Midlife Women Chart New Course
AgeVenture News Service 04-10-03
For twenty years, the 40 million women of the boomer generation have achieved the American
dream like no other group. They've risen into corporate management, increased their wealth,
and excelled in careers previously closed to women. But in 2003, success comes harder. As
a result, midlife women are taking a hard look at what they want. Get ready. The women who
rebelled in the '60s and transformed the workplace in the
'80s are about to flex their demographic muscle once again.
Amy Lynch, publisher of OurSelves: The Newsletter for Women at the Center of Life,
hears from
women across the county, and she feels the pressures building. She says, "Between 45
and 55, women
take stock of their lives. We do that naturally when we shift from young adulthood
into midlife. But this
generation is in the midst of that reassessment at the same time that the economy is
tanking and
terrorism threatens our sense of security.
Just as women were struggling to move up from middle
management (only 12% of the upper-level executives in the country are women), the
marketplace began
to wither. A few years ago, if a woman was tired of looking at the glass ceiling,
she
could step out and
start her own business--and thousands did. But that's harder to do in an economy
as weak as this one.
The timeless question of midlife--'Who am I and what do I want now'-- takes on new
urgency if
your IRA is worth half of what it was five years ago and your husband just lost his job.
Retirement suddenly looks a lot farther off than it used to."
"While the world situation effects everyone, women in midlife react differently," says
Lynch. "I recently
spoke to a man returning from a yoga class. He said he was the only male among 40
middle-aged
women. Who is reading all those new books about recharging your life? Who is seeking
out life coaches
and therapists? Women in midlife."
"When options narrow," Lynch says. "Women go deep and figure out what matters most.
They
figure out what relationships they need to cement--both in their private lives and
their
working lives--and they figure out how to modify their dreams to keep them alive.
That's part
of having a 'relational' female mindset."
That's also where OurSelves: The Newsletter for Women at the Center of Life comes in.
The timing is
perfect. It helps a woman figure out where she has been, where she is, and make plans
for where she is
going now that things have changed.
OurSelves has the information midlife women need most in a form they actually have
time to read.
Recent issues contained stories about Midlife Crisis, Why We Laugh, The Power of
Friendship and
Dealing with Aging Parents. The May issue has stories about menopause as a
life-changing event, and a
look at midlife mothering in "Empty Nest, Full Bassinet." And every issue contains
a "Work and Worth"
column focused on bringing value and meaning to a woman's working life. Also,
increasingly important,
"Retire Late, Live Deep" gives pointers for planning ahead when times are uncertain.
10 issues, $29.95.
For more information or to subscribe, visit us at www.ourselves.com
Image credit: OurSelves
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AgeVenture News Service, www.demko.com
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Dr. Demko reports on lifestyle issues and trends in Aging America. Submit comments to:
demko@demko.com
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AgeVenture News Service, 19432 Preserve Drive, Boca Raton, FL 33498 USA
Dr. David Demko, Editor
Voice-mail: 561-482-6271. E-mail: demko@demko.com
