“What’s Next?” All the mid life women I knew wanted to know.
Ok…let’s call us the 50-sometings and we feel a good decade younger! “I know I have my whole life ahead of me. But I’m not sure who I am anymore. I have no idea what I want. I’m completely overwhelmed. Where do I start? I’m not sure I can do this…it’s crazy to even try” rumbles in the background. Of course you can! You’re already questioning so you’re on the way! Think you are alone on this journey? Not a chance in fact you are on a congested, 5 lane expressway!
Want to know some of your companions? I am always inspired by the situations and stories of others it allows me to step out of the central starring role in my life and peek inside another. These are women from just my circle of friends who are on the path to reinvention. Maybe you see yourself in one of them.
The glow of a long, successful career has waned. The nest is empty and a sense of purpose is lost. Others have been downsized out of a much loved job they expected to take them to retirement. A husband has lost a job. Divorce has left some emotionally broken with carved up resources.
Some have lost spouses and are grieving and alone. Some are financially secure, others hanging by a thread. Some have a great idea for a new venture, others have discovered a new career path and are ready to go but are immobilized by fear, lack of confidence and self doubt – who am I to think I can really do this. Some are just plain stuck wondering where to begin.
This is ‘US’….We’re younger and more vital than our mothers were at our age. We’re ready to launch much in the same way our kids are. But here we are.
Immobilized by various forces; lack of confidence, no direction, broken hearts and exhaustion to name a few. Time to repurpose, recharge and reinvent …absolutely sounds like a plan…we collectively agree. Where to start? The best starting place for me has always been simply agreeing to begin. That triggers the push off the starting blocks.
Community and knowing your neighbours is a great thing. It calms the heart and settles us. Through community we learn, grow and support each other. I hope to build a community here where we can share ideas, celebrate successes and journey together to towards living a rich full life.
Ready? Take a deep breath. On your mark…set…GO!
ReACTION [to change in response to a stimulus]: Agree to Begin
The first step in any change is to Agree to Begin.
All: Today I begin the Part II of my life.
I agree to embrace newness, surprise and adventure.
I agree to step out of my comfort zones because I know this is where I will truly come to life.
I agree to make Part II richer and more fulfilling than I can imagine!
I Agree to Begin and look forward to all that will come my way.
Ponder…… “A year from now you’ll wish you started today.” Karen Lamb
Reading this Cheryl, I felt….she’s talking about me, and maybe you are. I was stuck for so very long in my “comfortableness” of my comfort zone. That is until I realized how very uncomfortable my “comfort zone” really was…yes, I have begun my journey, but I have a long way to go. I agree with you that simply “Agreeing to Begin” is the very important first step. Through my journey I have learned to listen to what is underneath my resistance to move forward, what is it that’s keeping my stuck in my so called comfort zone. It’s energizing when we finally rid ourselves of our “victim jackets”, let go of our excuses and begin moving forward into who we were meant to be.