From Mid-Life Crisis to Older, Wiser & Happier

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh So you are calling me demented or a liar? Oh what the heck, I don't give a damn what you think!

LOL. Well, it was certainly not my intention to say either of those things about you. Since you are still young, I assumed you were speaking in conditional sense. "If I were old, and if I didn't care what people thought, it might be freeing to not care what people thought."

It is also my belief that few women will reach this state of not caring. Women are just too socially attuned to get this out of it. At least while they still have even semi-normal brain function. Men? Some think that we are born out of it and pretty much stay there all our lives.

Ha

[robnplunder]

Maybe, aging people become happier b/c they care less. Caring leads to worries, worries lead to meddling, meddling leads to conflicts, conflicts lead to stress, stress lead to unhappiness, ....

[Dog]

Good article. I can relate to it. I'm not sure I hit a real low, but in my mid 40's while doing extremely well at work, I started feeling very restless. Spent the last ten years trying to figure out why and changing jobs/careers including a stint of 9 month trial ER. I really focused on preparing for ER during those years and finding my way back to what I enjoyed when I was younger. Retired in August this year and have found my way back to happy & content.

[ejman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dog Good article. I can relate to it. I'm not sure I hit a real low, but in my mid 40's while doing extremely well at work, I started feeling very restless. Spent the last ten years trying to figure out why and changing jobs/careers including a stint of 9 month trial ER. I really focused on preparing for ER during those years and finding my way back to what I enjoyed when I was younger. Retired in August this year and have found my way back to happy & content.

I took a year sabbatical when I experienced something very similar when I turned 40. What I discovered during my sabbatical is that I really really enjoyed not working! Unfortunately at the time I did not have the finances to support not working indefinitely. I thus redirected all my efforts to achieving ER as the primary goal, which I did at age 52. Much, much better since then and I agree, it does get even better as age moves along.

[freebird5825]

I have no idea if I had an emotional midlife crisis in my 40s because other major life crises, of the tragedy type, were front stage.

My 40s was a hell of a roller coaster...first 9/11 and my Mom's passing due to undetected BC (my age 43), then my husband's passing due to a dissecting aortic aneurism (my age 46)...

Add to that w*rk stress and general life BS...damn, no wonder I felt worn out and FIREd at age 48.

I'm 56 now, and feel better than I ever did in the last two decades. FIRE has a lot to do with that of course. Some days I get a little unfocused on where my life has been and is heading today.

Those are the times that I head to my plant growing room, turn on the tabletop fountain, and do something simple and peaceful...I play with my plants.

It works!