Exploring ‘the Grey Areas’ of Growing Older
written by Stacey Lindsay
Christine Morrison wants to get to the truth of things. The journalist, who is hard at work on her first book, loves to dig into the "black and white," as she says—the facts that underscore the topics she covers, from beauty and style to middle age and career. "There is so much clutter and misinformation today," she tells us over Zoom. "As women age, we cannot go with that misinformation, especially when it comes to menopause, skincare, nutrition. So, I see myself as wading through the gray matter to bring you the black and white."
Her discerning eye ensures her facts are razor-sharp, but she still explores her beats with an uplifting and fun take. We caught up with Christine, who pivoted from a long career in advertising to dive into writing, to grab some of her honest outlooks on the big shifts we all face as women during the Middle Third.
#1: Ask the Whys
"One of the things that has led to my navigating both a career shift and a physical transformation has been curiosity. When it came to my body changing [in midlife], I hired a nutritionist. I didn't know what I didn't know! I had to be curious. I had to sit and listen and really educate myself. I also joined some groups and learned so much just from listening to other women. I would walk away and sit with all I'd learned. Sometimes, during all this, I was tired. I have teenagers, and I'm busy—we all are! But I have thought a lot about how I would have stayed stuck if I didn't have that inkling of curiosity. I'm so grateful I opened the door. Wherever we are and whatever we're dealing with—if we're in perimenopause or menopause, changing careers, empty nesting, in or out of a marriage—we have to stay curious. Because, at every age, we are supposed to be growing."
#2: Take the Small Steps
"I handle many of these things in baby steps. I am not a big let-me-make-some-big-changes person because if I do that, I will do it for five days, and then stop. I am big on baby steps. When it seems scary, overwhelming, or whatever, I know I will regret the lack of motion later on—and I just don't want to do that in fear of change. So, baby steps!"
#3: Follow You
"When we have the information, we can make our own best decisions. Because then you stop looking at everyone else. I'll hear so many people say, ‘Oh, I referred to this woman online,’ and I’ll say, 'No! Listen to you! What is your body, your heart, your soul, your skin telling you?' We must be able to guide ourselves, not just with the external materialistic things but with our courage and the big things in life.
So many women have dedicated themselves to something—a career or a family—and then they look up one day and say, 'Wait a minute, what do I want now? What do I want to do now that I'm an empty nester, or I want to go back to work?' That is why we have to find ourselves. We have to listen to ourselves."
You can learn more about Christine here.
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