Barbara Waxman

The Middlescence Manifesto: Igniting the passion of midlife

Welcome to the revolution. For as long as anyone can remember, we've associated midlife with unwelcome life changes and stagnation. It's been a harbinger of future decline and potential disability, a time when people begin to worry about being "over the hill." The truth is, people between the ages of about 45 and 65 are at the top of the hill. Since 1900, we have increased life expectancy from 47 to nearly 80 years, and many of us will live even longer. Yet our thinking about "age" is stuck in a paradigm from the last century. The years added to our lives aren't more years of being 'old;' rather, they have created a new life stage in the middle. More and more, people at midlife are bumping up against stereotypes and expectations that no longer fit their reality. The definition of a "manifesto" is a public declaration to create significant cultural change-this short book does nothing less.The Middlescence Manifesto is a call to action and a declaration of a new understanding of what it means to be in midlife today. Rather than perpetuating ageist attitudes or expectations about turning 40, 50 or 60, the Manifesto describes a path to understanding midlife as "Middlescence," a new life stage, filled with potential, vitality and purpose. Backed by quantitative research and the qualitative data collected over Barbara Waxman's 30 years as a gerontologist, the Manifesto establishes that Middlescents are happier and more purpose-driven than almost any other demographic segment. This book provides actionable tools and techniques to tap into those qualities. The Middlescence Manifesto is designed to ignite a revolution. This new life stage - born of our increased longevity - can be filled with creativity, focus and potential. We can harness our leadership abilities to revolutionize our own lives and those of our family members, as well as revolutionizing our communities, workplaces, and the world.