Isn’t it funny how age is relative? When I was a kid, 50 sounded old. Heck, even when I was in my twenties, I viewed age 50 differently than I do now, approaching that milestone. Now, I look at mid-life as entering a freeing phase. Free of caring so much what others think, free of nagging thoughts about someone else’s definition of how things “should” be done, free to live on my terms.

By age 50, we’ve earned the right to redefine our own happiness and reclaim what we want from life. Each of us gets to decide what that looks like and it doesn’t have to match anyone else’s path. The Ralph Waldo Emerson quote “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” comes to mind. Let’s approach this new chapter of life with that mindset.

With mid-life, often comes change and uncertainty, which is something I historically haven’t accepted very well. But, instead of facing this with trepidation, I’m learning to embrace the possibilities. Possibilities regarding what life might look like as an empty nester, with a redefined purpose, career, and new relationships. Looking ahead with intention, rather than as a spectator, regarding the physical, mental, and emotional health choices I make now and for my future.

Follow me in the feature to come, as I discover and re-define how mid-lifers frame this stage of life and all the possibilities it holds.