Written in a compelling and instantly inclusive way, Piloting Your Life brings the neglected opportunities of life beyond 40 into focus, convincing those of us who fear age (and change) that progression is freedom, and those of us who have always viewed life as a beautifully building symphony, that the continuing path just gets better. I have read and re-read this book three times, and with each reading, find a quote or a vignette that resonates.
Terri's analogy of midlife as a new puberty is intriguing and on target. In our first puberty, we learned to become independent, so we could grow in to the adult forms we envisioned for ourselves. We then had job opportunities, personal life issues, changed perceptions or responsibilities systematically impact our vision for ourselves. This midlife puberty is an experienced and similarly fearless separating from norms and expectations someone, or somethings else may have set for us. This time the person we architect has the chance to become real.
Terri's honest, trusting and confidently personal experiences instantly include us, enabling the reader to feel affirmed but more importantly, empowered to also start the breaking process that precedes reinvention. She says if you " find yourself in a situation where you have to reinvent yourself," knowing that all of us do or will have to do, and then gently lets the reader see the process first step by step. Questions at the end of each chapter encourage self reflection. The reader can go back to the chapter end questions without having to do so in order for insight or inspiration. If you are journaling, these questions are a spark, and if you are a planner, they are an actionable jumpstart to mapping paths, and the Flight Plan will be invaluable.
I dislike focusing on boundaries in general, so the book's references to Gen X or Y or Z, Millenials, Baby Boomers, and the list will go on, were at first a bit off-putting. (My age may put me in one of these boundaries, but my experience and behavior would put me in another.) However, the author does this because the generational age bands can provide some insight into how experiences may be formed, so understanding this perspective helped.
Piloting Your Life's chapter on money and financial freedom are critically important, and not just for women, of course. But women have been systemically held back from understanding finances, directing and using their money, the importance of independently planning a path, so the author's call to action is exactly what women need to hear. Terri again writes this chapter in a way that makes finances approachable, understandable and all part of the plan.
Real change comes from a state of imbalance. Through immutable physiology and societal norms that impact the female experience, women need to know that we are uniquely gifted with the ability to manage and prosper through change. This book affirms this fact and presents this knowledge clearly, attainably and elegantly.
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Always needed to know "What to expect when you hit Midlife."
Soon after I gave birth to our first daughter, I remember being shocked at how doctors seemed to not care a whit about me. Three months after childbirth, our daughter was growing well, but my body was still a mess. Doctors shrugged and said, "well, there are all kinds of fluids still slopping around in there, so give it time."What?Growing older, especially as you hit those first months of perimenopause, are a lot like that. You don't even know it's something affecting your body. Worry no more.With the humor and confidence of a Gen-X'er, Terri Hanson Mead has come up with a great read that answers so many of those questions you were afraid to ask — and steps out in front of the questions you didn't even KNOW to ask. She pieces together tips from science with anecdotes from those who've been there to paint a story of opportunity.Midlife is just that, midway through a long life. Going through the valleys and hanging onto the cliffs turns out to be part of the journey. It's wonderful to have a guide.It's a thrill to be a part of the new movement Terry's building among empowered women in our next chapter of life. Bravo, well done!
