On December 30, 2024 at 9.00 am all the participants for the mastering midlife gathered for the inaugural ceremony of mastering midlife course. Sr. Darshana and Sr. Pushpita SRA led the participants into an atmosphere of prayer through the bhajan invoking the holy spirit and a short prayer entrusting to the Lord the Resource person Rev. Fr. Gabriel OFM, the director of NBCLC Rev. Fr. John Baptist and the entire faculty of NBCLC. Rev. Fr. Gabriel, Rev. Fr. John Babtist, Sr. Vijaya, Sr. Roselind, Sr. Neeta, Sr. Seline and Sr. Nikita lighted the lamp- symbol of the presence of God amidst us. Rev. Fr. John Baptist the director of NBCLC introduced the resource person to the participants.

The resource person began the session introducing the major theme of the course.

The Mid-Life Transition involves the termination of early adulthood and the initiation of middle adulthood, and is part of both. Its tasks are to reappraise and modify the late 30s' life structure, to rediscover important but neglected parts of the self and toward the end, to make choices that provide the basis for a new life structure. The Mid-Life Transition ordinarily gives way in the mid-40s to a period of building and living within a first provisional life structure for middle adulthood. __ Daniel Levinson

MAJOR THEMES /DYNAMICS OF THE CRISIS OF LIMITS
1. Quest for meaning. 2. Crisis of unfinished business.
3. Crisis of Body changes. 4.. Crisis of affectivity.
5. Crisis of death awareness.

31.12.2024
The theme dynamics of the crisis continued.
6. Crisis of Faith
7. Crisis of ministry (apostolate)
Thereafter we were divided into four groups and asked to share in the group on following questions based on the past.
A. Who were the people who played significant roles in your life in each of the past decades of your life. Name them. For each decade.
0-10 10 -20, 20-30, 30-40
 Why were they important to you?
 In which manner did they enhance or hinder your growth as a person.

B. Think of the persons in whose lives you have played a significant role and to whom you are still significant.

Eriksons eight psychological stages of life:
1. Trust vs mistrust
2. Autonomy vs shame and doubt
3. Initiative vs Guilt
4. Industry vs inferiority
5. Identity vs confusion
6. Intimacy vs isolation
7. Generativity vs stagnation
8. Integrity vs despair
Questions for discussion-
If you had to live your life all over again, what things would you like to change about your life?
If I were to die today, what things would they say in my eulogy? Write your eulogy.
All the participants grouped as it was divided by the resource person shared on the questions given above and had the tea break at 4.30pm. the session was concluded with the tea break.

01.01.2025
Stress: then he dealt with stress. He defined stress as wear and tear within the body. There are two types of stress
Healthy stress – eustress, unhealthy stress - distress.
Antonovsky speaks in his book health, stress and coping
Stressors – things that place a load on other people.
Tension - is the strain experienced by the person.
Stress- strain that remains whenever that tension is not overcome.
Two main sources of stress-
• Situational stress
• Self-imposed stress.
He explained some of the stress related sickness,
a) Hypertension Stroke b) coronary heart disease c) Ulcers d) Migraine headaches e) Tension headaches f) Cancer Allergies, Asthma, and hay fever Questions for discussion

The group was gathered together to share on the following questions –

1. When do you feel most alive?
2. At present what are your greatest fears?
3. When do you feel lonely? What do you do about it?
4. How do you manage when things are awful? What do you do?
Where do you go?
5. What moves you to tears? When did you last cry?
6. What people at present do you find most inspiring? Express why?
7. In what area of your life do you feel you need the most growth?
8. What are the greatest obstacles to growth at this present moment?
9. If your home caught on fire and you could save only five things, what would you save?
10. If you could change three things in your life, what three things would you change? Describe what your life would be like with these changes.
11. Who are the most important people in your life at this time? Express why they are important for you
12. Describe your own five core beliefs about God and what they mean for your personally
13. If you could have anything you wanted, something personal for yourself, what would it be? What would it mean to you?
14. Describe yourself going through an average day of your life as you would like it to be. Go through the activities of the twenty-four hours and give your feelings and reflections about each segment of this ideal day.
Managing the stress-
Recognizing early signs and preparing to face it, working on oneself, developing a sense of coherence and integrity, engaging in prayer and meditation, concentrating on the positive aspects of life, living in the present moment, talking it out, having fun, taking walks, turning to supportive friends, practicing breathing exercises, and expressing emotions, including through tears.

02.01.2025
The resource person focused the participants on having a dream, recognizing the dream and fulfilling the dream.
Thereafter the group was sent for the discussion on recognizing one’s dream and to share on actualising it.
We dealt with changes in the sexual response during midlife in man and women. The topic on types of intimacy .
1.EMOTIONAL INTIMACY 2. INTELLECTUAL INTIMACY 3. AESTHETICINTIMACY
4. CREATIVE INTIMACY 5. RECREATIONAL INTIMACY 6. CRISIS INTIMACY
7.EROTIC INTIMACY 8. SPIRITUAL INTIMACY
03.01.2025
The emergence of feminine and masculine integration of the personality. It’s a time calls one’s attention to reconcile with the opposite self. The participants were divided into three groups to have the sharing on future based on following questions.
1. What are the five things you would like to accomplish before your die?
2. What are your fears about the future?
3. What are your hopes for the future?
4. What contribution would you like to make in the next five years, to the church, to your country, to the congregation.
Some of the points are –
1.Diet. 2. Fitness. 3. Get regular health checkups. 4. Reduce stress and worry in your life. 5. Get plenty of sleep. 6. Find a supportive friend or group and talk to them about what you're going through. 7.Work on your relationships. 8. Rethink your career direction. 9. Reexamine your values. 10. Seek emotional stability. 11. Encourage the development of your unique person. 12. Throw away unnecessary obligations. 13. Reestablish friendships from the past. 14. Refocus your spiritual life. 15. Agree with and encourage the changes that are taking place in you.
Some of the tips for counselling a person in midlife-
• LEAD THEM TO RECOGNIZE THE CRISIS
• HELP THEM SEE THEIR FEELINGS AND BEHAVIOR ARE LINKED TO IT
• AID THEM TO REALIZE OTHERS HAVE SIMILAR EXPERIENCES
• DISCOURAGE RADICAL CHANGES IN LIFESTYLE
• SEARCH FOR NONDISRUPTIVE OPTIONS TO MEET IMMEDIATE NEEDS
• DON’T MAKE DECISIONS FOR THEM
At 12:15 PM, the session was concluded with a vote of thanks by Sr. Amala, and the distribution of participation certificates by Rev. Fr. John Baptist, Director of NBCLC, and Rev. Fr. Gabriel, the resource person.