The infamous and
oft-misunderstood "mid-life crisis" has become something of an
epidemic, with more and more people reaching middle age only to find
themselves unfulfilled even after perhaps gaining the family, job,
house, and life of their dreams. Middle age is, according to Jungian
author James Hollis, the time to pursue what we "really want" in life.
The trouble is, by the time people enter this phase of life, they often
find they have forgotten what they were really looking for, the path
they promised to return to once they took care of their financial and
emotional security. Adapting the concepts of Carl Jung to current
social conditions, Hollis shows readers how to examine the patterns of
their lives, to see where and when their "real" self stopped being
administered to in favor of the one guided by personal fears and the
expectations of others, and he does so with a gentle but invigorating
style that will surely rekindle the flame of youth in the hearts of
readers.
The second half
of life presents a rich possibility for spiritual enlargement, for we
are never going to have greater powers of choice, never have more
lessons of history from which to learn, and never possess more
emotional resilience, more insight into what works for us and what does
not, or a deeper, sometimes more desperate, conviction of the
importance of getting our life back.
What does it really mean to be a grown up in today's world? We
generally recognize only three developmental periods of
life?childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. We assume that once we ?get it together? with the right job, marry the right person, have
children, and buy a home, all is settled and well. But adulthood itself
presents varying levels of growth, and is rarely the respite of
stability we expected. Turbulent emotional shifts can take place
anywhere between the age of thirty-five and seventy when we question
the choices we've made, realize our limitations, and feel
stuck?commonly known as the ?midlife crisis.? In Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life,
Jungian analyst James Hollis explores the ways we can grow and evolve
to fully become ourselves when the traditional roles of adulthood
aren't quite working for us.
Revealing a new way of uncovering and embracing our authentic selves,
Hollis offers wisdom to anyone facing a career that no longer seems
fulfilling, a long-term relationship that has shifted, or family
transitions that raise issues of aging and mortality. Through case
studies and provocative observations, Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life provides a reassuring message and a crucial bridge across this critical passage of adult development.