Experiencing any event in your life simply means that you were there. Part of all the other folks who showed up to that parade, or concert, or book reading or play. It’s fun to experience something with a bunch of others. Communal events like family picnics make fun memories in the story of our lives. It is as common as “being.”
Leftat50’s are seeking something more and it can be hard to put our finger on what it is. Finding the source of that empty feeling, or if not totally empty, that “there must be something more I could be doing with my mid-life,” realization.
How do I, an Observer, become a Participator? That is a big riddle to solve.
I invented a term for it: Ingester. To be an Ingester means to take in these new activities in a way that leads to action. Our souls have become seekers at this point of our lives, like an empty vase. It is pretty to look at. But when a living rose is put into it, that vase becomes the purveyor of beauty. Of hope. We look upon that rosebud waiting for it to open. That opening lights us up in a way we never expected until it gloriously happens.
Ingesting our new lives means becoming women with an expanded horizon of experience to draw upon.
I myself have been coping with this notion. I did not end up becoming a Professor, or a Doctor, or an Attorney at Law. In trying to pinpoint it, I decided to make a list of titles I would give myself at this juncture of my life. Perhaps sharing it will be helpful to you.
- Instructor
- Herder
- Knower
- Seeker
- Finder
- Despairer
- Hoper
A real life example is the time I went for a walk in a beautiful woods with a dear friend. I gazed up at the trees and took in the magnificence of their towering presence.
My friend was digging in the damp, boggy dirt, looking for wild morel mushrooms she could take home and create a dish with. This is a passion of hers. Found food. She’s been having a blast for years on this quest. She finds fulfillment in sharing these meals with friends and it has opened up an entire world of websites and posts with a community of “found foodies!”
It is time to take this story and forage until you discover a new concept to ingest. But first, I would urge you to sit and make a list of real or newly inventoried words that you know reflect the meaning of your life.
We all go through major life transitions when relationships end… Through this website, I will share my thoughts as I walk the path of “New-Self” discovery. It doesn’t matter which side of 50 you are on. The real question is, Are you ready to live life? To forge a Path of Your Own Making (For a change!)? Then stop dwelling over the What-Might-Have-Beens and join me. Share your thoughts here, comment on mine, and let’s do this together!