Substitute the word “successful” with “judgmental,” “egotistical,” and “cynical,” and I think you have described the world we live in. Yes, it can feel fucked at times! It’s easy to demonize others. And it’s also easy to self-loathe and then unconsciously displace that internal anger on others.
In middle age, just when we get our shit together, our body falls apart. But really, who cares? So what if your tits have become torpedoes, and your balls are scraping along the ground. No one is judging you more than you are. Middle school was the time to be like everyone else. Middle age is when you become yourself.
I’ve heard that midlife is a drama more worthy of a playwright than a scholar. And, in fact, the preponderance of art dedicated to the midlife crisis is far more influential than the scholarship on this topic (which is part of the reason I want to be different and geek out on midlife). But maybe we are characters caught at the opening of the second act without a script. Thank God!
Yes, it’s hard to be human these days. That’s why our job in midlife is to be a role model of humanity. Not a pinball in a pinball machine, ricocheting from reaction to reaction. We are mirrors, and the moment we remember that, the more we can influence our environment. When I calm down, you calm down. That’s true of apes and most humans.
So, if you don’t like the state of the world or the state of emotions amongst your fellow humans, go out and change the emotional contagion. Trust begets trust. Joy begets joy. Love begets love.
– Chip
P.S. GIDDY ABOUT MY GALLEY: I made this silly, short video giddy about the galley of my book arriving. If you order “Learning to Love Midlife” for a friend, we’ll give you a copy of the book for free. Here’s the link to that special offer. Two of my last three books sold out of their Amazon supply in the first month, so preordering it assures you’ll receive it when it’s available to the public in mid-January…in fact, three months from today! And, for those of you who’d like to make a bulk order of books, click on the link to access some great discounts.
