Many people in their 30s, 40s and 50s find themselves unsettled. They look around and think, “Is this all there is?” Popular culture calls it a midlife crisis and our stereotypes include fast cars and short-sighted decisions as we desperately try to “find ourselves”. But adult development research gives us another perspective: what feels like crisis may actually be a natural developmental transition. 

• The myth of midlife crisis: Fast cars, new partners, dramatic career changes — these clichés distract from the deeper truth.
• The developmental lens: As adults, we don’t stop growing. We evolve in how we make sense of the world. When your old way of seeing life no longer fits, it can feel like collapse.
• Centre of gravity: We usually live from one “centre of gravity”. This is a stable perspective that shapes how we think, feel, and act.
• Transitions happen when… that centre of gravity is destabilised. You glimpse new ways of being (leading edge), but you’re also holding on to old ones (trailing edge).

Reflect on these questions;

• Am I questioning values, beliefs, or roles that used to feel certain?
• Do I sense something bigger calling me, even if I can’t name it?

Midlife doesn’t have to be a crisis. It can be a catalyst —your personal invitation to step into a wiser, freer, more authentic version of yourself.

Now obviously you don’t have to accept the invite, but imagine for a minute if you actually did step into a whole new kind of party…