It's NOT a Midlife Crisis It's an Opportunity: How to be Forty-or Fifty-Something Without Going Off the Rails

by Andrew G. Marshall

It's good to take stock from time to time but at forty or fifty-something you can find that you're dissatisfied and bored. The temptation is to take a wrecking ball to your life but that risks alienating your partner and your children - without necessarily ending up any happier. Just gritting your teeth, doesn't work either - anyway, you've already tried that! Fortunately, there's another way to become fulfilled and lead the life that's right for you (rather than what your parents, society or anybody else thinks). If you're fed up with life, questioning whether you should stay married or thinking you might be better off with someone else, marital therapist Andrew G. Marshall has a radical idea to help you move from the first half to the second of your life without messing everything it's not a midlife crisis, it's an opportunity. He explains in part

The three central questions you need to answer (and why everybody else is distracting themselves and avoiding facing them). How to put what's happening now into the context of your whole life journey. How to avoid the tempting short-cuts that cause more heartache in the long term. Why if you pass this midlife test everything is up from here. Why you're not in the wrong. If it's your partner who has turned grumpy, critical and blames you for everything, you will be feeling alone and full of despair. Don't worry, in part two of this compassionate book, Andrew G. Marshall

A whole new vocabulary for discussing the midlife crisis without putting your partner's back up. What's really going on in your partner's head. What causes depression and how to help. Five killer replies to the blocks that stops you talking properly about your marriage. Why you're not in the wrong. Together you will learn three new skills that will either change your marriage into the connected, fulfilling and loving relationship of which you've always dreamed or help you separate amicably and be great coparents together.

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2017

About the author

Andrew has been a marital therapist for almost thirty years. He trained with RELATE the UK's leading couple counselling charity. He now has a private practice in London and Sussex (England), gives workshops on relationship and inspirational talks. His books have been translated into twenty languages (including French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Italian). He also writes for UK newspapers Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.

Andrew is also the host of the podcast "The Meaningful Life with Andrew G Marshall" where each week I interview therapists, academics and people with a story to tell about making better relationships, deeper connections understanding yourself and what makes life meaningful.

Reviews

[Ben Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full disclaimer I’m not really in the demographic that this book is aimed at. Anyway I found the book a fascinating insight, and handy guide, for how to attempt to answer some of the bigger questions in life. It feels very empowering to have the suggest that wisdom is contained within yourself or the people you know and you just have to be open to hearing it.

Well worth a read and nicely thought provoking. Will definitely be picking up more by this author in the future.

[Wednesday · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic book to read if you have got to the midlife period and are wondering what the heck is going on or if you have a person close to you going through a personal crisis or personality transplant. Very helpful advice that will put it all in perspective.

[Sean Wiseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. While it did a better job of shaping the problem than offering real "solutions," it still has some tremendously beneficial words of wisdom within.