Many of us experience difficulties around midlife that are unique and distinct from the challenges of the beginning half of our life. Knowing what the challenges are and ways to manage and cope are essential for setting the stage for a healthy and purposeful late life.
Some of the best writing and insights on the midlife crisis is the Jungian author James Hollis. In his book, The Middle Passage, Hollis lays out some important frameworks for understanding what is happening to us at this stage of life and why it is developmentally and existentially necessary to experience such pain and growth at this phase of life. Below are a series of highlights from his book that may be useful if you are navigating such challenges yourself.
Hollis distinguishes between the first and second half of life. In the first part, we are ruled by the formation and expectations of others. We grow up in a family with particular values, behaviors and expectations that come to us from the outside. We then come into school and learn what is expected from us by teachers and administrators and what it takes to succeed or fail on these terms.
This is the phase where we need to develop a strong ego to sustain us through these series of tests, expectations, and trials. If we........