Midlife crises can be tumultuous, striking individuals unexpectedly and often leaving them feeling adrift and uncertain about the path ahead. However, this phase also offers a unique opportunity for self-discovery and personal growth. In this article, we’ll delve into practical tips to help you navigate and transform a midlife crisis, emerging from it as a stronger and more fulfilled version of yourself.
You have the choice to flourish or flounder. By nourishing yourself in the five areas of human flourishing – happiness and life satisfaction, physical and mental health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships – you are creating your own pillars of flourishing.
When your life is in congruence with your “valid values” — the principles you deem as important and desirable — you feel in harmony and balanced. It’s a good idea to check in from time to time to see that you are living your values, whatever they may be.
For your Valid Values to be “valuable”, you have to put them to use. The key to living a richer and more meaningful isn’t found outside of yourself. The key is in living your values.
When you bring the special qualities, values, and strengths that are unique to you to share with the world, you are following your purpose. You are doing what you love to do and what you live to do.
When your values are clear, you make better decisions. Using your values in decision-making is another way to live out your values. If you don’t use your values to guide your actions, then they cannot help you. So put your values to use when you have a decision to make.
When you contribute your personal Service using your unique combination of talents, skills, strengths, interests, and abilities, whether as vocation or avocation, you fulfill your unique purpose. You are also fulfilling the Universal purpose by giving your you-ness in Service to the world. And when you strive to do this day by day by day, showing up as the best version of you, that is fulfilling your ultimate purpose.
Accomplishment without purpose diffuses your efforts; you’re moving with no set destination. Purpose without accomplishment is just talk. But when you combine purpose with accomplishment, you can make progress toward a specific end.
Once you find it, your true purpose does not change. The things that are important to you may change over time and so will your values. Knowing your core values and staying true to them helps you stay on track with purpose.
“There is a candle in every soul / Some brightly burning, some dark and cold . . . Carry your candle, run to the darkness / Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn / Hold out your candle for all to see it / Take your candle, and go light your world.”
Chris Rice, “Go Light Your World”
In The Dark
I grew up in the country. Beyond our backyard was a pasture, then the woods. My brother, my cousins, and our friends liked to play in those woods. One evening after supper, we ran into the woods to play a game. We were having so much fun we lost track of time and didn’t realize that it was getting late. Before we knew it, night had fallen and we were in the dark. I began running, but of course I couldn’t see and ran smack into a tree! (I suppose you could say I couldn’t see the tree for the forest.) Fortunately for the rest of us, one of the guys had a flashlight. He turned it on and then we could see him. We all gathered around and he led us out of the woods, shining his flashlight . . . no more running into trees.