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Key points
- The conventional midlife questions center around finances and physical health.
- Midlife is also a time of life when we are especially focused on re-evaluating who we truly are.
- The psychological aspects of midlife should receive as much, if not more, attention.
Albert Einstein said, "The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
The role of philosophy is to ask questions in order to arrive at a deeper understanding of the very essence of a thing or subject. As a Meaning Philosopher and cofounder of "Meaningology," I spend my time asking questions to arrive at deeper insights into the complex subject of meaning.
This questioning exercise is especially relevant for the period of our life that we refer to as “midlife.” Midlife is known as the period of our life from 45 to 55 years of age, although this definition would suggest we all live to be 100! (A more accurate term would be “mid-adult” or “mid-adulthood” if the midpoint is around 50 and the range is 35 to 65). Regardless, I will continue to use the term midlife since it is more well-known.
The conventional midlife questions are centered around the following:
- Will I have enough money to live on during my older years?
- At what age should I retire?
- How will I handle the anticipated physical decline as I age?
While these may be valid questions to ask in anticipation of the changes to our physical and financial health, I would suggest that the psychological aspects of midlife should receive as much, if not more, attention. These include asking questions that help elevate our awareness of the potential changes in our personal, social, and work lives and how we might reframe or reshape our responses to these changes.
Midlife is also a time of life when we are especially focused on re-evaluating who we truly are without the identity and perhaps the status of our current job. Here are several "Midlife Meaningology Questions" that can assist you in reflecting upon and arriving at deeper insights into your life:
- Why, despite my previous success, am I feeling disappointed with my life?
- Do I have any regrets about living someone else’s life; a life not truly my own?
- Do I feel like there is something else I should be doing or becoming in the next chapter of my life?
- Why do I feel stuck, and perhaps even scared, to move forward?
- Who do I want to be with the time I have left on this planet?
- In what ways can I make a bigger difference in the lives of others by sharing my experience and wisdom?
- What do I need to leave behind in order to move fully into living a more authentic and meaningful life?
These questions can be beneficial in starting an authentic discussion you have with yourself and with others. They may help you address the fears you may be having about living behind a mask and not truly expressing yourself or moving beyond filling your days with activities that no longer bring much meaning to your life to creating a future with greater purpose.
Just because you’ve been able to save money for your retirement does not mean you will live a meaningful life during the later years. Life with money but without meaning suggests you are simply surviving, not thriving.
Now is the time to start asking the existential questions that will truly make a difference both in the direction and the quality of your life in midlife and beyond.
