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Midlife Transition
Great Advice for the Midlife Transition
Incubating the Next Phase of the Awakening Journey By DL Zeta
(I think all this equally applies to the Midlife Transition…)
We offer here some steps to help navigate this time of incubation and discovery.
1) See yourself in the eyes of your higher self. Witness your imperfections and weaknesses from a place of love and understanding. As your higher self, you’re able to nurture the smaller parts of your being much as you would a young child. The conscious aspects of your being are children in relation to the ancient wisdom and knowledge of your soul and higher self.
2) Examine all that you own in terms of what serves your highest good and what can be passed on to others. Releasing material possessions you no longer need triggers releases at other levels.
3) Consider what obligations and duties you have taken on that can now be released for the highest good of all. As you move on to new levels of service, it will be necessary to re-examine your current commitments to make sure you are using your time and abilities to serve the greater good. If you leave one area of service for a new one, spirit will call another soul to fill the spot you previously occupied.
4) Free yourself of the need to have an opinion of others or the need to attempt to change the opinions of others. Each being, yourself included, is having the experiences they need within the moment in order to learn and grow. It is enough to witness and observe your environment with the light of an awakened consciousness. In this way, you’re able to see yourself and others from a place of love and understanding without the need to change, interfere or judge.
5) Be willing to undertake service when it is asked of you. Many are being asked now to serve in ways they may find surprising and unexpected. Many will find themselves called to forms of service that allow them to heal ancient wounds or to complete needed understandings. At times it may seem you have taken a step backward but keep in mind neither healing nor growth is linear. Your conscious mind will not always understand the need to complete a course of learning begun centuries ago.
5) Practice sustainability in all that you do. Cultivate a “put into” rather than a “take away from” attitude. In other words, add to every situation you encounter rather than subtract from it. In this way, you become a positive force in the universe. One physical manifestation of this might be your finances. Are you saving or depleting funds? It might be considered in terms of your health. Are you building yourself up in terms of health and strength or are you constantly burning the candle at both ends? Ask yourself, “What am I creating within this moment?” What you are creating with your choices moment by moment will become your future. Sustainable choices lead to an empowered rather than an impoverished future.
6) Be willing to see yourself as a wise and infinite being without need for recognition or aggrandizement. If you are feeling the need for recognition at this time, consider ways you may not be acknowledging and appreciating yourself. As you enter deeper levels of gratitude and self-love, you feel less need for outer recognition.
7) Listen closely to the needs of your body during this time. There is a need now to eat lighter and observe any addictions you may have to food, drink or other substances. Addictions are adopted at times when you feel yourself unable to cope with life circumstances. These crutches are like training wheels you no longer need as you move into greater levels of awakening. When you release addictive habits, you learn to use the wings of your higher consciousness to soar above what you previously thought was possible. Your physical body is attempting to transform itself to align with the energies of higher frequencies being downloaded into your consciousness. Whatever you put into your physical system at this time will determine the shape of your future manifestations. Health or disease is manifesting more quickly than ever before. Rapid healing and transformation is happening at a rapid rate now and likewise, so is
deterioration and decay.
8) Enter deeper and deeper realms of silence. Many have become accustomed to the constant background noise in their environment and even the incessant chatter of their own mind. Without the noise, some feel lost and even frightened. Be willing to sit with the stillness and quiet of your inner being. Start with only a few minutes per day if necessary and gradually allow yourself to enter longer and longer periods of silence. When you sit still and listen within, you gain awareness of the vast, infinite expanse of your soul. Within this infinite expanse, all is possible.
9) If you are seeking to manifest abundance, a relationship, a new career or anything else, be willing to enter a place of inner stillness and align with the energies you find there. Whatever you feel guided to manifest into your physical reality already exists within your consciousness. Invite the part of you that holds this frequency of your intended manifestation to come forward and inform your actions, thoughts and feelings in coming days and weeks. Whatever you may seek to create, there is a part of your consciousness able to come forward to teach you the steps to bring it into your physical reality. Be sure to hold in awareness how this intended manifestation is aligned with your spiritual purpose.
10) Cultivate patience. In this world, there is a mindset of needing everything to occur within an expected timeframe. The need for instant gratification is an offshoot of scarcity consciousness. It is saying to your subconscious that you don’t trust the universe to bring you what you need with divine timing. Inside this mindset, life flow becomes forced and unnaturally bound by ego constraints. Allow your intended manifestations to happen in divine timing and keep in mind that the quantum change which is taking place within many now often takes longer to assimilate than smaller, less pervasive changes.
11) Notice what you notice. Whatever catches your attention, whatever you feel drawn to has a special meaning and significance for you. Hold those things you are drawn to in awareness and allow them to speak to you. The messages being downloaded now have to do with the role each person will play in the new times ahead.
12) Befriend your fears. Whatever you fear most will come front and center now. Create a safe space within yourself where you can sit with whatever shows up in your life. Inside this space, you can ask for divine guidance and understanding. Ask for love and patience and whatever else is needed within the moment. This space will become ever more important in the days and weeks to come as a safe refuge and incubation chamber for your continued transformation. From this inner chamber, you will emerge with the grace and beauty of a butterfly to inspire and assist the unfolding of human consciousness.
For more information, visit http://www.celestialvision.org
Midlife Crisis and Midlife Transition are not the same
Articles and blog posts about midlife crisis and midlife crisis symptoms flood the Internet landscape. Studies show that fewer than 10% of the people in the United States had experienced psychological crises due to their age or aging, documented in a 1999 large scale research study. Male and female crises are not common, despite the media hype surrounding the use of these terms.
I prefer to use the term midlife transition, which is empowering, whereas the term midlife crisis is dis-empowering. I know the subject of transition well because I have experienced it many times, as most mid lifers have. It is, however, important to realize that both a crisis and a transition include change.
Crisis, change, and transition
Crisis is an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty (online dictionary).
Change refers to an event which occurs when something in our life ends or is replaced by another event or way of doing something. Change is external; situational, like job loss or a divorce. It’s episodic and happens to you.
Transition is a gradual psychological re-orientation we experience as we try to adapt to change. It’s internal; it happens inside us.
A Different View
Dr. Fred Horowitz, a specialist in midlife development, asserts that midlife crisis is a “cultural story that is made up.”
William Bridges, an expert in transitions, says that the more accurate term to use when describing the process that ALL mid lifers go through is transition, not crisis.
His research shows that there are three phases to transition:
1. Ending, losing, letting go – you let go of old patterns and ways of being. This is a phase where you deal with loss.
2. The Neutral Zone – the old is gone and the new way isn’t fully integrated. It’s like the “gap” that a trapeze artist experiences when they let go of one trapeze and haven’t yet grasped the next one.
3. The New Beginning – you come out of the in-between time or the “gap” I refer to above. You are in a place where you can recreate yourself and create a new future for yourself.
Being in the Gap
It is well known that the Chinese character for crisis also represents opportunity. That is how the many transitions in my life have occurred to me. A case in point was my divorce. Although it was a major transition in my life, I never viewed it as a crisis.
I went through other “major” transitions in life. For example, I felt in the “gap,” referred to above, after I completed my doctorate in 1995 at 48 years of age. I experienced a certain fear and anxiety about what to do next. I was now faced with a “blank canvas.” What the heck was I going to do now?
How to Deal with Midlife Transitions
1. Allow yourself to “be” – to be in the space of not knowing, yet trusting that things will unfold and will turnout. Things always workout, no matter what drama we add to our lives.
2. Complete unfinished business of the past – take care of things left undone or unsaid; let go of resentments, regrets and remorse.
3. Practice the art of “being” – exercise, being in nature, meditation, breathing, yoga offer simple, yet practical ways of being. Find something that works for you.
4. Seek help from a professional like a coach, counselor, therapist.
5. Join a support group.
Dr. Frank Bonkowski writes about midlife career change, goal setting, education, self-discovery, and spirituality to leverage your midlife transition into lifelong happiness at Happiness-After-Midlife.com. Look for his forthcoming e book, entitled Take Charge of Midlife and Beyond: 52 Ideas and Activities for Dealing with Life’s Challenges – Aging, Change, Financial Matters, and More!
Article Source:
The Midlife Transition: How do I find More JOY In My Life?
I have recently come across an author whom I am enjoying. She doesn’t talk directly about the Midlife Transition, but so much of what she says is relevant.
by Aine Belton
1. Keep a JOY-DIARY or scheduler that includes daily/weekly joy-doses and joy-treats! (Or add these from your joy-list into an existing diary!).
Write a JOY-LIST of all that brings you joy, and be sure to regularly schedule things from this list into your day/week/year! 🙂
2. Take trip somewhere this week that makes your heart sing!
It could be somewhere in nature, perhaps a garden or park, perhaps a weekend break in a new city, a day visit to the ocean, an art gallery or museum, a country drive, a music concert or karaoke night, an amusement park, a fine restaurant, a gym, spa, or helicopter lesson!
Set the date, make the booking and do it!
3. Throw a fun dinner or themed party. Create some fun rules and be creative. Research some fun games that can be played. Get creative!
Perhaps inform people that… Everyone has to wear_______________ Everyone has to share_______________ Everyone has to bring_______________ Everyone has to create _______________
Perhaps everyone bring a cheap gift to share with another by random picking, or bring a home-made cake, present, poem, etc.
4. Do something you’ve never done before! Aim for something you think you’ll enjoy of course! Perhaps it’s something you’ve always been curious about – a type of exercise, a creative hobby, a type of food, a new meditation technique, singing classes, a roller-blade disco, paint-balling, etc. Doing new things and surprising yourself (and others!) can be a great way to bring more joy into your life.
5. Change your work environment setting in some way if you can. If you work from a computer, find out if there’s a lovely café or restaurant with WiFi you can travel to and enjoy a cup of tea and cake while you’re working for a change of scenery.
If you can’t change WHERE you work, what can you do differently or change in your work routine or environment to brighten things up? Some flowers perhaps? A lush lunch break somewhere new? Ordering in some cake, treats or pizza in to your office? Or what about adding a picture, photo, vision board, crystal, sacred, meaningful or uplifting object, or affirmation card somewhere on your desk or in your work environment to uplift the energy?
6. Walk in nature. An outdoors trek, even just a short walk, can lift your spirits and fill your heart with the wondrous beauty and joy of nature. Today I went for a brief 15 minute walk along the river-side, and what a delight it was! I was glowing with joy after 🙂
You can search online for nearby parks to stroll in, or walking trails and hike paths in the countryside. There are also companies that arrange walks and hikes, where you can just turn up, and a small group of others wanting to walk just like you are driven to a location for a guided walk of the area, be it in nature or the city.
7. Exercise. Moving your body with exercise of any kind, clear out the cobwebs, gets your energy flowing and endorphins pumping and elevates your state. There are SO many ways to exercise. Try a few to find those that you love!
You could join a gym, explore martial arts, Yoga, Pilates or Qigong, trapeze, jogging, salsa classes, tennis, climbing, dance, roller-blading, hoola hooping, skipping, swimming, and so on.
8. Listen to the ‘whispers’ and ‘nudges’ in your outer reality; meanings and metaphors present in your world. This is fully covered in the Decoding Reality section of the Intuition Zone with lots of examples.(I will add that this is especially relevant for those in the midlife transition)
When you awaken to the illusory nature of reality – life becomes very magical and fun indeed!
You are loved, guided and supported every step of your journey, whether you realize it or not.
Your outer world is essentially a holographic illusion and can serve as a platform of communication. It speaks of and reflects your current state of consciousness, your beliefs, thoughts and feelings, phases and ‘themes’ you may be going through, learnings and challenges, gifts and patterns, and so on.
Your outer reality can also be a means through which your Higher Self, guides, and the Universe, communicate with you to offer insight and support.
Opening to this guidance and communication can be great fun!
Notice the book someone is reading opposite you on the train, or the leaflet that blows into your path on the street. What are the metaphoric messages these hold – the headings and phrases, email subject lines, perhaps, the conversations you over-hear, etc.? Particularly note any that are repeated or very similar in message and meaning.
Nothing is ‘by accident’ as such. I’m not suggesting here to over-analyze or scrutinize every occurrence, just be open to possible significances and synchronicities.
The universe is whispering. Can you hear it? Life becomes joyous when you develop this co-creative relationship with spirit and open to magical living!
May your Midlife Transition be the opening to the best possible time of your life.
The Midlife Transition- looking back – to be a Kid Again
Oh, to Be a Kid Again
Decisions were made by saying “eeny-meeny-miney-mo.”
Mistakes were corrected by simply exclaiming, “Do over!”
“Race issue,” meant arguing about who ran the fastest.
Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker in “Monopoly.”
Catching fireflies could happily occupy an entire evening.
It wasn’t odd to have two or three “best” friends.
Being old referred to anyone over 20.
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was cooties.
It was magic when Dad would “remove” his thumb.
It was unbelievable that dodge ball wasn’t an Olympic event.
Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot.
Nobody was prettier than Mom.
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better.
It was a big deal to finally be tall enough to ride the “big people” rides at the amusement park.
Getting a foot of snow was a dream come true.
Abilities were discovered because of a “double-dog-dare.”
Saturday morning cartoons weren’t 30-minute ads for action figures.
No shopping trip was complete unless a new toy was brought home.
“Oly-oly-oxen-free” made perfect sense.
Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down would cause giggles.
The worst embarrassment was being picked last for a team.
War was a card game.
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon.
Baseball cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle.
Taking drugs meant orange-flavored chewable aspirin.
Ice cream was considered a basic food group.
Older siblings were the worst tormentors but also the fiercest protectors.
