The Shift

“Thoroughly unprepared, we take this step into the afternoon of life. Worse still, we take this step with the false presupposition that our truths and our ideals will serve us as hitherto. We cannot live the afternoon of life according to the program of life’s morning. For what was great in the morning will be little at evening. And what in the morning was true, in evening will have become a lie.” Wayne Dyer

This weekend, I watched Dr. Wayne Dyer’s movie, “The Shift.” In it, Dr Dyer is being interviewed for a documentary at Asilomar Resort and Conference Center in Monterey Bay. He is surrounded by people who are experiencing this “Shift” and we get to see their stories, while being enlightened by Dr. Dyer’s spiritual and philosophical brilliance at the same time.

Dr. Dyer begins by chunking our life existence into two categories: the morning and afternoon. I found this to be quite fascinating and realized that I am in the midst of this shift myself. It’s a quite exciting and magical time that you, too, can probably relate to…

In the morning phase of our lives, we are operating from a place of societal conditioning and self-exploration. Women, especially, focus on our roles within our families and taking care of others. According to Dyer, based on a study he read, women’s top values during the mornings of their lives rank as such:

1. Family
2. Independence
3. Career
4. Fitting In
5. Being Attractive

When I first heard this, I was saddened to realize how conflicted we women are in the mornings of our lives. We sincerely strive for independence, while trying to please everyone around us, which creates much confusion and potential resentment to those closest to us.

The good news is that when we enter the afternoons of our lives, which is usually preceded by an unexpected event or trauma, our priorities shift dramatically in a very positive direction and become:

1. Personal Growth
2. Self Esteem
3. Spirituality
4. Happiness
5. Forgiveness

This set of values is much more empowering and clear about women wanting to live their authentic lives and fulfilling a sense of personal purpose. I thought “ Forgiveness ” was funny, yet necessary, so that we can forgive the people who conditioned us so well in our early years! It is a necessary component to let go of resentment to those who “told us how to be.” After all, they were operating from a place of love and doing the best they could with what they had. Like Oprah says, “When you know better, you do better.”

I found the shift for men to be equally interesting and discovered that I have been dating men who are clearly still in the mornings of their lives. Here are the top five values for men in their morning stages:

1. Wealth
2. Adventure
3. Achievement
4. Pleasure
5. Respect

The shift in men is quite lovely. As they grow into their authentic selves, they most value:

1. Spirituality
2. Personal Peace
3. Family
4. God’s Will or Purpose
5. Honesty

So, it is safe to say that we do indeed get better with age! I encourage you to embrace where you are on your timeline, wherever that may be and just know that change is inevitable and that the Universe is conspiring for your highest good!

Enjoy the journey!
Dawn McIntyre
www.boldlybeautiful.com