1 Year Anniversary of "By Invitation Only"

The women of "By Invitation Only" deserve big congratulations
for maintaining our posts for 1 YEAR now.
Last September was our 1st one, and I believe they get better with each installment.
We're back after the summer hiatus, and the topic this month is

'CYCLES'

a difficult topic, and each of us has been free to take off in our own direction,
one of the points of BIO which make it supremely interesting and fun.

When I finally sat down to do this installment (last night) the 1st thing coming to mind was


The 7-Year Itch,
the movie with Marilyn Monroe,
the film which spawned these world-famous photos,

 the premise of the movie is that Tom Ewell, the actor, was playing a part where
his wife went out of town and he was tempted by his beautiful neighbor, Marilyn...
he had been married 7 years.  

This leads one to ask:  Do we change every 7 years?
Do we re-cycle ourselves?

I know, for me, dramatic change happens with each traumatic experience, 
& it seems like it takes 7 years (or longer) to heal & move on.
So, I began asking this question of myself & of learned people, some of whom I actually know.

We have been taught that cells renew themselves every 7 years, give or take.

Along with this renewal could our own personalities change?

Most of us acknowledge that babyhood is one of the most intense times
of learning, of becoming a real person.




It is said that age 0-7 is one of the most important periods,
or cycles, of life.
The beginning of everything.

Suddenly, this became very interesting to me...in my early years I had
thought I wanted to be an archaeologist because I loved finding out all the details.
Later, I thought I would have been a great detective.
Now, I just wanted to follow up on these cycles.

7-14 Years
The preceding physical changes prepare the growing personality for the next stage or cycle.
One develops a sense of right & wrong & social responsibility.
The sexual organs develop, the personality glides into the turbulent world of puberty and
adolescence.

14-21 Years
We become self-aware.
The emotional range expands in all directions, and perhaps a new appreciation
for music, art, literature and people begins. With puberty it has been found
the ability to distinguish subtler tones or color and sound develop.

21-28 Years
Here you find the process of enlargement & refinement.
The faculties of insight, judgement & understanding begin to come to the fore.
The personality softens & begins to mellow. The sparks of interest that were
awakened in the previous cycles begin to be developed along more definite line.
The abilities of the last cycle also flourish. The adult emotional age may begin to
emerge if one has successfully grown through the previous levels.
(operative words here:  MAY BEGIN)

28-35 Years
This cycle is one where the creative process of mind becomes most active. 
Researchers & inventors seem to make their greatest advances during these years.

35-42 Years
Depending on one's personality & what one's circumstances allow, one
begins to feel a new restlessness.  In some degree a desire to share whatever one has
gained through life with others comes to the surface.  What has been developed or 
realized can be taken to greater subtlety during this period. This is almost like
unfolding something, perhaps similar to the way a flower unfolds a bud that has been developing
in earlier phases of its growth. 

42-49 Years
A major change usually takes place. It is as if one takes all of one's life experience
up till this age and begins to digest it and extract from it new ideals and a new direction in
life. There is often tremendous unrest in this period and that following it. The unlived
aspects of life cry out to be recognized and allowed. The desire to make a mark in life
if it has not already been achieved presses for action at this time. 

49-56 Years
The physical changes bring about a mental or spiritual climax. 
The decline of physical prowess & vitality forces the person to direct their attention
inwards more frequently. Any problems of our personality, such as maladjustment
and our repressions, will undoubtedly become more urgent in these yars.
This reacts upon one's marriage and professional life alike. The problem is that we
have to learn to live with ourselves in a new way. We slowly have to adapt to our new-old
body, and habits of long-standing do not die easily. This is when we take an inventory
of our life. It's a time of spiritual questioning and review of our life purpose. If we haven't successfully understood who we are by this stage and achieved our goals, then depression, moodiness and turmoil will plague both our waking life and our dreams.

56-63 Years
This period is often a time of inner tranquility and acceptance.
At peace with oneself and more accepting of where we are and what we have achieved marks this period. But many things that were lying unlived within you might arise at this time, either as a form of unrest, or as directly living out those things that duty or work, or even self-restraints, kept you from doing or being.
Unusually your life situation begins to change in this stage. There is the start of a great shift and adjustment, both in terms of external activities, but also in how you deal with and feel about relationships. Part of the difficulty is that you have lived a long life as a younger person, and the old ways of dealing with things is often difficult to let go of as things change. The
opportunity to experiment more fully in life helps you to reassess yourself and what new way of relating and being suits you of is satisfying to you.

63-70 Years
Now we have deeper acceptance and understanding of the people in our life.
We appreciate the differences between us and our friends and look to the good rather than the bad in people. This is a period where our accumulated experience seeks new creative outlets.
A particularly noticeable process that occurs here is a conscious or unconscious sifting of
life experience and moving toward that is the essence and best of what one has been and learned
from the years and experiences.

70-77 Years
Of course, there are no fixed boundaries and so one may achieve this level of maturity at 
another period. But if the issues met in the previous cycle have been dealt with, then there is a new awareness of the subtle sides of life, and a changed relationship with those you love or come in contact with. There is a greater unconditional love and acceptance. By this is meant that awareness of the depth and subtleties of ones own self are known more fully. If you are a person who has a active inner life, it can happen that the huge harvest of gathered life experience that was sifted and synthesized into clearer and more streamlined, or simpler concepts and meanings, 
is now expressed in your life and dealings with others. You may not be as powerful and active in the outer world, but you are gaining strength and effectiveness on people's inner life if you are still healthy.

77-84 & onwards
During the 3 preceding periods a new self was developed. This emerged out of a summary and synthesis or all that you had lived. Perhaps, if you gave attention to your inner life, doorways of perception were opened through which you saw how your present life is a continuum of the long past, of ancestors and other influences. From this new self and widened perceptions you are acting and living in the world in a different way. The essence of the purpose, love and ideas you lived by is given new expression and meaning.
*******************************************************************


Most of us have passed through many of these cycles by now, and we are awaiting
the arrival of each of the next.  I must say all of this seems so true; to each individual the cycles are so much the same aren't they?  I look back and realize about my own life, and then the lives of my 2 adult children how much of this is true.  Of course, the times may vary a bit, but generally somewhere close to the 7 years.

Being totally philosophical isn't new with me.
I miss having the deep conversations I had with my 1st husband.
He had the most brilliant imagination and had concepts I had never heard before.
All of my experiences have led me to where I am today.
An off-the-wall, esoteric, creative, witty, wise, experienced woman
who still loves the world and all the creatures in it.
Blind to bad, believing always in the goodness of human kind...
I couldn't live any other way.

What about you?
Was this interesting?
Or were you bored bored bored?

Please join each of our other members over at their blog sites to
see what they have to say about "cycles."
I'm going over right now.

Simone @ Bottom of the Ironing Basket
will become our newest member with our October posting.
I have waited for Simone for a year, and happily welcome her to
our wonderful world at BIO.

Debra @ Dustjacket Attic will be on hiatus until further notice
we are sad to say, but we know she will be here with us in spirit.

Otherwise, we are the same group you know & love.



Members, please link up below on Mr. Linky

for those of you who wish to read more about the cycles I described you may go HERE