I recently heard a friend of mine say she is ready to “open an aperture” onto her life. I immediately became curious and asked her what she meant. She said she was at a point in her life where she wanted to cut back on the amount of work she did; to stop having chockablock calendars full of Zoom calls, meetings, and client events; and to no longer have work commitments usually take precedence over get-togethers with friends and family.
Are you Ready for Some Changes?
My friend is in her early sixties and owns a very successful coaching and consulting company, having moved on from a long and admirable corporate career sixteen years ago. Her family is important to her, and yet she often has given her work priority. For the most part, she has loved what she does and has been very good at it, but she’s ready to make some big changes. To open an aperture onto her life.
This is not an uncommon situation. In my work I find many women in their late forties, fifties, and sixties experiencing something very similar. And it’s deeply familiar to me because I went through the same thing a bit earlier than my friend. I know how it feels, and how very unsettling it can be when one of the major ways you’ve answered the question “Who Am I?” is by referencing your career.
Of course, the feeling of needing a change certainly can occur at other times in our lives, too. It may simply be that after many months, perhaps years, of doing things pretty much the same way, you’re just bored!
Bring In The Light
When I asked AI for the definition of aperture, I got this response: “An ‘aperture’ is a photographic term for the opening in a lens that controls how much light passes through.” If we apply this definition to our current discussion, what would it mean to open up and allow more light into your life? For example:
- Is there anything that piques your curiosity that you want to learn more about? How about signing up for a class at a local university or community center?
- Imagine loading your favorite music app (or downloading one of the popular ones if you don’t have one) and playing music you’ve never listened to before. Maybe there’s a song you’ve always liked when you hear it on the radio? Why not check out the rest of the album?
- Is there an art gallery or shop nearby that you haven’t investigated yet? How about planning a series of day trips to places you’ve heard about but not explored? Pretend you’re a tourist visiting your area for the first time. What might she find interesting?
What Can You Do?
The opportunities for opening the aperture onto your life seem almost endless when you stop to think about it. Just for fun, come up with one new thing you’ll do this week and see how that feels. Then next week, try another new thing. If you do this several times a month for several months, think of how much more you’ll know by the end of that time. That sounds exciting to me, and I’m not even bored!
I think I’ll try it, and I’ll let you know in a few months how it’s gone. Want to join me? Let all of us know below so we can follow your progress. Women Over 50: Ready to Try Something New? We can do it togerther!
Learn More…
The Prime Spark Membership Community is designed for women age 50 (or close) and older to support one another. We learn and grow together while furthering the mission of Prime Spark. Membership currently is closed. If you’re interested in joining, please send an email to [email protected] and ask to be placed on the waitlist.
To learn more about Prime Spark, go to www.primesparkwomen.com.
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