Understanding The challenges of being in your 50´s

Where Am I Standing? : Life Balance

As we approach 55… 60 years of age, many of us find ourselves planning a unique and special trip, while others imagine fun celebrations to mark the very special milestone of reaching these significant numbers. Internally, an alert goes off; we begin to see life through different eyes and, alongside the desire to celebrate in a big way, unlike previous years, we become aware of the state of our close circle, our acquaintances, friends, and family members: some retire formally, others experience financial crises, some become seriously ill, while others are full of professional projects, family unity, and multiple relationships.

Comparison always finds its way to all of us, and self-judgment can be painful. Just when we should supposedly feel “stronger and more stable” because of the maturity we have achieved, we are confronted with a changing body and, at times, the feeling that we now have fewer opportunities, in addition to facing the life changes that naturally arise at this stage.

Life Balance (Example)

On a scale from 1 to 100, how satisfied do you feel today in these basic areas?

Health: _______%

Relationship: _______%

Children: _______%

Money / Finances: _______%

Mood and Energy: _______%

Friendships: _______%

Personal Projects: _______%

This challenge of creating our own personal life balance allows us to become aware of how satisfied we are with the basic aspects of our lives. If you are between 90% and 100% in some areas, good for you. There is also the possibility of finding results below 50% or 70% satisfaction. Acknowledging these numbers is the first step toward consciously initiating possible improvements.

This evaluation and the resulting level of satisfaction are individual. We all have different ways of viewing life and embracing the challenge of fully living it. Priorities also change over time as we evolve emotionally and spiritually. Each of us has faced and chosen how to live through different circumstances:

• Family environment

• Innate abilities

• City, country

• Health

• Economy

Some of us had an early awareness of where we wanted to go in life and focused on how to get there. Some people from our generation had present parents who engaged them in deep conversations about life and the path we would travel. Most of the time, however, many of us lived on autopilot, focused on survival.

Our parents pass down life models that we often adopt without stopping to ask ourselves what truly resonates with us, whether it is what we want to repeat, and whether it is worth multiplying that model for future generations.

I hope this reading invites you to review your life and make your own assessment of how life has found you at 55+ years of age. I am not referring to comparisons with others, nor to how we think we are viewed by our friends, parents, partner, or even our children. 

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You may still have 20+ years ahead of you—and that is an entire lifetime!

I suggest you practice an exercise and answer some questions about yourself from Your Own Perspective. Write your answers by hand (and keep the results).

Travel Through Time – Travel Within

Answer these questions calmly, allowing your intuition to guide your hand:

1. From the perspective of the child you once were:

• Is that childhood dream still alive within you?

• Did you pursue it or integrate it into your life over the years?

2. From the perspective of the young adult you were (20–23 years old):

• Are you where you imagined you would be at that age, or did your life take a completely different turn?

• If it took a different turn, was it worth it?

• Do you feel you gave importance to only one area of life, or were you trying to meet the expectations of others?

3. From the perspective of the adult you are today:

• Do you feel comfortable where you are today?

• Do you feel you are on the right path, or that something is missing?

• Do you feel it is still possible to make a change?

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Discovering your inner strength and your value at this stage of the journey can open the door to living from a different perspective.

What small action can you take today to bring greater inner alignment to your life at 55+ years of age?

Isabel Ruiz ,LIfe Coach , Panama 🦋🦋🦋