Is the word upheaval too strong to associate with Midlife?

We are hearing the word "upheaval" constantly in the news: “We are in a global upheaval.”

You will frequently hear me use the term "upheaval" in relation to adolescence and midlife; in fact, adolescent and midlife upheavals are two of the mysteries I set out to solve in the book I am writing. I will be honest, though, every time I use it, I think it’s too strong a word, especially in relation to what is happening in the world today. But when I go back to the definition, a period of change that causes a lot of conflict, confusion, and anger, it is undeniably accurate. In fact, you could replace the definition of adolescence and midlife with the definition of upheaval. 

Adolescence: a period of change that causes a lot of conflict, confusion and anger…I would add… caused by the search for our authentic self, we are often told to compromise.

Midlife: a period of change that causes a lot of conflict, confusion and anger.… I would add… caused by the search for our authentic self, which we ourselves have compromised.

Given what is happening in the world today, "upheaval" is a strong word, but for the sake of the world, I’m not going to underplay these two unavoidable life upheavals. I’m not going to compromise.

Many get stuck trying to fix, optimize, or reinvent themselves during the Midlife upheaval. Watch for details about our March workshop, where we navigate a reflective path to reconnect with our authentic selves.