At some point in most people’s lives there comes a moment to ‘take stock’. To look around and evaluate where you are in your life, personally and professionally. And then, to decide what you want to do with the life that remains.
This reckoning, so to speak, is usually brought on in mid-life by a seismic situational change, be that retirement, kids leaving home, divorce, illness, or a simple realisation that time is precious.
Such huge transitions are rarely planned for and come with a range of emotional issues. It is also assumed that we are equipped to handle these transitions with ease and some kind of innate strategy.
For women, menopause can hit like a proverbial ton of bricks, stirring feelings of loss, fear and invisibility. (A lot more to be said on this later).
However midlife can also be a moment of wonderful transformation. A moment to seize the opportunity to follow an idea, write a book, learn how to bake, start a business, get a degree, run a marathon. Just simply to do something you have always wanted to do but have never made yourself important enough to do it.
Taking yourself seriously enough to pursue a passion takes strength of mind and body and for me, this is where it started. After years of working in marketing and PR, I turned to science. The science of nutrition and movement which combined, I believe, are the most powerful tools we possess. It is the starting point for any project or perhaps, like for myself, the project itself. When your mind is clear and your body is strong, the potential to fulfill is immense. Challenges can be tough but should be realistic. And this part of life’s journey is like any another – be it adolescence or young adult hood except that we are equipped with a wealth of experience, knowledge and often, compassion. And this is the time to put it to good use.