Barbara Waxman, a gerontologist, author and life coach, has coined the term middlescence to describe a new stage in midlife and beyond.

She describes it as a transitional period often accompanied by physical changes, as well as social and economic changes. Sound familiar? Physical and hormonal changes are what we think of when we talk about adolescence. More important, Middlescence is like adolescence but with wisdom thrown in. Barbara defines it as the period from 45 to 75ish. In her words, it is “a turning point from which adults continue to develop and grow. (It is) a life stage created by increased longevity patterns in the 21st century.”

Our conversation ranges widely, from exploring the concept of Middlescence, to redefining success in this stage of life.

What we talked about:

• Why midlife is such a popular topic right now
• Middlescence vs. adolescence
• How to counter ageism
• How to change the narrative of how we feel when we look in the mirror and see our aging selves
• Barbara’s gap year in Italy – she calls it repotting (like a plant)
• The importance of lifelong learning
• What contributes to thriving or not thriving
• The 5 essentials mindset and why it is so important

Mentioned in this episode:

• Barbara’s definition of Middlescence
• The Middlescence Manifesto by Barbara Waxman
• Also available as a download from her site
• Modern Elder Academy in Baja, Mexico where Barbara is teaching in April 2020
• Download Barbara’s Thriving Quiz to see how well you score
• Check out Barbara’s CBS Morning interview (“Don’t call it a midlife crisis… !”)