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As we approach the new year, I&rsquo;ve been thinking about change. I was stopped at a traffic light the other day when I noticed a bumper sticker on the car in front of me. It read &ldquo;Midlife Crisis in Progress.&rdquo; I got a little chuckle out of it, as the car was pretty beat up. Not the hot little sports car you&rsquo;d imagine someone going through a midlife crisis to be driving.
				I got to thinking about when my husband was going through what I believe was his midlife crisis. He bought a sporty dirt bike and all of the gear to go with it. After riding like a teenager through the woods of Bear Creek for a year or two, he finally hurt his knee and parked the bike in the garage. He would come home and tell me stories of people chasing him off of their property. He thought it was funny, but I thought he&rsquo;d lost his mind. He eventually lost interest in the dirt bike and sold it. I think he realized he valued his health more than the bike.
				I had my own midlife crisis when I was in my early 40s and my youngest went off to college. I decided I needed to add a bit to my 50-hour workweek by opening a restaurant. I remember feeling a little depressed about my empty nest and the thrill I got from all of the planning that goes into opening a new business.
				It takes your mind off of everything else. The problem is, once that initial rush ends, you&rsquo;re left with all of the work that goes along with a new business. While I loved owning and operating a restaurant, I might have been better off buying a shiny new car to get me through my gloominess.
				Sometimes a midlife crisis leads to a radical change.
				In his early 50s, Dan Carey found himself disillusioned with his job in the corporate world and looking to make a change. He had the opportunity to accept a severance package and decided to take it. During the process of interviewing for a similar job with another company, he realized he wanted to do something completely different with his life. He told me he was unsure of what that was, but knew he had one year of severance in which to figure it out.
				He put the question out to the LinkedIn group he was part of, and two different people suggested that he had the personality of a barber. That peaked his interest, so he looked into barber schools. He found his calling and after finishing his schooling, he opened his old-world style barbershop called Carey&rsquo;s Avenue Barber Shop, which is of course located on Carey Avenue in Wilkes-Barre. This was a welcome change for Dan. While he might not be making as much money, he said he is much happier.
				A good friend of mine made a radical change a well. Hers was probably a combination of drastic new direction/midlife crisis. She is a cancer survivor who found herself facing the reality of being an empty nester. She decided she wanted to pursue her dreams of a snowbird lifestyle while she still had time. Her youngest just went off to college, she was dissatisfied with her job, and she felt like she was in a rut and needed a change in work as well as scenery. Luckily her husband agreed with her.
				She told me that at first she and her husband were enjoying being empty nesters, but the novelty soon wore off. She said, &ldquo;you just don&rsquo;t know what&rsquo;s around the corner and I didn&rsquo;t want to wait anymore.&rdquo; I think she was feeling what we all feel at times. Like we&rsquo;re just not able to live in the present and enjoy the here and now. She stressed about so many things that we all stress about. Am I going to be able to pay for college for my kids? Do I have enough saved for retirement? The list goes on.
				She stopped stressing, sold her house, moved to Miami, and accepted a new job. Well, maybe not in that exact order. Her husband finished up his work here and soon followed. Although she will admit this complete change in their lives might have been a midlife crisis, they are both very happy with the resulting move.
				Not all midlife crises have happy endings. You hear about a lot of rash decisions made by people not thinking clearly. Whether it be having an affair, getting a regrettable tattoo, or buying an expensive toy they can&rsquo;t afford. The husband of another good friend grew his hair long, started wearing jeans that were way too tight, and had the typical affair. He and my friend divorced and years later he left the country with his girlfriend.
				While this wasn&rsquo;t the best scenario, a midlife crisis is not necessarily a bad thing. We can use our thoughts, wishes, and ideas in a more positive way. Whether it be creating new goals or committing to a healthier, happier way of living, taking positive steps can bring new energy to our lives.
				Someone once told me that we need to stop our search for happiness and realize that happiness may actually be right in front of us. I have another friend who made a dramatic midlife change that led to total happiness for her. She built an impressive career, lived in a beautiful part of the country, yet found herself increasingly unhappy.
				She told me she spent a lot of time worrying about making everyone else happy and finally decided to focus on making herself happy instead. This led to her cutting back on work and fostering a beautiful little boy. She eventually adopted both him and his baby brother. I thought she was being impulsive, but was wrong, because she&rsquo;s happier than I&rsquo;ve ever seen her. She says her life is not perfect, but it&rsquo;s perfectly hers. This major change in her life definitely suits her.
				If a midlife slump or the stress of a pandemic year finds you questioning your future, try to stay present, and appreciate the positives in your life. If you really feel the need to make changes as you ring in the new year, it&rsquo;s never too late to set new goals or launch a new career like Dan.
				When well thought out, change can be good. The key is taking the time to think carefully before making any major changes. Life is precious and it&rsquo;s never too late to create the one you want.
				Did you realize that Betty White didn&rsquo;t become a household name until the age of 51 when she joined &ldquo;The Mary Tyler Moore Show&rdquo;? Henry Ford didn&rsquo;t debut his creation, the Model T, until age 45. Sam Walton was 44 when he founded Wal-Mart, and Julia Child was 49 when her first cookbook was published. I still get excited when I think of what my future may hold. We&rsquo;re never too old for positive change.
				Ruth Corcoran is a professional marketer, former restaurant owner, and community advocate. She resides in Bear Creek. Readers can reach Ruth by emailing ruth@corcoranpr.com.

Life at Full Throttle: Midlife crisis or new direction in life?