In the Season of Letting Go
The first hints of autumn are here. Mornings are cooler, the light gentler. I continue with twice weekly visits to my wood, noticing how each tree seems to know exactly when to let go. It made me think about ageing, not as decline, but as another kind of growth. A quieter one. Here’s a reflection […]
Beyond Labels: Gen X, Boomers, and Generation Jones in the Age of AI and Later Life
Eleanor Mills recently argued that Gen X may prove to be the unexpected winners in the AI revolution. As the workplace shifts under technological disruption, she highlights how midlifers’ blend of experience and adaptability could become their greatest asset. But her framing also raises a bigger question: how do the different generations currently in midlife […]
The Harsh Reality of Ageing in Construction Work
This week I came across an article urging the construction industry to retain older workers as the solution to labour shortages. On the surface it sounded sensible, but it made me stop in my tracks. From years of research and conversations with people in later life, I know the reality is far tougher. Here’s my […]
Behind the Scenes: The Copy-Editing Stage
This past week I’ve been deep in edits for my new book, Career Coaching for Midlife and Beyond. It reminded me how much of writing happens out of sight. People often imagine books arriving fully formed, but there are many quiet stages before they become the finished copy you see on a shelf. One of […]
Seventy is the New Seventy
Why should you read this?Because ageing is changing, but not in the same way for everyone. I bring the perspective of someone who’s lived through nearly seven decades, worked for over five, and seen peers who began working at 15 or 16 in tough, physical jobs. Their reality isn’t captured by neat averages. My voice […]
The Six Arts of Confucius: Lessons for Later Life
Earlier this week I wrote about attending the Confucius Festival. It was a fascinating experience, but for me it didn’t feel quite enough. Later, looking back at one of the photographs I’d taken, a poster listing the Six Arts of Confucius, I realised I wanted to know more. Some of the arts made sense straight […]
Finding Calm at the Confucius Festival
This week I found myself at the Confucius Festival in Gloucester. I hadn’t planned to write about it, but the experience stayed with me. There was food, conversation, drumming, even a puzzle involving numbers – yet what lingered most were the lessons about community and responsibility between generations. I thought I’d share a little of […]
A Birthday in the Wood: Stories, Memories, and What We Hold Close
This year, I chose to spend my birthday at my wood. It felt right, a return to what I did on my 65th, when I marked the day with reflection, looking back at the year gone by and forward to what might come. I’d already had a week of holding space for a Vision Quest, […]
A Letter to My 35-Year-Old Self
Reflections from 68 to anyone who feels they’re running out of time Dear Denise, You’re 35 now, caught in the swirl of work, parenting, and proving yourself. You think time is running fast and you have to keep up. Let me reassure you: life is long. Longer than you imagine. At 68, I can see […]
Late 60s and Letting Things Settle
Recently I received an email from my publisher.My next book, Career Coaching for Midlife and Beyond, is now live on Amazon and their website, ready for release on 28 October. I read through the description. It covers my background: decades of work in career psychology, retirement coaching, and my PhD at 64. Then I reached […]