Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part II – The Athena Principles

This is the second installment of a multi-part series focusing on Reimagining Midlife Wellness, an essential topic for several reasons: It’s important to stay well in times of transition; it’s vital to stay well as get we older; and vitality is essential if we’re going to make the most of our next chapter.

Since wellness is unique for each individual, in this series of articles, I’ll share some thoughts and provide a framework to define what matters most to you at this stage of your life and ways to continue to take positive action to be well. In Part II of the series, we’ll be exploring the five Athena Principles along with tools and practices you can use to enhance your wellness and well-being.

Reimagining Midlife Wellness, Part I – What is Wellness?

This is the first installment of a multi-part series focusing on Reimagining Midlife Wellness. Why the need for this series of articles? It’s important to stay well in times of transition and it's vital to stay well as we get older. Vitality is essential if we're going to make the most of our next chapter.

Wellness is personal and looks different for each of us. This is an opportunity to re-examine some of the things that you've been doing and make changes or implement some new wellness practices that align with your current desires. In this series, I'll share some thoughts and give you a framework to define what matters most to you at this stage of your life, along with ways to continue to take positive action to be well.

Waiting is Part of the Life Transition Process

We experience many personal and professional transitions over a lifetime: life stages, relationships, house moves, careers and ways of being. It's human nature to want to be on the other side of the change that we're experiencing as quickly as possible.

I've learned that when I don't put any time pressure on the change, I get more out of the experience. And sometimes, it happens without me even noticing.

There are a number of benefits to mindfully step through change in this way. Here are some to consider…

Letting Go in Times of Transition

When we approach any new life threshold, it's up to us to determine how to navigate it. A new decade of my life will begin next year. As I sit and walk with this new horizon, it's starting to feel more and more like an opportunity. And it's up to me to open to a vast array of possibilities.

Perhaps you, too, may be feeling like you're welcoming a new season of your life. It doesn't have to be a milestone birthday. Whatever personal or professional transition you're experiencing at the moment, I invite you to bring it to mind as I share an unusual story and some ideas to make the experience a bit easier.

Retirement as Regeneration

The decision to leave a long-term career can be easier than deciding what's next. And in that void is where anxiety can emerge regarding what's waiting – or not waiting – on the other side of that choice.

Part of this is because we have an outdated view of what can follow a long-term career. More and more people are foregoing the traditional idea of retirement, one of pure recreation or leisure, and reframing it as a time of regeneration.

Career Transition Grief and Identity Loss

A recurring theme in my work with students and clients these days is the impact of identity loss and resulting grief in times of life transition. Identity loss is defined as a state of confusion or uncertainty about your sense of self. It can be caused by a variety of factors, including major life changes, such as retirement, job loss, divorce, or death of a loved one.

You experience a sense of identity loss when going through a major life change because these transitions often involve a shift in roles, relationships or responsibilities. It's this shift that can lead to a sense of confusion, uncertainty and even fear about who you are and what you want. Here are some ideas to work through it all.

The Medicinal Power of the Open Road

I recently returned from what I'll call an intentional road trip. Intentional because it was mindfully designed – or more accurately “undesigned” – to be counter to my usual thought process and safety nets.

What I'd like to share with you today are the transformational qualities of such an adventure and how you might plan one for yourself, even if it's only for one day. We'll start with a little background, talk about the benefits and challenges of such a trip, how to prepare for your own adventure, how to invite the transformational elements to your road trip, and then a few takeaways from my experience.

Thriving with R.A.I.N. in Times of Transition

No matter the territory you’re crossing, be it a professional transition or something more internal, like the head-to-heart journey I help my clients and students navigate, there will be highs and low that bring challenges and difficult emotions.

Here’s a practice I learned from a workshop I attended years ago that relates to the feelings that can arise when you claim ownership over your actions. It’s called R.A.I.N. and it's a Buddhist practice used by meditation teachers. It was popularized by Dr. Tara Brach, who is the author of books like True Refuge and Radical Compassion. It's a simple process that uses the acronym R.A.I.N. for the four steps: Recognize, Allow, Investigate, and Nurture.

How to Recharge Your Morning Routine

I haven't met or read about someone I respect who doesn't have some sort of daily routine. As I studied their habits and lives, I understood that they built their realities deliberately and I began emulating their practices until I found a combination that worked well for me. But what I slowly realized once I brought my corporate career to a close and began my business, is the routine that supported me so well for years was no longer relevant.

I’ve come to learn that there are a number of reasons why your current routine may be feeling old and tired. Sometimes you just need a break to refresh your mind and body. Other times, changing things up a bit will infuse some much needed energy. Or it could be that a full revamp is in order. Pay attention to how you feel. If you’re unmotivated, tired or stressed, it’s probably time to make some changes.

Mind Mapping as a Transformational Tool

I’ve written about the importance of discovering and exploring a broad range of interests and how it can bring a sense of joy that spills over into other areas of your life. From a wellness perspective, learning new things is a wonderful path of self-discovery.

When I begin working with new clients, they usually don’t know how to discover what feels compelling. New interests can feel elusive. But a great way to explore such abstract ideas is through a process called mind mapping, a helpful technique to use when you are working through a life transition.

Inviting New Life Experiences

One of my favorite topics to explore with students and clients is how to discover and explore a broad range of interests in both work and play.

Why is this important? I've come to learn that creating a purposeful life based on what you love starts with learning how to spend time doing the things that bring you joy. And if you're anything like me, the many years you've spent building a career may have disconnected you from these activities and this feeling.

Carving out the time to explore doesn’t happen overnight. But when you start to make room, even a little bit, you’ll find delight in the discovery process as you cast a wide net to find the people, places and activities that call to you, whether they make logical sense to you at this stage or not. Being open to new and exciting experiences is part of living wholeheartedly. It becomes a new way of life.

Transcending Imaginary Cages

A story I frequently share is about a white tiger named Mohini who lived in the Washington D.C. National Zoo. For years, the tiger lived in a typical 12 by 12-foot enclosure with iron bars and a cement floor, spending her days pacing the cage. When her handlers finally gave her more space, they created an enclosure that spanned several acres and included vegetation, water and hills to wander.

But when the tiger was released into this expanse, she didn't spend her days roaming throughout the new space. Instead, she found a corner of the compound where she lived out her life pacing in a 12 by 12-foot area until the grass was worn.

Doesn’t this image snap you back to the times when you felt trapped in imaginary cages that you unconsciously built comprised of old patterns, beliefs or fears?

Permission to Dream Big

How do you begin to dream bigger? It can be helpful to revisit the past by spending some quiet time reflecting on your journey. You can do this by thumbing through old journals or pictures. Think of it as research (or me-search). Look for the decision points and actions you’ve taken along the way. As you connect the dots of major life events, you’ll see how you’ve naturally set intentions throughout your life and then taken steps to create your own path in that general direction.

As we mature, we can fall into a dreamless groove, thinking we’re too old or have too many responsibilities to focus on steps toward the life of our dreams. Here are seven ideas to be more intentional and get some dream momentum going…

How to Create Space in Your Life

Last month, I cleared boxes of outdated financial files. They had accumulated over the years in my basement, neatly boxed and labeled. I shredded them over a number of days, bagged up the output, and took a carload to the recycling center. When I got home, I was amazed at how light I felt. Why? Because I created space for the new by clearing out the old.

It took me a while but I finally realized what I was really sorting through when I cleared those boxes: old habits, my history and outdated dreams. It was all a reminder that the past was gone and I was mindfully creating space to move forward toward something new.

Why We Practice

I recently read a story about a series of journals a mother left her daughter, all of which were blank. The book, which is titled When Women Were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams, is a reconciliation of this experience and her mother’s death, along with an exploration of what it means to have a voice, what suppresses it, and what's left in the wake of its void.

About halfway through, I closed the book and felt intense gratitude for the dozens, maybe hundreds – I've never counted – of notebooks that I've filled over the last 30 plus years in a way I never appreciated before. I've always had the impulse to write, but never paused to consider why.

And in that moment, I realized it didn't matter what happened to those notebooks. It was the act of writing, the process, the practice, the ritual of picking up a pen and expressing my unique view, if only to myself. It has led me on a well-documented path of self-discovery and growth.

What is Creative Living?

I took a walk on a warm afternoon a few weeks ago, listening to an audiobook by musician Jeff Tweedy titled How to Write One Song. I was drawn to it not only because I've been listening to his music for more than 25 years, but because during that time, he's allowed us to witness his growth as an artist, from early beginnings to flashes of brilliance to commercial challenges.

The book is part memoir and part how-to, as he gives us insight into the mystery of songwriting, of taking personal insights scribbled in a notebook and musical ideas, and then alchemizing them into a transcendental shared experience. But aside from the songwriting process, he talks a lot about how he structured his life to support this thing he loved to do.

It has also led to deep conversations with my writing friends on what it means to live a creative life. We agree that it’s not just for artists. It's about life engagement. It’s daily choices and actions that uniquely shape a life. It's following what intrigues you, whether it makes logical sense or not. It's being open to unique problem-solving opportunities, and a willingness to be in full contact with your life.

If Not Now, When?

It's a new year and I have to say 2023 is feeling different already. And in a really good way. It feels purposeful and dynamic. There's a quality of aliveness to it, as well as a sense of promise and possibility. It feels like being at base camp just below the final ascent of a long journey.

This enthusiasm is tempered by reminders that time is passing. My father turned 101 a few days ago. While he has enjoyed robust health his entire life, we can see Father Time finally catching up with him on the final predetermined lap. And there have been a number of family and friends, some half his age, who are struggling with health issues or have recently passed.

While these situations can bring sadness, they also prompt action and inspire reflection…

Some Thoughts on New Year's Resolutions

Ahhh, the blank slate of a new year. A time for looking back with appreciation, looking forward with intention, and perhaps, making New Year’s resolutions. Resolutions get a bad rap. We’ve all seen the dire statistics of those who don’t keep resolutions past the end of January. But many do keep them and can experience life-changing outcomes as a result.

Writer and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson is credited with saying, “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” It’s in that spirit that I want to work with New Year intentions – as a helpful tool to guide me off my well-worn path onto one more that’s more compelling, one that is truly my own. If there’s an overall theme for me for 2023, it’s “Create Your Own Path.”

Ebb Tides and Renewal

December is an interesting month filled with ebbs and flows. Many of us are in the middle of the holiday season filled with preparation. Perhaps we have plans to take some time off in the coming weeks. From a business perspective, many are wrapping up the quarter and the year.

It doesn’t feel like a time to start something new – which is where my Type A self thrives – in the flow. Instead, it’s more a Type Be ebb time, focused on completion, reflection and renewal.

Planning for 2023 the 'From Type A to Type Be' Way

I love the blank slate of a brand new year. It’s a creative time to imagine what might be in the months ahead.

My process has evolved over the years, as I’ve written about in The Athena Principles, gradually shifting from goal-oriented to intention-driven planning. And that evolution is ongoing as I shift From Type A to Type Be, learning to rely less on my logical intellect and more on my intuitive heart.

I’ve been playing with ideas on how this evolution might impact how I go about planning for the upcoming new year. What does heart-based planning look like?

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