Questions to ask to find meaning in the second half of life
You are responsible for examining beliefs passed down to you and investigating what's true for you.
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Socrates believed the key to true happiness is the relentless pursuit of wisdom and knowledge. He maintained that the most fulfilling life is one constantly seeking to acquire knowledge and uncover the truth.
Socrates proposed that genuine happiness is not derived from material wealth but from adopting a moral approach to life and living in harmony with one’s values.
In the first half of life, you had to learn what the world, your parents, teachers, and essential relationships were asking of you. You grew up following the conscious and unconscious rules of the family you were born into, society, religion, family, and friends. You internalized your family’s beliefs and sayings passed down through generations without question.
Questions in the second half of life change to a search for meaning.
James Hollis, a Jungian Analyst, said:
In the second half of life, ask questions of meaning. He said the first half of life is social.
Questions to ask in the second half of life are spiritual, addressing meaning.
What does the soul ask of me?’
What does it mean that I am here?
Who am I apart from my roles and history?’
Whose life are you living? Are you living one of your parents' unlived lives?
“Nothing has a stronger psychological influence on their children than the unlived life of the parent.” – Carl Jung
Children can be significantly impacted by their parents' unfulfilled dreams, desires, and aspirations. They may feel pressure to pursue those aspects of life their parents didn't, leading to a strong psychological influence on their choices and identities.
I’m exploring this last question: whose life I lived through writing? My mom wanted to be an interior designer, but the design program at the University of Tennessee was five years long. She met my father and realized she wanted a family and couldn’t do both. Mom graduated with a degree in home economics in 1950.
In the 1950s, U.S. society wanted women to care for their husbands and families at home. Mom changed her major and graduated with a degree in Home Economics. Growing up, I witnessed her sadness.
In high school, I decided to pursue a career I loved regardless of whether I was married. This decision made me career-focused. I’m beginning to understand that I’ve lived some of my mother’s career dreams.
Now, over to you.
Have you found meaning in your life beyond work, material consumption, and parenthood?
What has given your life meaning?
XO, Sherold