Midlife what?!

[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

While chatting with another writer the other day, I mentioned my ever-present feeling of restlessness and suggested I was having a midlife crisis. She prefaced her response with the words, “I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but …” After talking to several people, she concluded that, as writers, we constantly strive for more—for change, for adventure. Because we spend a large quantity of our time observing the world around us, this causes us to feel as if we’re missing out on something bigger than our little lives. And it becomes challenging to go about our daily routines because our inherent longing prevents us from truly living in the present—unable to release the past in our personal lives and constantly focused on our future dreams … our Someday. Well that’s encouraging. Not. But at least it’s not a midlife crisis. Just something I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life.

Do you feel restless, like you’re missing out on something?

The dirty little “i” word

[Image credit: Master isolated images]

Never too old, never too bad, never too late,
never too sick to start from scratch once again.
~ Bikram Choudhury

I recently met a fellow yogini living halfway(?) across my world who shares a like-mindedness.  We’re both forty [cough cough] something and seeking to fully live each day with no regrets.  She ran across my blog and asked if she could share my story of indulgence.  Indulgence?  Me?  I’ve always been of the mindset that word was dirty — self-seeking.  But when I read her blog, I understood it’s all about saying yes to life.  Returning to school as a non-traditional student and changing careers mid-life — recreating myself — all of it a form of indulgence.  I’ve been accused of sporting a mid-life crisis, but I prefer to call it a mid-life awakening.  No crisis going on over here.  Just the desire to wake up Someday and, with a contented sigh, realize the best thing I ever did for myself was follow my heart.

What is your biggest indulgence?