It's impossible to be in midlife and not wonder how you got there. It's a question that inevitably comes with thinning hair and wrinkles that reveal passing time like tree rings. If you're curious and bold, you will eventually ask the more important question: Where is my life headed, and how will I find joy, purpose, and meaning in the next chapter of life?
The truth is, I'm 62 and still trying to figure it out.
Right now, I am dipping my toes and surfboard into the warm Pacific Ocean as I spy a whale thrusting its way out of the water. I am at home in Baja, Mexico, which happens to be the home of the Modern Elder Academy (MEA), which I cofounded five years ago as the world's first midlife wisdom school dedicated to helping midlifers reimagine and repurpose themselves.
Less than an hour ago, I asked our latest cohort of wisdom seekers (a.k.a.our "compadres") the same questions. They have come from all over the world to be here, and today was one of those magical days when smiles came easy and eyes opened wide as our midlifers realized they could shed old identities and become who they always wanted to be. That the best is yet to come.
It's a liberating feeling when you finally accept that you no longer have to define the second half of your life based on someone else's definition of success which also means you no longer have to define yourself by your achievements, image, status, or power.
Thousands of midlifers aged 28 to 88 (averaging 54) have walked through our doors (yes, we define midlife broadly). And every time someone makes this profound shift, it feels like we're witnessing it for the first time. At MEA, we call this the "Baja aha" moment-a flash of clarity or insight that awakens the spirit to what's possible.
As I smiled at the beauty of the day and hit the water with my surfboard, I still wondered how life had brought me to this moment.
Esta historia es de la edición Volume 3. No 3 - 2023 de The Oprah US.
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Esta historia es de la edición Volume 3. No 3 - 2023 de The Oprah US.
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The BEST BOOKS of 2024
We all loved Oprah's Book Club selections this year (did you read them all?), but here are our editors' favorite standouts on the shelves-from the thoughtprovoking to the heartwarming to the hilarious.
The Summer I TOOK My Mom "HOME"
Whenever I tell people about the Last Trip Home I took to Italy with my 87-year-old mother and my older son last summer, everyone has the same response (\"Awwww...\"), which makes me feel like a fraud because I know they're imagining some gauzy scene. And to be fair, I'd tried to plan it that way.
PARIS Made ME DO IT
Travel maybe shouldn't be any different than \"regular\" life, but it is.
LOST And Found IN AMERICA
When I was 21, I spent the summer driving around the United States with my boyfriend. It amazes me, looking back, that I let myself go on that eight-week trip.
I WENT I Saw, HATE
Ten years ago, I went to Tokyo on a lark. I was invited to the opening of the 38-story Aman Tokyo hotel, a beautiful example of urban minimalism and a destination unto itself.
Trips That Changed US All Forever
Me, MOM, And A Thousand SEABIRDS
Dear Biohackers, The Secrets to Longevity Are Simpler Than You Think
In a world of health trackers built to optimize, we propose choosing joy over deprivation and community over navel-gazing. The research agrees.
The Menopause Makeover: For When "Aging Gracefully" Gets Old
Because literally everything-from eyelids to neck skin to boobs to butt-falls off a cliff. Here, a dozen interventions women in this life stage are embracing.
Why I Cut Off All My Hair
The author of City of Girls and Big Magic talks about how she made the bold decision to break out the clippers in order to find her own version of beauty.
The Perfect Gift Book for Everyone on Your List
Sumptuous reads that look as lovely on your coffee table as they do on your bedside table.
