Have you experienced that moment in your life when 
suddenly everything you knew as familiar has been wiped away and you are standing there in the unknown shaking? This is a scary place to be but it happens to all of us many times in our lives. This is the darkness of a major life transition, but it doesn’t help to know that sometimes because it’s so scary and unbalancing. It’s like you’ve been riding this wave of your life with your head above the wave looking towards the future that looks bright and hopeful and suddenly you are all washed out, knocked down to the dirty bottom of the ocean and struggling to find a way back up to the surface of your life again. I’ve been here several times in my life and I’d like to help you navigate your way back out. It’s so much easier when you have a path, some tools, and support of other women. Here’s some of the major issues or events you may be facing ….and some ideas to help your navigation of these big events.
If you are a woman between the ages of 38 and 52, you are navigating the years leading up to the end of your menses (which is actually the definition of menopause) but this time is often referred to as perimenopause. During these years, women begin to feel subtle or not so subtle hormone shifts while trying to stay in control of your lives and all the challenges and joys you are experiencing as kids are maturing, jobs are finding richness, and the marital relationship is shifting into a new sense of differentiation and individual mastery. This is a time to ask for support, to educate yourself about these symptoms, and to learn to work with yourself in a loving and self-compassionate way rather than being hard or down on yourself because you can’t quite handle things in the same way you did.
From this center stage at perimenopause, many life transitions can unfurl. When menopause actually occurs in your 50’s, you will be ready and you will have done your work…if you learn more about what might keep you resilient, healthy and happier. My work is really about helping you find this more resilient path through your midlife and supporting you to find the tools to keep growing and evolving you into the most powerful and whole woman that you can be. Want to know more?
If you are a woman between the ages of 52 and 80, you are in the second group of Women in Midlife Transitions that I call the “Sixties Transition and Beyond”. This transition starts when you move into menopause and your divine feminine wisdom opens up to you so fast you can’t stop it. This creates lots of internal rumblings which I will talk about in my next blog. If you identify with this stage of midlife you too can attend this group and the next one in January I will be offering called “Rebirthing the New Authentic You.” Watch for this in August…..
Here’s how Midlife Women look when they are balanced and resilient and are riding their waves of challenges with support and education: Energized, Willful, Clear, Patient, Strong, Angry, Persistent, Empowered, Loving & Open, Spiritually Alive or Curious, Happy, Grounded and Present.
In my group Moving Mindfully Through Change, coming up this fall, you can learn tools to help you stay calm and balanced again in the midst of this chaotic and challenging time while you are in the darkness trying to find your way. You can find other women just like you to support you and hope for your next steps.
Here’s how Midlife Women look when they are in a transition and feeling lost and scared:
Burned-out or Exhausted, Lost & Confused, Angry & Resentful, Overwelmed with Big Feelings they can’t manage, Fearful, Self-Blaming or Judging, Catastrophizing or Cognitive Overwelm, Stuck in past or future thinking. You don’t have to suffer here alone!! Join my group and get the tools and support you need.
During these midlife years, many life changes come and go. A major transition is anything in your life that is unbalancing and affects your sense of identity as it is now. When your life caves in around you and you don’t recognize it anymore —that’s a Transition! Sometimes we can see these events coming, like the death of our parents, or our kids going off to college, care taking our aging parents. And sometimes, most often, they catch us by surprise like a divorce, a death of a loved one, a job loss, major health issues or menopausal symptoms that take over our life balance. You might also find yourself in more than one of these transitions at a time, which may make it harder for you to navigate things at first. Guidance and support are essential to stay on a resilient path.
The silver lining of Midlife Life transitions is that Transitions are opportunities to rebirth ourselves.
Midlife is a powerful time to not only heal our pain of the past, but also to embody our sacred feminine wisdom and bring it forth into the world in powerful ways. Learning to grieve our losses allows us to go deeper into who we really are and live life more authentically. Who doesn’t want that?
