Paint-by-numbers…lead by slogans. They both lack authenticity.

Ken Wilber’s heady integral theory of the universe is above my paygrade. But, I appreciate his midlife adult development progression on the path to wisdom outlined in these four steps:

I work in the field of retirement planning and coaching. One of the most pervasive forms of thinking among people that come to see me is to separate time into before and after retirement. Retirement acts as the wall separating who they are while employed and who they are going to be in the future.

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.” - Albert Schweitzer

There was a time in my early forties when I once spent the better part of a day shopping for a soap dish and toothbrush holder that would perfectly match the brushed nickel faucets in my newly remodeled spa bathroom. Back then, I was extremely proud of my just-spicy-enough jambalaya and how well it paired with dry Gewurztraminer.

If you’re an air traffic controller in your early 50s, you’re a lame duck, as this profession has a mandatory retirement age of 56. If you’re a 65-year-old pilot, you’re not flying anymore—truly a lame duck! And if President Joe Biden chooses not to run again (possibly due to how people perceive his age), he will also be considered a lame duck, or in this case, a leader with less influence.

I recently re-read Dr. Carol Dweck's “Mindset” book, and I came away with a new understanding. What if a fixed mindset is all about Ego? Conversely, what if a growth mindset is just an expression of Soul?

In an era when Americans are arguing about life beginning at conception or first breath, I would suggest adult life begins at the half-century mark. It’s when the butterfly emerges from its chrysalis.

Author Adam Grant suggests we've been emotionally "languishing" the past two years. This New York Times article "Too Young to Feel So Old" outlines the scientific evidence that our body has been depreciating more quickly, like that fancy car you drove off the lot worth half its value two years later.

In my early childhood, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry were the only ice cream choices you had. And then along came Baskin-Robbins' 31 Flavors, and suddenly I screamed for ice cream all the time! However, it should be noted, I always came back to the same three wonderful flavors.