In midlife - after parents die, children leave, careers plateau - some people do an emotional audit.

Many find that the facts of their lives have not changed, but they often find the meaning has changed.

Such an awakening prompts a reorganization of relationships, purpose, and identity,

As I have coached clients in their struggles with siblings, I have found that many come to me in their 50s and 60s when they suddenly see themselves and their relationships from a fresh perspective.

These clients feel they have entered a new developmental life stage; it’s not a midlife crisis, with the classic signs of a fancy new car, an affair, or an obsession with changing one’s physical appearance.

It’s much more subtle. I would call it a midlife awakening.

The facts of their lives may not have changed, but they often find the meaning of their lives has. The awakening reveals itself in moments. Suddenly, a conversation with an adult child or sibling lands differently. A friendship that once felt fulfilling begins to feel one-sided. A marriage, a career, a family story no longer feels satisfying or a long-held belief no longer resonates as their perspective shifts. The awakening prompts a reorganization of relationships, purpose, and identity,

During a midlife awakening, many say that they feel like they have just come out of a long sleep. Adults at this stage do an emotional audit that is prompted by parents dying, children leaving, careers plateauing, and bodies changing. They look back over decades of relationships, obligations,........

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