The 20-40-60 Phenomenon
The 20-40-60 Phenomenon
At 20 we’re worried “What will they think?” We make decisions based on how others will perceive us… from what we wear, to how our body should look, to what we drive, to what we should major in at school, etc. Image is everything as we’re establishing ourselves in the world.
At 40 the power of what “they” think lessens. We realize we’ve only got a limited time left on this earth…
This is usually a crossroads for people, and we have the choice of two different paths…
Path 1) Chart a new course: For this to happen, we have to let go of the armor we’ve built to keep us safe up to this point… it requires us to take off the masks we wear to try & fit in. It’s scary AF, but the ones who do this begin making decisions in alignment with who they are & who they want to be… from this place they live authentically & unapologetically and are accepted by those who aren’t threatened by their authenticity. This leads to a “mid-life awakening”, and opportunities for growth abound.
Path 2) Continue on course: This feels safer, but it can also lead to discontentment… on this path, we may find ourselves holding onto our youth/past with an iron grip, instead of letting go, and stepping fully into our future with wisdom & grace. Society’s ideals may still be determining our path, instead of what we know to be right for us… decisions are made based on how we’ll be perceived, putting value in money, possessions, status & titles, etc… above health, love, connection & happiness. There’s nothing wrong with money, possessions, status & titles, but when our worth & our purpose in life is tied to them… it’s never enough, which is why this time can feel like a “mid-life crisis” instead of an awakening to possibilities.
(How we feel about ourselves & our life during this time is a really good gauge if we’re living the life we want to live or the life others want us to live.)
At 60, no matter which path we chose at mid-life, we realize no one was thinking about us anyway. 😉
Of course, not all of us follow this timeline, as I know plenty of 60-year-olds who are VERY concerned with how they’re viewed by others… maybe it’s the 20-50-80 phenomenon for some. No matter the timeframe, hopefully, we all get the opportunity to reach a point in our lives where we’re no longer concerned about how we’re perceived, and we’re finally free to just be.
Let go of “What will others think?”, because the reality is, they’re thinking about their life, not yours. Your soul’s purpose wasn’t to come here to earn the approval of others…
Live your life as though you’re at the end of your life… because you never know when that will be.
We have unlimited opportunities to cultivate a life we love on this earth, but the time we have to do it is finite… make it a good one. 💖