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Learning to Love Midlife

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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:

12 Reasons Life Gets Better With Age

1. You Have More Life Left Than You ThinkLongevity literacy reveals decades of opportunity post-50.
2. You No Longer Let Your Body Define YouMidlife brings acceptance and freedom from vanity-driven self-worth.
3. Your Emotional Intelligence ImprovesEQ rises with age—self-awareness, empathy, and emotional regulation strengthen.
4. You Prioritize Relationships Over PossessionsTime becomes finite, so connection becomes priceless.
5. You Stop Caring About What Doesn’t MatterYou have fewer “fucks to give,” and that’s a good thing.
6. You Accumulate WisdomWisdom compounds like interest—it becomes more useful and portable over time.
7. You Understand the Story of Your LifeWith age comes perspective; you begin to connect the dots and see life’s themes.
8. You Learn to Edit Your LifeMidlife is a natural time to shed old identities, expectations, and masks.
9. You Redefine Success and Step Off the TreadmillNo more chasing someone else’s goals—you define joy and fulfillment for yourself.
10. You Shift From Ego to SoulLife becomes less about doing and more about being.
11. You Discover a Deeper Sense of PurposeYou think more about meaning, legacy, and impact than image or performance.
12. You Grow Whole, Not Just OldInstead of unraveling, you integrate your experiences to become more complete.