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Learning to Live Well in Midlife (or Any Other Time in Your Life)
29 March 2016
Allison read 8 Ways You Can Survive — And Thrive In — Midlife and thought that many of these life lessons could be helpful to people at any stage of life.
Tags: allison read, balance
A dear friend posted 8 Ways You Can Survive — And Thrive In — Midlife on Facebook a few weeks ago. He’s one of my favorite Facebook curators. I read just about everything he shares, and I’m always glad I did.
Written by a former NPR reporter, you can either read what Barb Bradley Hagerty has to say about these eight life lessons or listen to the eight-minute story she tells from her book Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife. Regardless, I think you’ll be comforted by what she says and get some ideas for how to live your life a little better.
- Aim for long-term meaning rather than short-term happiness, and you will likely find both.
- Choose what matters most.
- Lean into fear, not boredom.
- "At every stage of life, you should be a rookie at something." ('This insight comes from Chris Dionigi, a Ph.D. in "weed science" and the deputy director of the National Invasive Species Council (that kind of weed).')
- Add punctuation to your life.
- A few setbacks are just what the doctor ordered.
- Pay attention: Two of the biggest threats to a seasoned marriage are boredom and mutual neglect.
- Happiness is love. Full stop.
I especially appreciated her insight that people who have experienced devastating heartbreak are often happier, and that we don’t need to be afraid of fear. She has some thoughts on how to actually be happy and reminds us that the most important thing we can do is focus on our relationships. Whether 45-years old is on your horizon or in the rear view mirror, I think these ideas can help you acheive some of the satisfaction you crave.
p.s. My friend who shared this article with me is now listening to Barb Bradley Hagerty read her book, Life Reimagined: The Science, Art, and Opportunity of Midlife, and reports that the information is just as good as her brief article and interview suggests. Additionally, he says her voice is quite comforting to listen to so that’s certainly an added bonus.
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