Geneva's Blog

Good morning, brave Readers,

I’m excited, you guys – this is my seventh blog post! I know that may not sound like much, but I was a little nervous that I would run out of things to say before finishing post one. I feel like I’m finding my writing rhythm, and the more I write the more I find to say. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing from your perspective but consider yourself warned!

Okay, grab your coffee, today we’re talking about Middlish Aged People! For definition purposes, I looked up what the range for “middle aged” is, and depending on who you are asking, answers go all the way from 35-64 years old. That’s a pretty huge chunk of life, so obviously everyone within that age range may have massively different situations as far as family, finances, careers, etc. Now that I identify as middle aged, however, I think we all have a massive amount in common as well.

I’m going to be honest with you; this was kind of a tough post to write. I had to be honest with myself as well and confront some mental constructs that have held me back. While it isn’t easy, tough undertakings are exciting because it means growth is ahead!

So – what does living your purpose look like in Middlish Age? Well, the truth is it looks like every other stage of life. It looks like realizing (when I say realize, I mean to make something real, not to have a lightbulb moment. I am clarifying because I know it could mean either one, depending on the context!) your potential by serving others through pursuing your passion.

So why even write this? Why not just refer to my last post for Youngish People? Because while the Assignment may be the same, the challenges may change. Here’s the thing – by our late 30s, and presumably after that as well we have established certain things in life.  Our preferences, routines, lifestyle, and priorities are all more firmly cemented at this point. I’m not saying we don’t ever go through change, but we have experience and we typically have some kind of plan/goal we are working on. We also often have responsibilities that feel mandatory.

This could be the financial responsibility of taking care of your kids (that encompasses so many different categories, but you already know that). It could be trying to help your all-knowing but also somehow completely helpless teenagers turn into respectable adults. It could be caring for aging parents. It could be working toward that career goal you have devoted years of your life to. It could be saving aggressively to ensure a secure retirement. It could be all those things at the same time.

Life can be a lot, and at this point we might sometimes feel like we’re just strapped in for the ride without much freedom of choice. Sure, we made the decisions that led us here, but at this point we are weighed down by these present obligations, and we are in no position to be making any big changes. Maybe we don’t even want to. I know I don’t like to think that I could have made a “wrong” choice in the past that has set me working in an unintended direction for years. Life can be tiring, but at least it’s fairly safe and predictable. We may have difficulties, but at least we are familiar with them. Are we pretty cozy in this comfort zone we’ve built ourselves?

I don’t want anyone to feel attacked; I want you to feel seen. Because this is me too. And there is nothing wrong with being secure and comfortable in your life. These responsibilities we have can be good and wonderful gifts that should be celebrated. The problem is when we start using them as excuses for not making necessary changes.

Let’s say you’re 40ish, you have 3 kids, bills, a mortgage and the whole 9 yards. Does it really matter if you are following your passion and living out your potential right now? Maybe these kids are your purpose right now and everything else will have to wait until you’re… 50ish? Yes, you should have some more time then, right? I say that the answer is the same for everyone. Yes, it really does matter that you follow your passion and realize your potential now. Your kids are absolutely a big part of your purpose, but they are not everything or God wouldn’t have designed them to grow up and move out.

Side note on kids: What better way to serve your purpose of raising good people than to show them what living their purpose looks like? It’s not selfish to realize your own potential, and follow your passion, it’s teaching them how to live their lives.

How do live your purpose right now? That depends on you and your purpose of course but remember, your purpose/Assignment(s) are not limited to your career. If you are in the wrong career, then yes, do something about it. But what if your purpose is to intentionally find people to mentor in either your career specialty or in whatever it is that you are passionate about? What if your purpose is to support your local soup kitchen? If so, find a way to build this into your schedule. Eliminate unnecessary claims on your time to give yourself the freedom to do what you were built for.

This all sounds very easy to say, but in fact, it is an intimidating challenge. Reassessing career choices? Giving up my kids’ 2^nd extracurricular so that I can have more time? Waking up earlier so I can develop a necessary skill? These are serious choices to be carefully considered.

Before I finish, let me give you some encouragement. This time of life may be busy or full, but we are also at our most capable yet. We have experience and the confidence that goes with it. Seriously, we’ve lived through a lot and we are still learning. We are more stable, more emotionally intelligent, and have more scope than we’ve ever had. We are practically oozing with capability and that is why we cannot put off our purpose until later. Let’s go!

Have an opinion? Wonderful! As always, I’d love to hear from you! Comment, email, or message me your thoughts! Talk to you soon!