Mid-life crisis was the subject of an excellent post by Darren Rowse on Medium today.
He was explaining how he was dealing with his third midlife crisis, follow the link above to read his story, it is well worth reading if you are uncertain about your direction in life and as a reminder that doubts and uncertainties affect all of us at times.
Because, it got me thinking about my own life, instead of writing a long comment on his post, I decided to create one here.
My life has been turned upside down a few times. Looking back I would say the happiest times of my life were from 35 to 45 when I had for the first 5 years a good management job with a large corporation, then a highly successful business of my own.
Due partly to politics in the region where I was living (in a volatile part of the world) and partly taking my eye off the ball, I lost everything — twice in 12 years. Here’s the story
I have had more than three of the mid-life crisis events he describes so well. Now almost 68, I am getting back to the peak happiness of earlier years in a totally different life.
Consequently, I have come to realise that a mid-life crisis is not always caused by some type of adversity. Success, maturity, a search for the meaning of life can all be triggers.
After the mid-life crisis
It’s not that everything about my life is good. Financially I only earn a fraction of what I did 30 years ago. I don’t own a house, have no savings or investments, I no longer have the BMW, sports car or other trappings of “success” I had before. A very small pension adds to the income from my writing, speaking and online business activities. I accept that I will have to “work” for the rest of my life.
But most of what I do now is not “work”, it’s enjoyment.
On Christmas Eve 2012, I attended a church service for the first time in over 40 years (except for weddings and funerals). Since then, I have rarely missed a Sunday service. As a result, I have strengthened my faith in God, it has made a huge difference to my life.
Last year, two of my contracts ended resulting in a drop in income. While not a crisis, it did require action. With a business partner from another venture, I have started a new online business for tiny home dwellers. We offer products, plans and services for occupiers of tiny homes and houses of any size. Check out our store.
No matter how bad or enduring a mid-life crisis, life goes on. We have to move on too. It is possible to find a new direction, to overcome adversity, to find happiness again.
If we choose to.
How have you handled your mid-life crisis or crises?
Leave a comment, your story may well inspire others who are struggling through their own crises, mid-life or other.
man with umbrella photo from geralt / pixabay
ferrari photo from brise21/pixabay