It’s impossible to have a 21st century career without facing a crisis at some point.
The research which I discuss in The Success Trap book suggests that these occur around the mid-30s and end around the mid-50s (if you do nothing about it).
Interestingly, 50 was about the age that people in ancient India would move from an active, householder life to a more contemplative spiritual life or Vanaprastha. What we call mid-life today was the time when you’d take a step back, assess what you have done and think about the wider meaning of your life and its legacy.
So what if instead of a career crisis, you saw this period of questioning as the doorway to your next level of impact? What if it wasn’t the end of your happy years but the beginning of something greater?
Then you could embrace the transformation process, relax and reflect:
1) What are you proud of that you have already accomplished?
2) What is it time to let go of (workaholism, sacrificing your personal life, neglecting your health, compromising your values?)
3) What is it time to orient towards and commit to more firmly (joy, peace, healthy relationships, wider impact?)
4) Who are you really and who are you becoming?
While you may not be able (or want) to retire into a spiritual life at 50 in the 21st century, you can create a new phase of your career and contribution to the world informed by your deeper values and bigger vision.
Statistics show that second and third careers are becoming the norm, and many are choosing entirely different lifestyles in alignment with personal and planetary health.
In summary, a so-called career crisis can become the doorway to liberate more of your deeper potential for yourself and others.
Are you up for it?
Have a great week,
Amina
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