The Upside of Invisibility

On my walk the other day, I started thinking about one of the common things women share in midlife: becoming invisible, feeling overlooked, ignored, and no longer relevant in society. And it’s true. We are overlooked and underrepresented in many, many ways. Don't get me started on media and advertising.
 

But what if this isn’t actually a bad thing?

What if becoming invisible at this time of our life is actually a gift of sorts?
I can hear you asking, “How could being ignored possibly be a good thing?’.
Bear with me for a minute.

So much of our lives are focused on others: careers, families, kids, and partners. Or trying to live up to societal expectations of beauty and ‘appropriate’ ageing. The reason we dread the thought of being invisible is that, as women, we’ve been conditioned to see our value in how we look and what we do for others.

But consider this…

Maybe in becoming invisible, we are able to free ourselves from the expectations, desires, and opinions of others so that we can become more visible to ourselves. It’s impossible to really see ourselves when we are focused on external cues and validation telling us how to be and what to do. Maybe being invisible is an opportunity to tune into our own thoughts, wants and expectations. To be free of distraction so that we can get clear on what’s happening inside us. Maybe it’s an opportunity to quiet the external noise so that we can hear our own truth.

You’ve heard me say before that this time of our lives is about turning our focus inward towards ourselves, our own wants and desires, to become the most authentic version of us because in our truth lies our gifts and the meaning and purpose of our lives.

I would love to know what you think. Have you ever felt invisible? Could you see it as a means to get to know yourself better?
​
Take Care,

Jennifer