LIVING LA DOLCE VITA IN MIDLIFE

Living the sweet life in Midlife - no more rushing and fussing, just lots of balance, peace and joy.

LIVING THE SWEET LIFE IN MIDLIFE

According to Think In Italian living "la dolce vita" means living a life full of beauty, pleasures, and mundane events. (Note the definition included "mundane events" - not leaping from one exiciting, action packed moment to the next). It translates to "living the sweet life". A similar expression is "dolce far niente" which is "the sweetness of doing nothing" - I remember coming across that term in the book/movie "Eat, Pray, Love" where the main character learns about the sweetness of slowing down and having restful moments, instead of living at a break neck pace all the time.


It contrasts completely with Ricky Martin's song "Livin' La Vida Loca" - which is "living the crazy life" - I've been there and done that, and it holds absolutely no appeal at all. That way of living, like the song, is all frenetic rhythm and beat - fun for a few minutes, but exhausting long term.

SLOW, STEADY AND SWEET

When I reached my 50's I started re-thinking what I valued and began weighing up what felt right for me versus what I'd been doing because I needed to, or because I thought I had to. As my responsibilities reduced, so did the pressure I put on myself, and in the process I discovered the joy of living life at a slower and sweeter pace.

I'm not "successful" as defined by our modern day society - I'm not one of the movers, shakers, influencers, or stars. But I'm completely content, and satisfied with where I am and how I got to this place. I've never pushed, shoved, or walked over anyone to get here. I didn't compromise my values or exploit anyone for gain. I've just worked hard, done what was needed, and reached a pleasant place in life where I feel like I'm living la dolce vita. Satisfaction is my version of success.

A satisfied life is better than a successful life. Because our success is measured by others, but our satisfaction is measured by our own soul, mind and heart.

DOING MY OWN SWEET THING

I'm 60 now and I've finally discovered the joy of doing my own thing, doing it every day, doing it unapologetically, and being less discouraged by the opinions of others or by fear of failure. I'm trying new things, I'm having fun, and I'm taking life one day at a time with less planning and less worry.

It's a beautiful way to live and that's why I chose "Fabulous" as my Word of the Year - I feel like I'm living a fabulous life - in my own time, in my own way, on my own terms. You can't get much sweeter than that.

Do your thing. Do it unapologetically. Don’t be discouraged by criticism. Asher Roth quote

RELATED POSTS


Living the sweet life in Midlife - no more rushing and fussing, just lots of balance, peace and joy.
Living the sweet life in Midlife - no more rushing and fussing, just lots of balance, peace and joy.

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Cresting the Hill - a blog for Midlife (Middle Aged / 50+) women who want to thrive

38 comments

  1. What a fabulous word! Have a fabulous year Leanne!

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    1. Thanks Janet - it's going to be a really good year despite all the upheavals around us - we just need to choose to look at the good stuff and appreciate our blessings.

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    1. Thanks Judith - it feels fabulous and I really want to encourage others to look for that same sense of appreciating all the positives and not get caught up in the less lovely stuff.

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  3. While it might not always seem that way, I'm actually living my life at a much slower pace than I was as well. I still like to have a plan, but today's plan was "read a book all afternoon in the sun and order dinner to go"! Slow, sweet, and yummy. Yup, La Dolce Vita. Fabulous!

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    1. I imagine your life is a lot slower and sweeter than it was in your full on busy working days Pat. Choosing how to spend your day and how busy or slow to go is such a joy isn't it? And your afternoon and evening sound just perfecto!

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  4. Hi, Leanne - I agree that there is much beauty and pleasure in the ordinary...which actually makes the ordinary 'extraordinary'. La Dolce Vita makes sense to me!

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    1. You're so right Donna - so often we take those little ordinary moments for granted, but if we slow down and look at them, they're pretty sweet - and there's an awful lot to be thankful for isn't there?

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  5. Lovely to read you've found your groove and it's looking pretty fabulous!

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    1. I like the sound of "finding my groove" Deb - it's so nice to live on my own terms and pleasing myself without having to worry about juggling so many other commitments - life is indeed sweet!

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  6. Hi Leanne. Your words continue to inspire me! The words, Success, vs. satisfied, are especially meaningful to me, as I was reading this. I'm finally moving away from valuing other people's opinions, more than my own. I am truly satisfied, with my life, and who I am. xxx Christina Daggett

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    1. Hi Christina - I totally understand that. I still get caught up in worrying that my life doesn't measure up to how others would rate as 'successful' - but I'm slowly learning to look inside myself and if I feel happy and at peace, then why would I be worried about what others might or might not be thinking? Trusting my own instincts and living within my own value system has been such a release!

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  7. There's so much freedom and joy in following our hearts and doing what we are really called to do. I'm experiencing this too.

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    1. It's a good feeling isn't it Corinne? I think it helps me to just let go of all the big stuff I have no control over, and just enjoy the small sweet bites of each day. I refuse to sink into the despondancy that is so prevelant in our world today. x

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  8. Yes! I love this.. and was rather fortunate to stumble onto this sort of life for myself at quite a young age. Granted I still have kids living at home so I can't always live just for me but I have raised them to enjoy simple pleasures as well and embrace a slower pace of life as well.

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    1. I wish I'd discovered it much earlier Joanne - I think it comes from being confident enough in your own choices that you can let everything flow over and around you while you just get on with doing what feels right for you (and your family). It's such a pleasant way to live isn't it?

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  9. Leanne, we all have our ups and downs, but drawing from a sense of satisfaction makes the difficult times easier to cope with. Welcome to your sixties!

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    1. Hi Suzanne - I can't imagine life without its highs and lows, but each passes and if we keep choosing to look for the sunshine each day, then there's a lot of goodness out there. And thanks for the 60's welcome - I think it's going to be a really good decade :)

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  10. Isn't it great to reach this point in life Leanne? I'm loving living life in the slow lane these days. Occasionally I miss working full time....just for 5 mins, till I remember the rushing around and all those things I didn't have time for.

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    1. Hi Jen - occasionally I miss work too, until I realize that I'm not sure I have even one day a week I'd be prepared to sacrifice to sit in an office for 8 hours. I wonder if it's because it's something I think I 'should' be wanting still, rather than something I'd actually like to be doing? Because right now I love every minute of the life I have :)

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  11. Leanne,
    I loved this post!! I am right with you in finally living the life you worked so hard to achieve...Even though I still am quite busy and have To Do Lists, they are things that i enjoy doing now on those lists like crafting, decorating and even though I thought I would never say this in my life, cooking!! LOL! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comment!! It was my pleasure to mention you in my post about my Word, Theme and Goal for the New Year!! You have inspired me so over the past 3 years!! Stay safe, healthy and happy!!
    Hugs,
    Debbie

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    1. Hi Debbie - it's such a wonderful discovery to find out how much we're enjoying this stage of life isn't it? I can't believe how happy I am to have so few commitments. There's lots of things I can do during my week, but none that I really HAVE to do if I don't choose to - what a privileged life to live! And your post on thankfulness reminded me of that - appreciating every day for what it is and how blessed we are to be doing so well in these uncertain times.

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  12. Lovely to see your confident approach to living your life, your way. No more rule following that does not fit your values nor life these days. It's a sweet spot you have hit..and all by your own development and exploration about what you want/need. Not everyone has the courage to do this and I know your path has not been smooth. All the better though because of that!
    Thank you for sharing your post with us for Life This Week Link Up at Denyse Whelan Blogs. I hope to see you back next Monday. Denyse.

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    1. Hi Denyse - it feels like such a joy to have weathered the storms and found a pleasant place to moor the boat of my life for as long as I feel happy to be here. Life takes us on different stages and journeys, and I'm sure there's more ahead, but for now I really like this sweet little harbour and intend to enjoy every minute of it :)

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  13. Even though I've not worked for a lot of the last 9 years I've been unemployed or underemployed so felt like I can't relax and just 'be'.

    It was interesting that the 3 days we had at the Sunshine Coast (in a lovely apartment paid for by my bro) in August actually reminded me of what it was like to have a 'holiday' and not HAVE to do anything else. To live that slow life. My best life. Sure there were vague commitments, but they weren't things that stressed me or I felt guilty about. It was an amazing feeling.

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    1. Hi Deb - I know what it's like to be "under-employed" and it's a difficult and quite stressful place to be. When you find yourself back earning your way again (like you have) or finding you don't need to work so hard anymore (like I have) it's so lovely to just take time out and breathe - and appreciate those moments of calm and quietude. x

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  14. Hi Leanne, earlier I used to hurry. And it used to frustrate me when I can't keep pace. But now I take everything calmly and slowly. And that gives me much peace of mind.

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    1. You're right about it being all about the pace of life Pradeep - when we're constantly rushing or busy, life often passes us by because we don't take the time to appreciate the little moments. Living at a slower pace means that those moments present themselves and we have time to enjoy them - it's a very sweet way to live. :)

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  15. Love this! I chose "Joy" as my word of the year for 2022 and, when looking at the definition, saw that it was something about delight about "exceptionally good" experiences. Then I determined I was going to make my ordinary life joyful by having a positive, grateful attitude towards it. I like your definition of La Dolce Vita at the beginning of this post, which seems to include a paradox of on the one hand a life full of beauty and pleasures but on the other hand a life full of mundane moments. This is not a contradiction though: when we have the right attitude, we can experience pleasure in the everyday. I am only 35, but am fortunate enough to not have any significant responsibilities that require me to rush.

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    1. Hi Astrid - I think the one key secret to living joyfully and contentedly is being able to find pleasure in those small moments each day. They may seem mundane, but I'd rather have a life that was fully of happy little "mundane moments" than one that pitched from high to low and back again all the time. A sweet life is something I never knew I aspired to - but now I'm here, it's an absolute joy.

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  16. Hi Leanne, Lovely to hear you're doing your own sweet thing. Thank you for linking up with #weekendcoffeeshare. Have a fabulous week!

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    1. Hi Natalie - if we're not doing our own sweet thing right now, then when will we ever get around to it? I love that life is providing me with the time and space to really appreciate all I have.

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  17. Though I am in my 30s, I am trying to pursue a "slow" life in the city. I think it is possible. To me, it's about protecting my mental health. I use to travel a lot for work. It was fun until it was not -- and it was getting expensive -- my poor car!

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    1. Hi Julie - I think younger women have started to see the need to live a more balanced life much sooner than I did. My "generation" were in their 50's when they woke up to the fact that they didn't have to be all things to all people or burn themselves out. Good on you for finding the right pace while you have so much more time to enjoy it!

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  18. Words of wisdom there, Leanne. I'm not sure where I'm at atm. January is a month of non-being here in Australia. It's holiday time. It's pretty hot and I don't really get stuck into my New Year plans until school goes back right at the end of the month. That's my true New Year. After two years of covid distruptions and my daughter going into her final two years of school and beavering away on her dance career, I can't slow down yet. Indeed, I think things are about to ramp up. However, I do see that life has its seasons and there's that constant ebb and flow even on a daily basis. Always try to make room for a cup of tea. Time to pause.
    Best wishes,
    Rowena

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    1. Hi Rowena - it definitely gets easier to slow the pace down once the children have left the nest. There's a certain amount of non-negotiable time and work that is required when your family needs you, I'm just really enjoying being past that stage and having so much time to do what I love. You'll be here before you know it, so enjoy these years with your daughter - and definitely take time for a cup of tea (or two!) x

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  19. Leanne, I loved this! I started following a few IG accounts (a mother and her daughter, separate pages) who live in Italy and it is so fun to view life through their eyes. The daughter wrote a book that released last year and I bought it called The Sweetness of Doing Nothing: Live Life the Italian way with Dolce Far Niente. Such a fun read.

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    1. Each culture has its own little practices that make life better - the Italians seem to have the ability to take life more casually and enjoying it along the way, as their sweet spot. I think I could get into the idea of a siesta here and there too!

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