Renaissance: a renewal of life, rebirth, revival,
rejuvenation

Debut: first appearance, launch, premiere, coming out

While in previous generations menopause, often called the
"change of life," marked the transition into old age,
today's baby boom women are saying "watch out world, here I
come!" What's different about this generation?

Well, for one thing, this is the first generation of
midlife women who, for the most part, are culturally more
free to call the shots in their lives (if they want to). We
have earning opportunities most of our mothers and
grandmothers didn't have, providing us with choices they
didn't have.

Secondly we are living longer. Gail Sheehy, author of New
Passages states: "A woman who reaches age 50—and
remains free of cancer and heart disease— can expect
to see her ninety-second birthday . . . a girl born in the
US today has a one in three chance of living to 100."

Contrast that with just 100 years ago when life expectancy
was about 40 years. The average woman died before making a
midlife transition. She didn't have a second half of life
to look forward to after completing her childrearing duties.

Thirdly, the 1960s consciousness raising phenomenon opened
our psyches to greater awareness of our emotional and
spiritual selves. Psychologically we now have what it takes
to re-connect with our authentic self (or some might say,
true self). We come into this world with gifts, talents,
temperament, and a purpose or mission. Often these
authentic parts of ourselves are repressed in childhood in
order to be accepted by our family, and suppressed in young
adulthood in order to fit in.

Just as the hormonal changes in adolescence are designed to
force growth into adulthood, the hormonal changes at
midlife are designed to force growth into the full bloom of
the self we were born to be. Menopause is the time to
reclaim our passion and contribute our unique gifts to the
world. You might think of menopause as Mother Nature's
fertilizer!

But here's the rub: Mother Nature provides the fertilizer,
but it is up to us to create the environment in which to
grow. This means excavating our authentic self from the
deep, dark recesses of our subconscious mind, then
renegotiating our important relationships to accommodate
her. We cannot grow without making changes. Because this is
a free will universe, it is our choice whether we bloom or
fade in our midlife transition.

So what will your choice be . . . Renaissance woman or a
re-creation of your mother's experience?

HINT: Renaissance women are a lot more exciting and fun to
be with, so the upheaval that change creates is worth it.
Really!

About the Author:

Jennifer T. Grainger is a Self-Discovery Coach helping
midlife women make a successful transition into their
second adulthood. She works with individuals as well as
offers a TeleProgram for Midlife Women Finding What's Next.
Self-discovery is a daunting journey worthy of support.
Find out what sort of help is available from Jennifer: =>
http://www.JenniferGrainger.com