5 Tips to Embracing your Mid-Life Awakening

I honestly don’t understand why so many people identify a mid-life crisis as something negative…well, ok, ok, I do because I used to be one of them.  Have you ever noticed that when we see someone making drastic changes in their lives at the time around their 40’s or 50’s, we automatically state, with a sad or disgusted face, “they must be going through a mid-life crisis”.  I can admit that I have been that person when I noticed a ‘mid-life criser’ purchasing a sports car, or getting cosmetic surgery, or getting a divorce.  I know, I know.  I was a judgmental asshole.  You don’t have to tell me that since I am now acutely aware!  I am happy to report that every day, I am have become less and less judgmental through increased awareness of my hurtful judgments and having the ability to shift my perceptions and mindset pretty quickly.

In all seriousness though, I would like to make an agreement with you right here and now, to eradicate the negativity connected to our life changes during the middle of our lifespan.  I have come to believe, through my own experience, that these changes are a mid-life awakening.  Yep.  I am woke.  And I was pretty frustrated with myself that it took me this damn long to come to the awareness that I have been living in the dark and out of alignment with my Life Purpose for so many years. 

Up until early last year, the exact year I turned 40, I thought there was something defective with me because I was living an amazing life and still in a state of unrest.  I had, a supportive husband, three healthy, loving and witty kids, a nice house in a nice neighborhood, and a supportive family.  Not to mention the 6 figure Executive job in a field that I love with the most supportive boss ever!  Yet I still felt like there was something missing…something more I was called to do.  I felt it throughout the core of my existence.  With each promotion I received throughout my career, I would be happy and excited, and then it would fade within a year.  I felt “ungrateful” and was internally shaming myself, as the conditioned voice in my head referred to myself as an “ungrateful spoiled brat”. 

For years I struggled with depression. I struggled with anger and resentments.  I blamed external factors for all of the reasons I could not leave my amazing corporate job-most of the blame falling on my husband…what a trooper, right?!  When I was able to shift from the victim mentality to the empowerment of personal responsibility, my world opened up.  When I stopped making excuses for not following my life purpose, I was able to see the endless possibilities of how to make my dreams a reality.  Now, I am happy to say I am aligned with my Authentic Self, living out my Life Purpose and making daily strides to my Ideal Life Vision. 

If you are questioning if you are going through your own Mid-Life Awakening, here are 5 tips to embrace your journey:

1. Gain Clarity: Take an honest look at how your values are aligning with your daily actions. If you value family time or value self-care “me time” and you are spending 60+ hours at work, then something is just not right with that picture.  In gaining clarity, you are simply bringing the imbalance in your life to awareness.  You don’t have to have a plan to change it right at this moment. 
2. Know your big “Why”. Everyone has a “why”.  Your “why” is the purpose, cause or belief that inspires you to action.  It is why you got into the career you chose.  It is why you may choose to leave your career as you realize it is not in alignment with your life purpose.  It is why you chose, and choose to stay, with your partner. One set of questions to better understand your why is to gain clarity on what ticks you off in the world?  And what do you want to see instead?
3. Increase your Spiritual Connection. It is so important to align with your Higher Power.  At moment when you feel defeated and alone, it is imperative to be able to connect with your Spiritual Connection and the Universe.  This connection provides you the comfort and reassurance that you will be taken care of when your doubts are creeping in. 
4. Courageous Actions. Take daily courageous actions.  These do not have to be humungous and drastic changes in your life, though they might be.  What I am focusing on here include the daily actions that create the path to living in alignment with your values, life purpose and ideal life vision.  This could be as simple as not staying late at work or talking to your spouse about something that you have been avoiding due to fear of ‘creating waves’.  Whatever courageous action you choose to take, be sure it is in alignment with your values and takes you one step closer to your Life Purpose and Ideal Life Vision.
5. Gratitude.  This is a skill that we are not born with and must be cultivated.  While we move through our awakening, it is imperative to recognize the abundance all around us.  Abundance comes in many different forms, which can include love, experiences, adventures, support, financial, health, laughter, connection…the list can go on and on.  While we “up-level” our life, we do so with gratitude. 

Throughout my mid-life awakening, these are the steps that have helped me to deepen my connection with myself, deepen my connection with every single relationship, create more joyous moments in my life, align with my values, spend more time with my family, and leave a corporate job as an Executive to pursue my Life Purpose. My hope is that they do the same for you!

Much love and light, LJ