Who are you…Today?  This is the core question that runs throughout Quintessential Style. Whether we acknowledge it or not, our lives are in continual flux. Our physical bodies change, our hair changes, our attitudes, our friends, our life activities, and our values change. What we know changes and even what we want changes. Maybe these changes aren’t as apparent as the obvious changes that occurred when we moved from childhood to adulthood,  but change is ever-present and inevitable.

Many clients who come to me are motivated by some life transition. Some transitions are huge and obvious (divorce, illness, death, midlife crisis). According to Dr. Wayne Dyer, author of  The Shift: Taking Your Life from Ambition to Meaning, we all have Quantum Moments when our lives are virtually turned upside-down. In these instances, there is a shift in awareness that can lead to personal transformation.

Research has determined that priorities of men and women tend to shift from their early years to their later years. Dyer believes the main reason is that our egos are such distractive forces in our early years, that it may not be until later in life that we discover “our authentic selves.” And oftentimes this is when the quest for real meaning occurs.

In a 2010, a group of men and women were studied over a lifetime and surveyed about their personal values.  Here is what research revealed about their priority shifts:

PRIORITIES:         Shift—>

Early Life Priorities —————— Later Life Priorities

WOMEN
1 Family (taking care of everyone)   1 Personal growth                        
2 Independence                                     2 Self-esteem
3 Career                                                     3 Spirituality
4 Fitting in                                               4 Happiness
5 Attractiveness                                      5 Generosity

Of course this is just a sample study.  In case you were wondering, here are the research results of the priority shift for men:

MEN
1 Wealth                                                      1 Spirituality
2 Sense of adventure                              2 Personal peace
3 Achievement                                          3 Family
4 Pleasure                                                   4 God’s Will (sense of purpose)
5 Respect                                                     5 Honesty

With both genders, the tendency is a shift from an egocentric life perspective to a more spiritually balanced, more authentic life.

“John C. Maxwell declares: ‘Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.’ Are you fighting change at every turn, or are you accepting it, using it, and moving with it?  When you embrace change you can confidently communicate who you are and support what you want and need.”  …  from Quintessential Style:  Cultivate and Communicate Your Signature Look