New York Times bestselling author and co-founder/CEO of The Modern Elder Academy “reminds us all to savor the wisdom, self-knowledge, and joy that accompanies [the middle decades] of our lives” (Father Richard Rohr) and “provides a clear blueprint for creating the lives we want” (Gretchen Rubin) The midlife crisis is the butt of so many jokes, but this long-derided life stage has an upside. What if we could reframe our thinking about the natural transition of midlife not as a crisis, but as a chrysalis—a time when something profound awakens in us, as we shed our skin, spread our wings, and pollinate our wisdom to the world? In Learning to Love Midlife, Chip Conley offers an alternative narrative to the way we commonly think of our 40s, 50s and 60s. Drawing on the latest social science research, inspiring stories, and timeless wisdom, he reveals 12 reasons why life gets better with age. They include: The relief of “my body doesn’t define me:” We finally grow comfortable in our own skin Stepping off the treadmill: We redefine what a successful life looks like The “Great Midlife Edit:” We let go of our emotional baggage, mindsets, and obligations that no longer serve us Growing whole: We begin to feel a part of something bigger than ourselves No matter where you are in your midlife journey, this perspective‑shifting guide will inspire you to find joy, purpose and success in the years that lie ahead—and how those years can be your best ones yet.

Experience is making a comeback. Learn how to repurpose your wisdom. At age 52, after selling the company he founded and ran as CEO for 24 years, rebel boutique hotelier Chip Conley was looking at an open horizon in midlife. Then he received a call from the young founders of Airbnb, asking him to help grow their disruptive start-up into a global hospitality giant. He had the industry experience, but Conley was lacking in the digital fluency of his 20-something colleagues. He didn't write code, or have an Uber or Lyft app on his phone, was twice the age of the average Airbnb employee, and would be reporting to a CEO young enough to be his son. Conley quickly discovered that while he'd been hired as a teacher and mentor, he was also in many ways a student and intern. What emerged is the secret to thriving as a mid-life worker: learning to marry wisdom and experience with curiosity, a beginner's mind, and a willingness to evolve, all hallmarks of the "Modern Elder." In a world that venerates the new, bright, and shiny, many of us are left feeling invisible, undervalued, and threatened by the "digital natives" nipping at our heels. But Conley argues that experience is on the brink of a comeback. Because at a time when power is shifting younger, companies are finally waking up to the value of the humility, emotional intelligence, and wisdom that come with age. And while digital skills might have only the shelf life of the latest fad or gadget, the human skills that mid-career workers possess--like good judgment, specialized knowledge, and the ability to collaborate and coach - never expire. Part manifesto and part playbook, Wisdom@Work ignites an urgent conversation about ageism in the workplace, calling on us to treat age as we would other type of diversity. In the process, Conley liberates the term "elder" from the stigma of "elderly," and inspires us to embrace wisdom as a path to growing whole, not old. Whether you've been forced to make a mid-career change, are choosing to work past retirement age, or are struggling to keep up with the millennials rising up the ranks, Wisdom@Work will help you write your next chapter.

The richest, most fulfilling love of your life is yet to come! "The Authentic Heart offers practical, wise, and compassionate guidance for midlife love."--Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry "The Authentic Heart is a groundbreaking, insightful, warmly written book that I highly recommend to anyone wanting more loving, joyful relationships. John Amodeo addresses with great clarity, wisdom, and practicality the key steps that are necessary for building authentic, mature, loving connections--not only with others, but also with oneself."--John Bradshaw, New York Times bestselling author of Healing the Shame that Binds You "Just what millions want to know--not only how to make love last but how to make lasting love new again and again. This warmhearted and clearheaded book is full of practical wisdom."--Gay Hendricks, Ph.D., and Kathlyn Hendricks, Ph.D., authors of Conscious Loving and The Conscious Heart As you enter midlife, you may feel that something you've always longed for has never happened. Frustrated, you may give up on love or cling to young images of romantic love, hoping that another person will furnish happiness. You may experience a growing sense of depression, anxiety, or cynicism. But as psychotherapist and relationship expert Dr. John Amodeo explains, authentic love takes time and maturity. At midlife, you hold the extraordinary potential to become more fully awake and alive in your relationships than ever before. In this groundbreaking book, Dr. Amodeo helps you rediscover love at its best. You'll learn how to overcome the psychological obstacles that have kept you from developing satisfying relationships. And you'll learn the eight enriching steps that release your authentic self for the fullness of genuine connection. Whether you're seeking true love for the first time or wish to deepen the joy and meaning in your current relationship, The Authentic Heart guides you along the path to a more vibrant partnership in the prime of your life.

An award-winning journalist tells the inspiring story of her unlikely midlife journey to master the daunting sport of obstacle course racing—a powerful, science-based account of the change possible at any age when we push limits. “This story of personal transformation is thrilling.”—Gretchen Rubin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Life in Five Senses In her midforties, Gwendolyn Bounds attended a dinner party where someone asked a little girl: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It struck Bounds: In middle age, no one asks you that anymore. So she put the question to herself. The answer set her on an unexpected five-year path of transformation from an unathletic office executive glued to her screens to an age-group medalist and world championship competitor in obstacle course racing—a demanding military-style sport requiring speed, endurance, mobility, and strength. In Not Too Late, Bounds explores how tackling something new and hard upended her expectations for middle age—while also helping her reconcile regrets of her youth. Her story takes us from playgrounds and gyms, where Bounds relearns childhood movements (swinging from monkey bars, climbing a rope); to far-flung Spartan Race courses, where she strives to master running in difficult terrain and to conquer challenges such as scaling tall walls, crawling under barbed wire, and carrying heavy loads of rocks up mountains. Bounds’s journey offers inspiration and a road map for anyone craving more out of life. Woven through Not Too Late are insights from scientists, longevity doctors, philosophers, elite athletes, and performance experts on how to reimagine our limits and who we think we are. Through Bounds’s story, as she changes her body and mindset, we learn about humans’ capacity to tap inner reserves, face fears, locate intrinsic motivation, and push boundaries at any life stage. Ultimately, one message prevails: When unleashing our full potential, age can be a secret weapon.

Conjugial love is God as a feeling. It is the spiritual heat and light of every soul. It is the feeling of reaching-up as love to the Lord, together with the feeling of reaching-out as mutual-love to the neighbor. To receive conjugial love requires that we first will the feeling of love upwards and then outwards. In this way, we expand our sense-of-self to get a glimpse of the feeling of the four-fold rhythm of Divine order. Once the sensual rhythm of Divine order had been established as the feeling of love, it purifies our feeling of self of its identification and attachment with the physical body. This new spiritual perspective transforms our sense-of-self from personality to individuality, which then awakens the feeling of conjugial love. The feeling of conjugial love is our Path of Return. Within the flow of the feeling of conjugial love, we can sense our spiritual self, first as the feeling of profound peace, but then as higher states of love, as feelings of being infinite and eternal.

Heart and Soul magazine 101 Ways is like talking to your sister when she´s got all the right answers. Black Issues Book Review An ambitious...guide to personal growth and fulfillment through the practice of loving one´s self. Walker touches upon topics as diverse as respecting your elders and loving your hair, devoting each chapter to a single principle. Walker often seems to be thinking out loud, as if she´s writing a journal entry or letter to a close friend...The very completion of this 101-chapter volume is no small feat and should serve as an inspiration to aspiring writers. Midwest Book Review An impressively practical self-help guide written especially to aid black women to get in touch with their spiritual side, experience a zest for life, and achieve a personal liberation. Walker articulately and persuasively takes the position that true healing does not come overnight, but rather it gradually evolves over time, once we learn not to look outward for validation and approval, and only when we embrace the love of God. 101 Ways Black Women Can Learn To Love Themselves is definitely recommended as being an unusually powerful, emotionally charged, and uplifting personal improvement and self-help guide. Kanika A. Wade, The Rawsistaz Book Reviewers As a black woman on her own personal journey, I found this book to be powerful, very emotional, and moving to read. I felt that the author at times was speaking directly to me, providing the encouragement and strength that I need as I move forward into new horizons. Jamie Walker offers a book that with an open heart, many can and will find healing. As a young black woman, I am thankful that Ms. Walker heeded the call and wrote a book that all black women, regardless of age should read. Venus Noble Jamie Walker is insightful and wise way beyond her years. A page turner would not describe the inability to put this book down! There is wit and humor in every single passage! No Black woman´s bookshelf should be without this manual of self worth and respect. Though apparently geared toward Black women, it is useful for any woman who will open her mind to learning about herself and growing. Social Worker/Activist; Oakland, California Joy Parham, Assistant to the Librarian; UC Merced I believe this is a necessary and encouraging message Jamie is sending out to Black women, especially our young Black women. Most of us didn´t tap into our inner selves until we had experienced numerous trials and tribulations in life. We didn´t see the value in the valley. This is definitely a book I will add to my collection. Esther Cooper Jackson, co-founder of Freedomways magazine An excellent resource! Columbus Metropolitan Main Library (representing ten branches) A Must Read! BOOK SUMMARY Self-love is the only kind of love that can every truly heal and rescue us, causing us to be more open in all of our other relationships, activities, and endeavors. 101 Ways Black Women Can Learn to Love Themselves this book is about self-actualization, the power of sisterhood, the healing power of sharing our own stories, and the beauty o

Personal and professional coaching, which has emerged as a powerful career in the last several years, has shifted the paradigm of how people who seek help with life transitions find a "helper" to partner with them in designing their desired future. No matter what kind of sub-specialty a coach might have, life coaching is the basic operating system: a whole-person, client-centered approach. Here, Pat Williams, who has been a leader in the life coaching movement, has co-authored another essential book for therapists working as coaches. Becoming a Professional Life Coach draws on the wisdom of years of collective experience that have gone into designing the curriculum for the Institute for Life Coach Training. This curriculum has trained therapists and psychologists around the world to add coaching to their current businesses. This book presents the essential elements of life coach training program in a content-rich form that is equivalent to a graduate-level education in the field.