I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts recently and on several I’ve encountered Dr Jim Hollis, a jungian-trained psychologist, thinker and writer. He says we all broadly have two halves to our lives.
The first half where we do stuff, we train, we acquire, we build careers, we get into relationships and have kids. It’s the ‘doing’ half. And it’s pretty crazy, busy.
Then (broadly speaking again) we should transition into the second half… more of a ‘soul’ stage where we need to stop and listen to our inner voices. (He notes some refuse this call and that leads to all sorts of consequences). But here’s his advice: We need to try and understand who we really are, that after all that frenetic ‘doing’ and achieving. Why we’re really here. What’s our reason for being…
Hollis calls it: “Understanding what is seeking expression through us.”
I’m definitely in the second half of life now.
And it’s wonderful and amazing in many unexpected ways. Not always comfortable, but definitely worth stopping and listening to my inner voice.
This journey is far from over. Many adventures to go, but perhaps because merely ‘achieving’ seems less important now, these adventures are and will be more meaningful and satisfying.
I’m asking myself: ‘What is seeking expression through me?’ Can’t wait to find out…
(Originally published on LinkedIn in April 2021)
