I’ve captured some of my thoughts on these reasons in this brief video and a quick outline of the 12 Reasons (including the epigraph that starts each chapter), which is separated into the book’s five sections. I’ve also given myself a 1-5 rating (5 suggesting I definitely resonate with the Reason).
THE PHYSICAL LIFE
One
“I Have More Life Left Than I Thought”
What percentage of your adult life is still ahead of you?
Chip’s rating: 5 – I’ve spent enough time studying longevity that I may have half my adult life still ahead.
Two
“I’m Relieved My Body No Longer Defines Me”
Just as I got comfortable in my own skin, it started to sag.
Chip’s rating: 3 – With cancer, my fraught relationship with my body leads to me asking, “am I failing my body or is it failing me?”
THE EMOTIONAL LIFE
Three
“I’m Making Friends With My Emotions”
As we grow older, real beauty moves from the face to the heart.
Chip’s rating: 5 – I feel like I’ve learned to dance with my emotions and am very clear about what I’m feeling.
Four
“I Invest in My Social Wellness”
Illness starts with the letter I, while Wellness starts with the letters We.
Chip’s rating: 5 – I invest so much of my energy into my social relationships and feel rewarded as a result.
Five
“I Have No More ‘Fucks’ Left to Give”
“Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.”
—Chinese Taoist philosopher Lao Tze, born 6th century BC
Chip’s rating: 4 – I still care too much about what others think of me, but a lot less than I used to.
THE MENTAL LIFE
Six
“I’m Marveling at My Wisdom”
Knowledge is in your iPhone. Wisdom is in your gut.
Chip’s rating: 5 – Cultivating and harvesting my wisdom has been a priority for a long time.
Seven
“I Understand How My Story Serves Me”
No one knows your life story better than you.
Chip’s rating: 5 – My highest score because I can see the pattern recognition in my life.
Eight
“I’ve Learned How to Edit My Life”
The trip only becomes a journey after you’ve lost your baggage.
Chip’s rating: 4 – I’m good at editing what doesn’t serve me, but I could edit more as my life is overstuffed.
THE VOCATIONAL LIFE
Nine
“I’m Joyously Stepping off the Treadmill”
Midlife is when we outgrow our pursuit of happiness and start our practice of joy.
Chip’s rating: 4 – The good news is I’m on my own treadmill and have redefined what success is for me.
Ten
“I’m Starting to Experience Time Affluence”
I have time to become a beginner again.
Chip’s rating: 2 – My worst score as just as I edit something, I add something else so I never have enough time.
THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
Eleven
“I’ve Discovered My Soul”
Life is a horizontal journey, then a vertical one.
Chip’s rating: 5 – Just like with wisdom, this has been a lifelong journey moving from ego to soul.
Twelve
“I Feel Like I’m Growing Whole”
“I’m here to be me, which is taking a great deal longer than I had hoped.”
—Anne Lamott
Chip’s rating: 4 – I don’t feel as compartmentalized, but I still feel like there are parts of me that haven’t been fully integrated into how I show up in the world.
You can still pre-order “Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better With Age” (the book launches a week from tomorrow) to ensure you don’t have to wait a few weeks, as often a new book sells out of its first printing quickly. And, if you want to rate yourself with respect to these 12 Reasons, you might want to take this free Midlife Check-up quiz that influences my scores I gave myself today.
-Chip