Change

A couple of years ago, my friend, Lesley Seymour, almost fell off her chair when I told her that although the hot flashes and brain fog were almost killing me, I wasn't on HRT because of the risks.

It turns out I was misinformed.

Unfortunately, we (menopausal and post-menopausal women) have been misinformed and under informed about a LOT of things when it comes to our bodies.

There's a good reason for that.

OUR DOCTORS ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW ANY MORE THAN WE DO.

That's right sisters, you can fit the amount of information taught in medical school about women's post-child bearing bodies on a couple of pages.

And that leaves out a LOT.

Luckily, there's a groundswell out there now and many young women entering medicine are choosing to research, understand, and care for women's bodies at every age.

I know this because I have been on the menopause conference circuit for the past couple of months.

If you're unaware (as I was) that such a thing even existed, contact me and I'll let you know who you can follow to stay in the loop.

Obviously, I am not menopause experts.

I was speaking at these conferences because I’m on a mission to make sure that this essential conversation doesn't exclude all the transitions women experience in this life stage that have little or nothing to do with our physical body.

Like other life transitions (we go through one every decade or so) post-50 transitions trigger or are triggered by shifts in identity, relationships, work, health and finances.

But UNLIKE every other life stage, in midlife and beyond, our focus also shifts.

Our early transitions mostly had to do with building - building a home, a bank account, a family, a career, a body of work, etc. - but this one tends to be about fulfillment.

That requires shifting focus from the specific outcomes of our efforts to the way we experience whatever we endeavor to do.

It's a tough thing to learn.

Not learning it, however, is why so many women feel stuck, overwhelmed or directionless.

Does this mean we stop building things or let go of our goals?

Absolutely not.

It simply means prioritizing the journey over the destination, and happily, that's something that you can do even when you're feeling stuck or uncertain.

You'll be surprised at how quickly things become clearer.