impressions of aging no longer apply. It’s time to see aging as simply our journey through life because time starts ticking from birth. There is no need to apply a stop clock to living, ever! It’s totally up to each and every one of us when we want to end this journey. XO, Angie