
About a hundred years ago, Carl Jung, a Swiss Psychiatrist, theorized about the seasons of life and how thing change as we age. He expressed it as the phases of a day. In his reports and discussions, he surmised that in the “morning” of life, we tend to focus mostly on things outside of ourselves: family, home, career, community.
But he said that as we reach the “afternoon” of our lives, we often slip into a phase of denial regarding our own mortality. We try to keep up with the younger generations. Or worse, we try to compete with them. What if – instead – we could embrace the next chapter as a new opportunity to do things differently? A chance to re-evaluate.
Will the meaning and purpose that your life held in the past still serve you in your 60s, 70s and 80s? ...Should it?
The Hidden Beauty of the Afternoon
Many of us have felt “called” to some sort of purpose in our lives. A deep yearning to be something or do something, often in a way that gives back to our community or makes the world a better place in small or huge ways. To teach, to parent, to help, to fix, to build, to love, to craft, to explore, to create, to advocate…
Your own journey may have been filled with fulfilling expectations and following obligatory paths. Or if you were lucky and bold, it may have been filled with chasing your own dreams for education, careers or families. After many years, though, children grow up and careers run their course. Eventually, we are sitting with ourselves, wondering what to do.
Once we begin thinking about the “afternoon” of life, as Jung expressed, we’re faced with new choices. So the questions take on new energy.
If you could redefine yourself – redefine your purpose – what would that look like? Would it pay homage to the paths you’ve already traveled or would it be a wildly different landscape?
Tips for discovering your NEXT purpose
Feeling like we have a purpose is a driving force for humans and it’s even been proven to help us live longer healthier lives. The beauty of finding your purpose and giving your life meaning is that there are no wrong answers. However, finding things that are most right for you is a level of amazing that we should all have the joy of experiencing.
The team at Better Up created a helpful guide that you can use to get started on uncovering your dreams and purpose for your next chapter of life. You may find that this growth feels good and you want to dive deeper or need help figuring out how to truly put it into action. If so, the next step is easy. Book a free Discovery Session with me to see if we’re a good fit to work together.
Comments