Midlife Women

I’m reading Marianne Williamson’s latest book again and it’s helping to evoke some of my own ideas about midlife. Her life and mine have been very different and while we are on similar paths, we come to some different conclusions or at least different viewpoints.

It’s made me wonder about what YOUR viewpoints on midlife are or have been? I’m writing these days on Messages that Women, in particular, have received about midlife.

As an example, I like to watch makeover shows — -not the extreme ones — but, things like What Not to Wear and How Do I Look. While I usually like those shows and love the way they help women with their self-esteem, one thing I noticed is that everyone they work with is YOUNG…. say 20 -30 mostly. Many times, when one of them isn’t dressing well, they say to her — You look 60! EEKS — I find myself cringing at the thought that that’s how these fashion icons see 60 year olds. I’ve passed 60 and I pride myself on the way I dress. I want to be a mentor and a model for what is possible.

What about you? What message do you see out there about being a midlife woman (or older?) Please post your comments here…You’ll be helping yourself as well as those who are following us in a better world!

Recently I watched an Oprah show that featured Dr. Christiana Northroup and I was struck particularly by something she said (well, a lot of what she said). To paraphrase — our soul keeps calling us to grow and sends messages continually. When we do not listen to the message, it begins to speak to us through our bodies – hence, dis-ease and breakdowns. The more we ignore, the louder the call.

I don’t know about you, but I have discovered that this is quite true. I no longer believe that ANYTHING in life is accidental and I have learned that whatever happens, I am at cause. Nothing happens because, but all things happen to call me to be-cause. The Universe is normally very gentle and quiet, but, when we ignore its more subtle messages, they get louder. (somewhat like a mother in the Bronx calling her child in from play..I notice that the voices got louder when the children ignored the first few calls!)

I don’t know about you, but I want to become a better listener. I often blame my aches and pains on the ‘aging process’ – but, I’ve decided to truly believe that the aging process is not about hearing loss but about listening more deeply; it’s not about developing disease but about life becoming easier as I learn to listen.

What do you think? What’s been your experience?