Midlife

The challenge of being an author with a big publisher is that you deliver the final manuscript about a year before the book comes out, which means new ideas may percolate to the surface that won’t be captured in the published book.

Part of the reason I decided to write “Learning to Love Midlife” (https://bit.ly/48ag4FH) was because I didn’t feel there were many mainstream books that told the modern midlife story. But, I recently cracked open James Hollis’ insightful first book, “The Middle Passage,” and was reminded of just how influential this work of art was on my early thinking on midlife.

Taking a gap year in midlife used to be the kind of topic you might hear at an expensive restaurant. But things have changed. More people are working part-time remotely, many inexpensive places (especially in Latin America and Asia) have become modernized, and a growing number of folks in their 40s and 50s are seeing a "midlife atrium" as a necessary career pitstop in a career that will likely continue into their 70s.

Chip’s Note: Annie was one of our five finalists of 151 entrants into our “Life Begins @ 50” contest. Given the quality of her essay, you can see there was some lovable, impressive competition. Thanks, Annie, for sharing your story! If you’re curious about being around the age of 50, check out my co-founder Jeff Hamaoui’s “Life Begins @ 50” workshop in Baja this spring: https://www.meawisdom.com/workshop/life-begins-at-50-embracing-your-second-adulthood-with-jeff-hamaoui

Chip's Editorial Comment: As many of you know, we’ve offered anyone from 48-54 the ability to win a free 3-night private birthday celebration and workshop at our new Santa Fe ranch campus based upon their approximately 500-word essay on why life begins at 50. We had over 150 entries with some (including the winner) offering persuasive social media reasons about why they should be selected. Congratulations to Gabrielle Pelecci who turns 50 on August 1 and will be celebrating with 7 of her friends in Santa Fe, NM. Here’s her essay and Instagram reel below. We’ll be sharing some of the other essays over the next few weeks. Keep MEA in mind when you’re considering a landmark birthday as it’s a great way to bond with friends and have life-changing conversations.

I’ve said before that our longevity literacy sucks. When we underestimate how much life we have on the planet, we’re not as smart about saving money, courageous about trying new things, or healthy enough to keep our rental vehicle (our body) well-maintained. So, here are five questions meant to improve your understanding of midlife so you can live a longer, happier life.

Chip's Editorial Comment: I can’t wait to have Ben teach at MEA as his new book is my favorite of 2024 so far.

You never know what someone is going to say at the end of a book talk, but I was blessed with someone in the back of an audience last month telling me, “Chip, thank you for being a midlife activist!”

According to the Worldwide Independent Network of Market Research, which surveyed over 30,000 people across 41 countries, we start feeling old at 60 and stop feeling young at 40. This varies globally, with ages ranging from 44 in China to 70 in Italy. But what does this mean for the two liminal decades in between?

Imagine discovering superhero powers in your midlife –