So, I marched on up to the TED stage last year and gave this talk on an alternative term, the “midlife chrysalis,” a time of metamorphosis and rebirth. It’s only three and a half minutes. Watch and share it.
Being the geek I am, I get Google Alerts for the topic of “midlife crisis” and I’m constantly amazed how journalists (and some academics) get this life stage so wrong. The latest comes from MSN.com with this article entitled “15 Ways To Recognize the Signs of a Midlife Crisis.” First off, this journalist desperately needs an editor as 15 is probably three times too many signs.
And, then, I read the story and was shocked by this opening paragraph: “What does it mean to hit a crossroads in your thirties? For many, it’s a time when questions about purpose and direction become pressing. Statistically, the average age for experiencing a midlife crisis is 34. According to recent reports, 64% of Millennials have experienced this pivotal moment, with nearly 2 in 5 facing it in 2024.” What the hell?! 34? That’s Taylor Swift’s age. Given how much she’s experienced in her young life, I’ll grant her an early midlife crisis, but for decades, academics have suggested 45-50 is the ripest time for this lowest period.
The source of this article comes from the Thriving Center of Psychology. Not exactly Harvard. And, get this. Here are the 15 signs of a midlife crisis: heightened irritability, uncertainty about life directions, from “winning” to “not losing,” success without satisfaction, persistent depressed mood, withdrawal from former enjoyments, anticipating the end, constant feeling of jealousy, increased procrastination, making unexpected changes, profound regret, constant daydreaming, shifts in sexual desire, never-ending competition, and lack of confidence. How about throwing in the kitchen sink? It reminds of one of those TV pharmaceutical commercials about some heart disease pill that has so many potential negative side effects that the announcer speaks so quickly they’re making my heart palpatate just listening to them.
Based upon my Google Alert feed, there are a dozen awful articles on the midlife crisis, like this one, out in the journalism ether every day. It’s time we put the dreaded term “midlife crisis” out of its misery. Thanks for helping to spread the word about how a “midlife chrysalis” is nothing to be afraid of or ashamed about. It’s a normal life stage.
-Chip
P.S. One of the benefits of being the cofounder and CEO of MEA is that I get to meet some of the most interesting people in the world. Many of them are our students (our “compadres”) and some of them are our guest faculty. Tomorrow (Friday), I will be doing an online fireside chat with Pam McLean, the cofounder of one of the world’s most prestigious coaching schools, the Hudson Institute, and one of the leading thinkers and teachers around the topic of what to do with your life once you’ve finished your traditional career. In fact, she’ll be leading a Santa Fe workshop, The Bonus Round, Crafting a Meaningful Post-Work Chapter, Sept 17-22. Hope to see you on the Zoom call tomorrow.
