As I talk to women in the second half of their lives, I often run into the belief that the most meaningful moments of life are behind them. But what if the most meaningful moments of life are really yet to come?
I talk about this in my Empty Nest, Full Life book. This midlife or second half of life is actually where we get to enjoy what I refer to as our “encore season of life.” We have so much to offer the world in this second half of life. We know more than we did in our early years, we’ve done more, we’ve lost more, and we’ve loved more. Because of our experiences in the first part of our lives, we get to leverage all that we have learned and offer it to the world in a fresh, new way.
Helping us unpack this topic is Dawn Barton. Dawn is a speaker, entrepreneur, mentor, and the author of Midlife Battle Cry. She is passionate about helping others find joy through their hardships and in her latest book she is calling women to their “second-half mission.”
In this conversation, you’ll hear:
- How your best years are still to come
- Your experiences and lessons learned can benefit others
- Finding joy in writing the next chapter of your life
- And much more!
I hope you enjoy this conversation about finding and redefining your second half of life!
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Tim Ross, Obedience Over My Happiness
- [BOOK] Midlife Battle Cry
- [BOOK] Laughing Through the Ugly Cry: …and Finding Unstoppable Joy
- [BOOK] Empty Nest, Full Life
- Mindset Messages from Jill
- Connect with Dawn on her website, Facebook, or Instagram
- As a thank you for listening, get your 3 free eBooks.
My Key Takeaways:
1) The best years are still to come. There is a tendency to think of aging as a hill or mountain. Our midlife is when we hit the peak and then it’s all downhill from there. But the reality is there are so many good things yet to come! We have learned so much from our experiences in the first half of our life and now we are the best versions of ourselves thus far. Everything we have learned up to this point is so valuable. This tipping point of our lives is the beginning, NOT the end.
2) Share your wisdom with others. As our children head off to college and leave the nest, we can stick to what is familiar in our second half of life. We have the same friends and the same routine as we did when we had children at home. But this is a time in your life when you can choose to do things you previously didn’t have time for. Break out of your routines and get into a community where others can benefit from your experiences. You may choose to mentor someone in a different stage of life from your own.
3) Try new things. This is the stage in life when you finally have some free time. You can return to a hobby you enjoyed but haven’t had time for or try something new. This second half of life is a blank slate that you can fill with new experiences and adventures. So try new things that you previously didn’t have time to try!
About Dawn Barton:
Dawn Barton is an author, speaker, entrepreneur, mentor, and joyologist. In her latest book, Midlife Battle Cry, she is helping people who are middle-aged get unstuck and find their “second-half mission” in their best years yet! Dawn is married to Craig and has two daughters and four grandchildren. She lives in Florida along with four dogs, three cats, and three horses.
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