Who Am I Now?

Part 2 - The Menopause and Meaning Series: The messy middle of menopause—the birthplace of your next self.

There’s a stage in every transformation that’s rarely talked about: the middle. Not the exciting start of a new adventure, and not yet the clarity of a new beginning. Just the in between.

It’s that moment when old roles, titles, and rhythms no longer fit—but the new ones haven’t fully emerged. You feel stripped down, uncertain. There’s grief, confusion, longing. Maybe even a sense of invisibility.

And yet, this “messy middle” is often where the magic starts.

In midlife—and especially during menopause—this is where many of us find ourselves. No longer the caretakers of young children. Perhaps no longer tethered to a career that once defined us. The body has changed. The calendar has changed. Our sense of identity? Also shifting.

This is the fertile ground where a new ikigai begins to take root—if we’re willing to be still long enough to listen.