man-o-pause

Midlife Crisis Wife

Menopause Humor

Since this is an equal opportunity midlife blog, I think it's only fair to follow How to Survive Male Menopause with a bit about your midlife crisis wife. I find it's best to use humor when trying to understand women, especially during that time of month. Women, if your significant other doesn't appreciate raging hormones, he will after viewing this video.

Hey guys, you could have it worse.

How to Survive Male Menopause

Male Menopause

When I came up with the name of this blog, Man-o-pause, I wanted to convey levity to the change of life for men. Unlike the female menopause, which has been researched, dissected and discussed for years, men rarely seek help when a midlife crisis strikes.

The fact is the male mid-life is no laughing matter. The midlife anger that often erupts for men can and does destroy family relationships, self esteem, and physical health.

Jed Diamond, a pioneer in the emerging field of male gender medicine, addresses a woman's concern in helping a spouse through his midlife crisis. He details the latest research findings on male menopause symptoms and on this crucial change of life for men.* For example,

* 52% of men between 40 and 70 in the U.S. are now going through male menopause.
* Men experience complex hormonal rhythyms that affect their mood, their physical well-being and their sexuality.
* Emotional symptoms include irritability, worry, indecisiveness and depression.
* Physical symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, short-term memory loss and sleep disturbance.
* Sexual symptoms include reduced libido, fear of sexual failure and an increased desire to "prove" he can still perform by seeking a younger partner.

Finally, male menopause is like adolescent puberty where a man faces issues of identity, sexuality, dependence and independence for the second time.

What makes this so difficult for the family, and spouse in particular, is that because the symptoms of male menopause often come on suddenly, the reaction is often one of judgement and recrimination.

I remember preparing for my son's eventual passage through adolescence when he was only a toddler. I had read that adolescence was very similar to the Terrible Twos. I thought that if I gave myself a 10-year head start, I'd be better prepared for the inevitable adolescent angst, and I was.

To my female readers, I recommend preparing for your husband's midlife as he approaches 40. I speak from experience. You'll need time to work through your own levels of acceptance, similar to Elizabeth Kübler-Ross's "Five Stages of Grief," because this phase often represents a "loss" of the man you once knew.

Change is never easy, but awareness is the first step toward acceptance and your man in this stage of life needs all the love, patience and mid-life support you can offer.

Ending on a lighter note, I just discovered a multi-search site at Webmonkey called Addict-o-matic™-inhale the web. I gathered all the news, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, top blogs and twitters, Diggs and Wikios found across the Web all about male menopause.

Isn't it great to know you're not alone?

* Go to How to Survive Male Menopause for the complete article.

Center4Humanity

There's no better cause today than the fight for human rights. Today, we stand at the cusp of global change. The deepening world crisis, on all levels, calls upon each and every one of us to focus on the purpose of humanity.

Compatriots of mine are launching a Web site that intends to meet the needs of humanity worldwide. It's called simply, The Center For Humanity. It's goal is to match human need with available resources. The watchword going forward is "sharing."

If you'd like to be notified when the site launches, just follow the Center 4 Humanity link, and add your email address.

In the meantime, Support Human Rights in any way you can. Even a simple act of kindness is registered by Cosmic Law.

Yes We Can!

Baby Boomers Move Over

A common refrain of the 60s was "you're either part of the problem, or part of the solution." Today, we stand at the cusp of change, and some believe it's time for the Boomers to step up or shut up.

Rough words but succinct and reflect the sentiments of Jeff Gordinier, author, X Saves the World: How Generation X Got the Shaft But Can Still Keep Everything From Sucking. Gordinier focuses on the contributions and accomplishments of the so-called "lost" generation, those born between 1964 and 1980. He says that the Baby Boomer mythology has actually stunted their growth.

If the following video doesn't inspire you to act, change, hope or dream, then I guess Gordinier is right. It's time to move over.

Starbucks' Mid-Career Crisis

Starbucks is hitting some resistance to its phenomenal growth. Same store sales are down, the CEO has publicly questioned the dilution of the brand and side offerings are getting lukewarm reception in the market. Is Starbucks going through a mid-life crisis?

Sounds similar to a corporate mid-career crisis. After having run half the marathon you're out of juice and not sure which path to take. Are you questioning your ability to make it to the finish line? So what does Starbucks tell us about getting a handle on this mid-career situation?

Growth Strategy: You are probably stuck mid-stream because you are unsure about your career path. Just like adding more stores is not working for Starbucks, you know what is not working for you but are unsure about what will. Strategize your growth and career options. Look at the big picture, and put the pieces together of where you want to be eventually. Then chalk out a plan for getting there. Confer with mentors. Review, evaluate and create your growth strategy. As they say – “if you don’t know where you are going, any road will do.”

Focus: Are you digressing from your strengths? Remember Starbucks trying to sell music and movies? Starbucks' true service offering is coffee, not music and movies. Don’t make that mistake in your career. Diversify, expand, learn, but keep your focus on what you do well and how to leverage those strengths to move forward.

Brand Management: When the Starbucks chairman, Howard Schultz, frets that rapid expansion is diluting the brand, there is something to learn from that message. You have a brand and your brand proclaims who you are. You have spent years inculcating that brand – don’t dilute your brand by being negligent and comfortable. Brand management requires exemplary delivery on the promise. Your brand and credibility is contingent on your execution. You cannot afford to let-up.

Capitalizing on your strengths is a big part of career progression. I recommend this post on career management. Whether you're looking to make a midlife career change or establishing a second career mid life, Mark Runta offers excellent advice on the subject.

Says Mark: "You have come this far and kudos to you for that accomplishment. But the race is still on and the last half is harder. A lot harder! The prepared, resolute and focused usually finish the race."

If you still have the energy to climb the ladder, Mark offers a free e-book, Unstuck, to help you reenergize your career progression.

Thanks to Mark Runta, who offers thoughts and comments on Project Management and Global Outsourcing on his blog.