I’m out of town. But, I didn’t want to leave the blog idle and so asked some of my favorite blogging ladies if I could host their blogs during this week. They have kindly given me permission and so today I’m hosting Eileen Williams at The Feisty Side of Fifty.
I love Eileen. She has been so supportive and kind to me and I love counting her as one of my cyber-friends. As weird as the Internet can be sometimes, it does have it’s upside and Eileen is one of the upsides. Please enjoy this post she did back in October 2007 entitled “The Magic of Menopause” and stop over to see her blog and get to know her!
For centuries, menopause has gotten a bad rap. This major change of life was considered by many to be the demarcation point of no return. Post-menopausal women were thought to quickly morph into feeble, old hags—no longer attractive, no longer useful, and ready for the rocking chair.
What a bunch of deprecating drivel that was! In truth, far from representing an ending, the biggest surprise of menopause is that, in many regards, this major biomarker signifies the beginning of a woman’s life. As older women, we are entering our most rewarding and productive years. Margaret Mead was right when she coined the term, “menopausal zest” and recent studies back her up. Women report many of their happiest, most dynamic, and personally fulfilling years to be those after fifty.
In reality, once we ladies hit menopause, our outlook alters, our needs change, our responsibilities transform, and we revitalize numerous aspects of our lives. As our estrogen stores drop, so does their inhibiting effect upon our body’s testosterone levels. We continue to manufacture testosterone after menopause and its influence becomes significantly greater than when we were ovulating.
So, forget the penis envy! In truth, we midlife gals typically become more male-like. A number of our attitudes and behaviors shift and we generally exhibit greater needs for independence, self-expression, and achievement. In other words, we sprout our chin whiskers, become more outspoken and self-centered, and start to go after what we want with full force and vitality.
Trouble is, for many of us, we aren’t quite sure what that is. We’ve spent so many years focused on caring for others that we may have forgotten our own dreams and desires. If you fall into that category, the following are a few questions to get you thinking:
What are the ways you see yourself growing and changing?
How are you honoring your own voice?
In which ways are you expressing yourself creatively?
What is your personal definition of success for yourself at this time in your life?
What are your markers for achieving that success?As Louisa May Alcott once wrote: “Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.”
There’s no better time than now to go after your own!
