An authentic life

MID LIFE IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Living together and having a new baby

Raising an adopted child as a single mother or father

Starting a new relationship

Developing same sex relationships

Beginning a new career

Going back to school

Retiring after 30 years of being at the same job

Practicing Yoga

Meditating

Traveling

Riding a motorcycle

Looking great

Being comfortable with who you are

Letting go of control

Acknowledging your discomfort

Laughing at yourself

Becoming an emotional yo yo

Accessing your wisdom

Taking care of aged parents

Spending time with yourself

Taking up a new hobby

--Barbara Biziou

Aren't we meant to live an intimate and authentic life? A life that honors the very core of who we are, a life that nourishes our heart and expands our mind, a life that is unencumbered with what others think, a life that empowers us to be who we really are? Today I am better at taking care of myself by nurturing my body, mind and spirit; it is a priority in my life. Putting myself first is not "selfish," but rather "self-full." I dare to be myself by taking time to have fun and allow myself to find humor in everyday life. My purpose for being born wasn’t to live life according to what society deems correct. My purpose is to discover my true self and live from that awareness.

We, as a culture, worship youth. We try to tighten our abs, botox our faces and dye our hair on the eternal quest for youth. Moving into midlife (whenever that is) is actually a freeing and exhilarating experience. The essence of mid-life is the reevaluation of the present with an eye toward an uncertain future. It represents both the end and the beginning of a cycle. Some of us may recall forgotten dreams and wonder whether it too is late to realize them. Many of us have to give up our fantasies of how we thought our life would be. Facing this reality may leave us feeling vulnerable and unsure of ourselves. This time is a gift as it allows us to correct the flow of emotional energy in our life. I can take this opportunity to look at life in a new and fresh way. This is a time to reinvent myself and make new choices based on what I truly want. It is time to take stock of my life, reevaluate my dreams and goals as I make peace with what I haven’t done and take steps towards my new expanded vision. This is not about regrets -- everything I have ever done and experienced has made me who I am today.

I now walk into my future one day at a time, trying to focus on each moment I have. The power of focus is important for energy follows thought: what you think is what you get. So the most important step in my process is the control of my own mind, thoughts, hopes and wishes. I search for the "signs" in my life. Signs come from songs, license plates, road signs, people, radios, televisions, movies, dreams and animals. I just have to recognize them. English author Mary Anne Evans, better known by her pen name George Eliot, said "It's never too late to be what you might have been."