My last blog about defining midlife drew more readers than any of the 100+ blogs I've posted to date. That shouldn't surprise anyone who knows the stats on boomers—a formidable group of more than 78 million, comprising 30% of the population in the U.S. The fact that boomers tend to be more introspective than any other generation accounts for the array of information on the market to help them better understand themselves and maneuver through this often disorienting time of life.

Take for example, one of the latest books for and about boomers called Thinking About Tomorrow: Reinventing Yourself in Midlife by Susan Crandell. Crandell, the former editor-in-chief of More Magazine, re-engineered her own life and became a freelance writer and book author. Her inspiring book recounts the stories of a group of diverse individuals who seized the challenge of their age and made significant changes at midlife. Among the chapters that feature people whom Crandell refers to as "life entrepreneurs" is the story behind my annual Women's Retreat in Provence. The profiles in Crandell's book illustrate what can unfold when someone honestly and attentively asks: What do I want to do with the rest of my life?

To begin to explore that question yourself, consider:
- What am I longing to do or experience?
- Is there a part of an old dream that could be salvaged and integrated into my life now?
- What energizes and engages me? What would need to happen to bring more of that into my life?
- What helps me listen to what is true for me? How can I increase that activity?
- What is most important to me at this time? Am I living my life in alignment with this priority? If not, what needs to shift so that I am true to what I value?

"It's never too late to be what you might have been." – George Eliot

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Barbara is now accepting applications for her annual Women's Retreat in Provence 9/23-29/07. For more info, go to: www.yourprovenceretreat.com

Perhaps it hits you just when you think you have life figured out. You wake up in midlife to only to discover that the map of life that has guided you this far no longer leads you anyplace—or at least no place that you'd care to go.

In an effort to get things back to a normal footing, you might go about your business, pretending nothing has changed. But, you cannot fool yourself. While not much else may be clear, one thing is certain: your former way of approaching life no longer satisfies you and with that knowing, you feel adrift and disoriented about the alternatives.

Of course you wonder if you've lost your mind, and whether you'll get back on the old path as quickly as you left it. But, actually, it's not really that you've lost anything, rather that you are now preoccupied with discovering your true self.

Midlife is a perplexing time to say the least. It presents everyone, no matter their profession, income, gender or other preferences, with the most simple, yet complex question of their lives: Who are you meant to be?

In the work arena, the midlife quest can wreak havoc on what was formerly an acceptable and rewarding career path. It is said that the challenge in our early adult years is to establish an identity that is based on skills, competencies and ego-boosting accomplishments. That all tends to change as we enter into the second half of our lives and begin to come to grips with our mortality.

Recognizing that you no longer have all the time in the world to do whatever you might like might, is sobering to say the least. For many of us, this realization, coupled with jarring world events like terrorist attacks and tsunamis, makes a compelling case for aligning our lives with what matters most.

On my website, I've outlined eight steps to guide you through midlife and its compelling call to change, make a greater contribution to the world, or explore interests and talents that have been forgotten or neglected.

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Barbara is now accepting applications for her Annual Women's Retreat in Provence scheduled for September 23-29. For more info go to: www.yourprovenceretreat.com

My 25 year old daughter called when I was writing this blog, so I shared it with her. I'm still getting used to the idea of my "child" offering me good advice, even though she's always been wise beyond her years. Kate thought that this blog was "more heady" than my others and so I should give my readers the head's up that I've not switched gears on them. Consider yourselves forewarned...

Some people argue that they are too young to be in midlife because the thought of life being half over is just too depressing. But, the fact remains that we all will face into it whether we like it or not. Perhaps if we knew more about this phase of life, we might be less adverse to it and might even see the opportunity it offers for significant change and growth.

Midlife is thought to begin around age 36-38. It is this early stage of midlife that is typically associated with the dreaded “midlife crisis” coined by noted psychoanalyst Erik Erikson. Some of us can recount stories of people turning their lives upside down in the blink of an eye, never to look back on the life they’d spent years developing. While the midlife years are meant to stir up new ways of interfacing with the world as we develop the lesser-known parts of ourselves, it is not a given that they are fraught with drama and chaos. A more positive way to think of midlife is as a compelling quest—but a quest whose end is not always evident to the seeker. This lack of direction or road map makes many people uncomfortable with, if not opposed to, embarking on the journey at all.

I am particularly fascinated by the concept of midlife and the ensuing second half of life years because of their impact on people’s attitudes toward work. Admittedly, I may have a skewed view of the population at large because my career counseling clients in the second half of life years arrive at my door ready on some level for the journey. I realize that not everyone excitedly heeds the call to pursue the quest for “je ne sais quoi”.

Midlife questions and accompanying malaise with life may leave a person wondering what’s up, only to know that the status quo is no longer acceptable. Being clueless is often a new phenomenon and very disconcerting to the attorney, teacher, writer or corporate executive who formerly moved ahead in his or her life with clarity and direction.

What I know about midlife is that there is a compelling nature about it that can temper the uneasiness that uncertainly brings. This causes people to take action, not always cognizant of why or what the outcome might be. The reward is satisfying at the level of the letting go. In some cases, individuals rely on their intuition to guide them and eventually become appreciative and trusting of another aspect of themselves not always seen as credible.

Midlife and the second half of life are about integration and wholeness. This may be evident as a person begins to think about a former passion or hobby they’ve not engaged in for years, a desire for meaningful work that honors a long-held value, or a different career path that incorporates key skills and abilities that have surfaced no matter the job title or employment setting.

The challenge of midlife is to be open to emerging thoughts and insights, rather than suppress them because of a lack of understanding of what they mean or fear of where they might lead. Jung gave us permission to accept this challenge and approach life with a different script when he said: We cannot live the afternoon of life according to the life’s morning”.

What are your midlife and work questions and challenges?