By Deborah Hayes

We all come to a point in our life when we sense that things haven’t turned out quite like we expected. That moment in time when we look up and realize that many of the things we thought we would do or have or try or be “when the time was right” have not occurred and don’t seem to be anywhere on the horizon. For many of us when these thoughts occur we choose to either ignore it or we may think it’s too late and we should be happy for the good in our life and put those thoughts back in the junk drawer where we found them.

A woman’s midlife journey today is very different from the path our mothers and grandmothers walked. We have had educational and lifestyle advantages that simply were not an option in their day. Today boomer women are the largest demographic group and each year our numbers rise. We control the majority of all consumer purchases and the majority of household investments. We are responsible for almost half of the nation’s small businesses and our median incomes are growing. According to the US Census we are the wealthiest demographic and given the fact that we will inherit more from our parents and outlive our husbands by an average of 7 – 15 years our wealth and consequent influence is increasing.

We are a totally unique demographic and very diverse. We can be mothers, grandmothers and caring for our own mothers all at the same time. We can be large or small business owners, retired, still working or just retiring. We can be grandmothers raising our grandchildren. We can be starting second or third careers at age 50 and beyond. Never before has this occurred.

These are very exciting times for us. We have the opportunity to look at the second half of our lives with fresh eyes. We women of a certain age will live healthier and longer than any time before. Think about it; if you are in your 50′s you could possibly have 20 productive years of living to do. Maybe more! That’s a long time. Building and fulfilling our dreams with our life lessons, wisdom and passion in the second half of our lives is a very real prospect if we choose it.

This is all great news, right? The question is how do we go about finding it? Sometimes, with all this experience and living we have been doing, our lives can feel like a giant house filled with cluttered rooms. There is so much accumulated stuff in these rooms it can be overwhelming to decide where to start. What do you keep and what to discard? You’ve heard it before but the simple truth is before you can change anything you have to know what it is you want to change. You need to be very clear about what joy is for you in order to achieve it.

Will this clarity come overnight? Anything is possible if you believe it to be true but for most of us this clarity will be a process; but the joy is in the journey and the journey starts with a step toward the path. Here is a powerful but simple exercise to help you cut through some of the clutter and give you a better view of what’s inside!

Exercise: What’s Your Satisfaction Temperature?

Take some quiet time in a place where you are comfortable and not likely to be interrupted. On a sheet of paper write the following questions down and on a scale of 1-10, one being completely unsatisfied and 10 being perfectly content, place your score beneath each question. Put a little thought into the questions and be as honest with yourself as possible but don’t over think it.

1. How satisfied are you with your life overall?
2. How much fun are you having in your life?
3. How happy are you in your current career?
4. How overwhelmed, busy or cluttered do you currently feel?

Next go back to each of these questions and identify which of the following you would need to make you happier or more satisfied with the particular aspect of your life the question refers to. (There can be more than one for each question and add your own description if you have one.) Write the descriptive words under the question next to your rating.

• To be accepted
• To be acknowledged
• To have peace
• To be cared for
• To be loved
• To have order
• To be needed
• To have recognition
• To be free
• To accomplish
• To control
• To be comfortable

Last step:

Now go back and define what each of the terms you applied to the questions means to you? If you wrote to be accepted, define what exactly would make you feel accepted and why it is important to you. Try to define as clearly as possible what the term means to you with regards to the question you applied it to.

This exercise represents a small step in the journey to your Midlife Joy! Keep your results handy and visit them often for contemplation. Hopefully it gives you a peek at what might be and inspires you to further discovery!

And now I’d like to offer you instant access to a free 21-Day Attitude Adjustment e-course. when you visit   rel=nofollow http://www.womenintransitiononline.com. You will also receive my bi-monthly e-zine with motivational and positive mindset articles on how to discover and shape the life you love, NOW.

Deborah Hayes is a CTA life coach and a fellow woman in transition. She has created a website dedicated to the wise and beautiful women of a certain age. For interesting and sometimes amusing articles of interest, kindred spirits, tips and tools to transform your Midlife to your Bestlife. visit http://www.womenintransitiononline.com

Article Source:  Midlife Women – Finding the Path to Success and Joy


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