Jane Mathews - Midlife Manifesto: Make the Second Half the Best Half

IMPRINT AND DISCLAIMER

Midlife Manifesto aims to provide readers with information, but it is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for health, legal or medical advice from a qualified professional. Jane Curry Publishing does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy, currency, suitability or reliability of any information contained within the book. In reading this book you accept all risk and responsibility for losses, damages, costs or any other consequences resulting directly or indirectly from relying on information or material contained within it. To the maximum permitted by law, Jane Curry Publishing excludes all liability to any persons arising directly or indirectly from using this book and any information or material in it.

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Midlife Manifesto

by Jane Mathews

Published in 2014 by Jane Curry Publishing

[Wentworth Concepts Pty Ltd]

PO Box 780 Edgecliff NSW 2027 Australia www.janecurrypublishing.com.au

Copyright Jane Mathews, 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any other information storage retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry:

Author: Jane Mathews

Title: Midlife Manifesto

ISBN 978-1-922190-95-6 (Print edition)

ISBN 978-1-922190-44-4 (Epub Edition)

ISBN 978-1-925183-02-3 (Epdf/Mobi Edition)

Cover and internal images: Shutterstock and Fotolia

Cover and internal design: Deborah Parry

Editorial: Amanda Hemmings

Production: Jasmine Standfield

Printed in China by Jade Productions

For Alex and Kate, who light up my life
and for all midlife women.
I stand in awe of our potential.

This is a record of your time. This is your movie. Live out your dreams and fantasies. Whisper questions to the Sphinx at night. Sit for hours at sidewalk cafs and drink with your heroes. Make pilgrimages to Mougins and Abiquiu. Look up and down, believe in the unknown for it is there. Live in many places. Live with flowers and music and books and paintings and sculpture. Keep a record of your time. Learn to read well. Learn to listen and speak well. Know your country, know your world, know your history, know yourself. Take care of yourself mentally and physically. You owe it to yourself. Be good to those around you. And do all of these things with passion. Give all that you can. Remember, life is short and death is long.

Fritz Scholder

Contents

Shared experiences of midlife the turning point shifting from automatic to manual outline of the Midlife Manifesto Plan warm up exercises: synchronicity, happiness, observing, trusting your instincts.

Whats your Visceral Vision? why having a clear vision matters ten different approaches to help articulate your vision.

Explore relationships with friends, parents, siblings and rellies putting marriage under the microscope being a happy midlife divorcee cementing your bond with children your relationship with yourself.

Reframe your thoughts reconnect with your body awaken the senses exercise and foods that punch above their weight for midlifers losing weight the four numbers you should know how to tackle menopause and increase your chances of dodging major illnesses plus more sex!

Develop your own spiritual necklace what we can adopt from major religions of the world a simple guide to meditation reconnecting with nature writing a journal solitude gratitude memories.

The importance of hobbies merging interests and work learn something new six great investments of your time learn by osmosis.

Make it a space you love be inspired clear the decks smudging streamlining cleaning curating telling your story colours flowers surprises souvenirs luxuries finding a sanctuary in your home.

How you portray yourself to the world finding your personal style cull and organise your wardrobe and accessories essential hair and skin the five minute face.

Articulate your financial goals a ten-step financial blueprint how much is enough for retirement? organise key documents feel confident and in control.

Write your own Midlife Manifesto prepare inspire plan and do monthly/ weekly/ daily action plan templates living it and breathing it!

How to get the most out of Midlife Manifesto

W HEN books start with a How to use this book section, my hackles rise. What on earth do they think I am going to do with it? Put my shopping in it? Wash the car with it? Feed it to the dog? So, my apologies. You picked up this book for a reason, and I want to make sure you get the most out of its pages.

I wrote this book because I needed a midlife plan, and I couldnt find a book to show me how to write one. The order of the book is very simple. In the first couple of chapters I look at where we are and where we want to be. The following seven chapters look at different aspects of our lives relationships, your body, spirituality, interests/work, home, personal style and financial independence. Each of these chapters is designed to give you inspiration and food for thought to add to your plan your Manifesto which you write in the final chapter. You may want to tackle one chapter a week, or even gobble it all down over a weekend.

Along the way there are lots of relevant quotations which I have chosen with great care, and also comments from fellow midlife women. (Their names have been changed to protect their privacy.) You decide which of these quotations and ideas resonate most with you. At the end of each chapter there is space for you to write them down or just highlight as you go. Even if you just get one idea from this book that helps you change and plan for your future life, I would be happy (but I do hope there will be many more than one!).

We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once, said Calvin Coolidge. Its not just about visualising and planning the future, but also about taking action straight away to start manifesting your Manifesto, so to speak. Theres space at the end of each chapter to capture these actions too.

Think of it as choosing ideas to peg on your own washing line that will form the basis of your Manifesto in . Here, you will marshal your thoughts in a simple and creative way to provide you with a personalised life plan that will be usable and relevant straight away.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didnt do than the ones you did do. So throw off your bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

Preface

S O, does The Midlife Manifesto actually work? Yes. Just the process of thinking about and writing my Manifesto gave me precisely the impetus I needed at a confronting time, when many of us feel the urge to get rid of what is not working in our lives. I now have a purpose and energy about me, and feel a steely peace and confidence that the rest of my life will not just be played out, but will be truly lived.

This book was born out of my own search for meaning and direction, and a concrete, no bullshit plan to get me there. I am just like you. I make no claim to have all the answers, or any of them come to that, but I do hope that I will be company for you in your journey and that my book now your book will provide you with inspiration along the way. Its like a snowplough, clearing and sanding the road ahead.