“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation” – Walt Whitman.
I believe that he was referring to the issues which arise for men in Mid-Life when he wrote this.
At around the age of 40 most people realise that they are now half-way through their Life and that they can now see the “Finishing Post” in a way that they could not in their 20s & 30s.
Mid-Life begins anywhere from 35 years up to 50 years. Some people enter it early and some later on, much like teenage years which can begin for some youngsters at age 11-12 or perhaps as late as 15 or 16 years old.
Many people ask me “Is there a cure for Mid-Life?” to which I reply “Is there a cure for Teenagers?”. It’s a Life Stage through which we all must go to reach the next Life Stage of Older Life.
Mid-Life does not have to be a crisis if we don’t make it one by acting out in some way (ie) mortgaging the house to buy a red Maserati!
But Mid-Life is a Transition which everyone goes through and which can last up to 10 years to work through. It challenges us to answer the Mid-Life Question – “Who am I?”
This can result in us questioning many areas of our lives including career, family, philosophical beliefs (“Is this all there is?”), values, finance (pensions become important now) and what do I want to pass on to the next generation.
Mid-life brings up questions which we thought we had settled in our 20s & 30s such as career, marriage, finances, religious beliefs & values, etc.
I don’t have all the answers but what is more important, is asking the right Questions so that you can find your own answers.