Midlife - Crisis?

In general, a midlife crisis is thought of as a bad thing; a time of insanity. To me, nothing could be farther from the way things turned out, although there are likely many who will say insanity won out. 

In 2016 I started this blog with transcriptions of notes to myself written in my mid-thirties. Even then, truth was bubbling over and trying to get my attention. By my early sixties there was a choice to either pay attention to the voice (by then shouting in my head) or shut down the connection and wait for another lifetime to be authentic. 

Unlike a whispered voice in your head, when you write a blog, or a post in any social media, your thoughts may or may not reach someone who needs them. It is an act of faith, and, some might say, daring. 

I will freely admit to mixed feelings about social media. I have dabbled in one of the photo-sharing ones, mostly to see snaps and videos of my children and darling granddaughter. I went on the Face thing app years ago because groups I was part of were sharing ideas and snaps and what-have-you there. 

Once, social media did something wonderful for me. It changed my life by allowing one person I cared about very much to find me after a very long time. 

Mostly social media is good - for me - because it lets me know how people I hardly see are doing. 

And then there is this:

For those who are using a translated version, the text is included below, and here is a link to an article, the The Midlife Unraveling, by Brené Brown that includes the source of this quoted section. It is a wonderfully written article that takes the idea of the crisis and explains it so much better with the word unraveling. 

It seems to me that when the universe whispers, it speaks uniquely to each of us. In my case, she said "When you are lying on your deathbed, thinking your last thought, will it be of how happy you are to have led a safe life doing what you believed everyone else wanted?"

Going on your adventure isn't likely to make others in your world excited or even happy. They have to be responsible for going (or not going) on their own adventure. Not every adventure is pleasant at all times. They don't always have happy endings either. 

Caveat Emptor  

~   ~   ~

I think 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. 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