How We Approach the Second Half of Life

I have seen a number of variations…Here are a few…

1. Guy or Woman is “happy enough” with life. Doesn’t think about stuff too much. Has kids and grandkids, stays busy, likes golf (or whatever), enjoys life in a kind of trance-y way, maybe takes a cruise. Nothing wrong with that. Not really looking for more or different. That is probably not my client. (My clients are ALWAYS looking for More and Different…) Sense of identity not real clear, but hey, it’s all good… “Another Pinot Grigio, please…” We all know a lot of folks who are moving through it this way.
2. Woman or Guy who has not really followed their heart, their path, their vision, for any number of understandable (or really awful) reasons…Has maybe lost sight of what the vision was, or no longer thinks it is even possible, and fades into variations of booze, weed, binge-watching sports or Netflix, and lives out an uninspired life of a trip here, a dating relationship there, kind of wondering what happened, but not inspired or energized enough to answer that question or to challenge themselves to create any kind of different, more intentional direction for themselves. Maybe never even really had a vision of what their ideal life might look like, and so settled for whatever happened…Probably some existential angst evenings, some depressive symptoms, some aimlessness, bouts of emptiness. Nothing ice cream can’t cure. Potential Counseling clients, when they hit a down stretch…
3. This person remains curious about life, about their potential, and has never really given up on the possibility of achieving a greater vision. Maybe the kids are grown, grandkids in good shape, first half of life accomplished successfully…Probably had some victories, maybe a lot of victories, but looking for more, for bigger ones, for an inspired run into their late 40’s, or 50’s, 60’s, and beyond…Eager to grow, work, learn, take risks—finally willing to put their own lives higher up on the to do list, and see what they can accomplish, in the realms of their choice…It’s hard to keep this energy running 24/7 and 365, but they are reaching for it more often than not…Probably a bit of a maverick, probably not somebody who looks for “isms” to guide life decisions, but tries to follow their own heart, their own Inner Knower…These are probably my Counseling/Life Coaching clients…

Lots of other ways to be Conscious, and lots of other ways to be numb and in a trance, but these are some of the major categories I see in my life and work…

If you’re thinking you still have a lot left in the tank, and are thinking you want to gear up and take your aspirations to the next level, good for you. That is the kind of work I do…

Jim Nolan, PhD

Psychologist/Life Coach

Text at 505.699.7616

Drjamesmichaelnolan.com

JamesMickNolan@gmail.com

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