Mid Life Lessons

You know those toys toddlers play with that includes a rubber hammer and three pop up characters?  As the child hits one of the characters on the head, another pops up in its place, but the three characters don't all show up at the same time?

We hear a lot about the value of seeking out in our lives stimulating 'food for thought'.   We are advised to keep ourselves intellectually nourished and our minds sharp.  In my view, there is an extraordinary amount of intellectual information available in this day and age that challenges the way we think, what we think and how we think. 

But what about 'food for feeling'? Read more »

When Robert Redford said to Michelle Pfeiffer "I've been here before" Michelle's character answered "Me too".

In the movie Up Close and Personal they were playing mid life characters both with a few marriages under their belt.  Their characters were both high achievers in their careers and the breaking point they both always seemed to reach in past marriages presented itself once more, this is when Robert Redford uttered these words. 

Within each of us lies the potential for us to act with the grace of Gentlewoman and Gentleman or alternatively with ..... the aggression of a full flight Bitch or Bastard.  On any given day we can choose to be either ....a shining example .... or a bloody good warning. Read more »

I have always much preferred to feel angry rather than sad.  When I am angry I feel empowered, protected, strong and in control.  When I am sad, I feel vulnerable, weak, exposed and embarrassed.

I have been a person who decided at a young age that it was the wisest move for me to hide my heart and its delicate and sensitive feelings.  As a result, I grew into an adult that held onto this habit at the expense of my own happiness.

It is easier for me to fight with someone who is trying to love me and get closer to me, than it is to surrender to the love I feel for them.  Read more »

When it comes to working with lovers, friends, family or spouses it can sometimes be a delicate emotional balancing act.  It requires a sensitive but robust emotional structure.  It is so easy to slide into the habit of bringing personal issues into the workplace and professional problems into the home. Read more »

Like trying to keep a large red plastic beach ball full of air, pushed down under the waters surface in a swimming pool ... it also takes a lot of energy to suppress our true desire to love and also to be loved.  Read more »

Sometimes saying "No" is the most helpful thing we can do for ourselves and others.  However, it can be one of the hardest words to say without secretly feeling guilty or mean.  When I take on feelings of guilt, I either create a silent internal drama and stress myself or become defensive and over sensitive creating drama with others.

How about you?  Read more »

Some days I still soooo crave something to take 'the edge off' of how I am feeling.  And yesterday was one of those days.  I just felt drained and overwhelmed.  I have even cut back on caffeine lately as I am in the midst of menopause and caffeine just makes me feel even more irritable.  So I swigged water all day and just kept taking deep breaths. Read more »

Here’s a visual for you … A menopausal mother in a mosh pit? I spent 12 hours yesterday at a music festival with around 50,000 Generation Y’ers in the sweltering Queensland heat. It’s a jungle out there!

My sons played the first gig on their forthcoming national tour yesterday. I stood gob smacked as I watched them both own that stage. My babies. Now Rock Stars, oops, I mean Indy (Independent) Rock Stars. Don’t ask me what that really means, I haven’t a clue. Read more »