I’m in my forties. And I’ll be honest with you about something that took me an embarrassingly long time to admit. For most of my adult life, I had very little idea who I actually was beneath the roles I was playing. I knew what I did. I knew what I was supposed to want. […]
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I’m in my forties. I’ve spent years wrestling with my own mind. The spiral of worry about things that never happened. The battles inside my head that nobody else could see… This essay is my own experience working through what I’ve learned about inner anxiety and tension, not from a clinical textbook, but from living […]
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You wake up. Check your phone. Already behind. Emails demanding responses. Bills demanding payment. A career demanding advancement. A body demanding maintenance. A world demanding you to be someone specific. Someone successful. Someone who has it all figured out. But here’s the truth nobody wants to admit: you don’t have it all figured out. Neither […]
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I spent most of my twenties trying to impress people I didn’t even like. Not in obvious ways. I wasn’t boasting or name-dropping. It was quieter than that. More exhausting. I’d edit my opinions before speaking. Soften my edges. Laugh at jokes I didn’t find funny. Choose restaurants based on what would seem sophisticated, not […]
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British philosopher Alan Watts often suggested that when the things that once excited us stop working, it doesn’t mean we’re broken. Especially in midlife, when old motivations fade, that quiet can feel unsettling. But it may point to something deeper: a shift away from chasing constant stimulation and toward a more grounded way of experiencing […]
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Midlife Doesn’t Always Look Like We Imagined At some point after 40, a quiet realization sets in: You’re probably not going to become the man you once pictured in your 20s or early 30s. For years, that realization flickered in the background of my thoughts. It didn’t come as a breakdown or dramatic life pivot, […]
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This article examines my personal growth as a man over 40 in relation to the challenging childhood experiences I have faced. It is not intended as clinical guidance. If you’re dealing with the ongoing effects of trauma, consider speaking to a qualified mental health professional. For many men over 40, life can feel like a […]
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