I am afraid most think not, especially beyond a certain age. I disagree entirely! Granted, you have to want it very badly and be open to accepting help from various outside sources to make it happen, but I have seen some amazing transformations in those past age 40, including myself!
I suppose most would agree with Dr. Phil: “Past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.” Have you ever really changed? Have you ever attempted a complete transformation of your life? How did it go?
Those are some of the questions I am asking friends and colleagues in midlife, and I am receiving some amazing transformational stories in return! My goal is to understand how some of us make change finally happen in midlife, and why others never quite get where they want to go. What are the differences in different peoples’ approaches to the problem? How do outside sources of support and encouragement skew the results?
This is the topic of the new book I’m working on right now. I’m learning so much about the process of personal change!
Please e-mail me at midlifecrisisqueen@gmail.com if you would like to contribute your experiences to this conversation.
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Interesting thought. Initially, I thought of my midlife transformation as a huge change for me. Now, I think it was just a case of getting back to me.
My family of origin, my early adult experiences all provided information about what works for me. My partner in married life had a far different life path and in the interest of marital harmony, I followed her down her road (not mine).
The personal discord reached the breaking point after two children and 20 years of marriage and I had to pull away.
I’ve spent the last 13 years, rediscovering who I am and where my path leads. Kinda like the return of the prodigal son!
What a JOY to be back to me!
Brad
Hello Brad:
Nice summary of the return to Self! I imagine many people have an experience comparable to yours in midlife, thus the subtitle of my book: Becoming the person you are inside!
In my case, I had never really acknowledged or appreciated my original Self. I was too self-critical to appreciate the great person I was all along…my crisis gave me the opportunity to do just that!
Thanks for sharing,
Laura Lee