Mar 23, 2025 5 min read Intentional Living

Finding Space for Possibilities - Midlifehood Edition | Week 11 Post-layoff

Discover how creating space after job loss opens possibilities for midlife reinvention, from growing a business to preparing for tiny house living and intentional travel.

Looking closer at our bamboo reveals both resilience and transition - much like midlifehood itself, with its blend of new growth and natural letting go.

There's a curious thing that happens when you start creating space in your life - it doesn't stay empty for long. Not because it gets filled with the same old clutter, but because it makes room for new opportunities. When my nonprofit job ended eleven weeks ago, we didn't panic. Yes, it was a challenge, but it was also an opportunity - a chance to redefine what success looks like for us in this second half of life.

"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." — Joseph Campbell

This week, as we were working in the yard, (yes, the glamorous midlifehood adventure continues), our neighbor wandered over for a chat. "How are you guys?" he asked. We had spoken to him a few months ago and let him know that my full time job was ending and that our goal was to build the bookkeeping business and travel, so he was interested in knowing about the progress we'd made toward our goals.

We updated him on our bookkeeping business growth and showed him the camper sitting snuggly in the garage. We shared our plans to put the house up for sale and move to a tiny house, which will allow us to simplify, have a home base and travel. We noticed his expression shift from curious to excited. "That's great! Good for you guys!" he finally said. He shared that he and his wife are in the process of buying their first home and are excited about starting on their new journey.

His reaction, and that childhood excitement in his eyes, reminded me of a podcast I recently listened to about midlife. The host described how those of us in the 45-65 age range often feel a particular shift - not a crisis, but a calling to rediscover parts of ourselves that got buried under careers, mortgages, and responsibilities. Reinventing midlifehood is about finding ourselves, and that genuine path toward excitement, untethered from roles we assumed in our earlier years.

This Week's Reality Check:

✓ Passport renewals (adventure awaits, bureaucracy permitting)
✓ Deck and fence staining complete (sore muscles reminding us we're not 25)
✓ Weed removal from garden beds complete (temporarily, at least)
✓ Camper security (because freedom needs protection)
✓ Initial timeline established with tiny home builder
✓ Two clients we did one-time projects for signed up for ongoing services
✓ Bamboo diagnosis and rehabilitation plan

What We're Actually Doing:

The physical work of preparing our property continues, but there's something deeper happening beneath the surface. Each task on the to-do list that we complete feels like a checkpoint in a marathon. There's a certain symbolism in the home preparation process - we're not just fixing and updating, we're methodically untethering ourselves from our past life. Every repair completed, every garden bed cleared, every surface refreshed is both an ending and a beginning. We're honoring what this home has meant to us while consciously creating the space for someone new to build their own memories here, as we prepare to craft our simpler, more intentional life elsewhere.

Wooden deck showing transformation in progress with half stained in rich brown finish and half unstained, with staining roller and tray visible in the foreground. — Transformation in progress: Each completed task is both an ending and beginning. Like this deck, we're preparing a space for someone else's future while creating room for our own next chapter.

That podcast I mentioned talked about how reinvention is really rediscovery. It shared that your passion is in you, and has been all along. Passion isn't about a specific "thing", like photography, it's about how that "thing" makes you feel. It comes from "being eager to learn something new, change and grow," the host said, "and that feeling of being alive" - which reminded me of that look in our neighbor's eyes when he shared their new house plans and heard that our plan was progressing.

The host also said that "you need the space, and less pressure in life, to rediscover your passion." We realized that the needed space was created for us, with the loss of my job. Having that space allowed us to realize that we were on a hamster wheel, and that we were ready to explore the things that made us feel alive. Having that space also allowed us to double the number of bookkeeping clients in two months, setting us on the path to realize our goals were possible.

When we ordered locks for the camper hitch and wheels, it wasn't just about preventing theft - it was acknowledging that this little fiberglass shell represents our freedom to explore - and it needed protection. The conversations with the tiny home builder weren't just about construction timelines but about creating a space that fits our second half of life plans.

The truth is, intentional living isn't glamorous. It's sore muscles numb fingertips from pulling weeds while questioning whether your savings are sufficient. It's researching camper locks one minute and negotiating client contracts the next. It's learning to trust that inner voice that says, "This path feels right" even when it doesn't look like anyone else's path.

One additional piece of insight that resonated with me from that podcast is that, when faced with challenges, our initial reaction is to "fix" them. While we might think this is the strongest response—it's not. This response comes from our survival instinct. Instead of starting in "fix it" mode when faced with a challenge, we should start by accepting the situation we're in (being laid off), acknowledging how you feel about it (scared, but excited) before formulating a plan. This process creates space to see other possibilities (like reinventing midlifehood). That's how a challenge becomes an opening for growth rather than just a problem to solve.

Let's Talk:

Where in your life could you create a little space - physical, mental, or emotional - to allow something new to emerge? What one small step might open possibilities you haven't considered? How can you start with a small step? Start by being fully present in the moment and noticing the warmth of your coffee mug, the aroma and the taste.

Looking Forward:

Next week we'll finish putting down mulch in garden beds, treating our outdoor bamboo plants that didn't enjoy our winter (but are, in fact, still alive!), installing the flooring and lighting in the camper (finally) and begin moving things to a storage unit as we prepare to simplify further. Each step moves us closer to the freedom of fewer possessions and more experiences. It's a lifetime rediscovery and reinvention journey with no specific destination.

Tall golden bamboo plants growing densely in backyard with raised planter box and red rain barrel visible, showing plants in need of nutrients and care. — Our bamboo diagnosis: Not dead - just needs nutrients and water to thrive again.

But perhaps most importantly, we're continuing to listen to that quiet inner voice that's been waiting patiently through decades of busy-ness to guide us toward what truly matters in this next chapter.

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