The midlife phase gives us the chance to incorporate into our repertoire the talents and dreams we let slide post-childhood, and to finally express ourselves authentically. It might not take the form that you dreamed about in your youth – I’ll never be on the stage under lights, for example – but it will be deeply satisfying.

At first this seems scary – when you try on new ways of being, you don’t know what you will become. However, the great thing is that you don’t have to choose and create it all, it’s more about uncovering the raw material that’s already there – that the critical comments or teasing by some adult caused you to hide.

The search will have you scratching about in your early childhood talents and preferences. So you liked drawing, and you became a banker. It’s time to give up chasing after the dreams of others and go with what you’re good at: be honest with yourself and stop trying to force things. Delve into those things about yourself that you’ve always been ashamed about – choose what’s good and right for you, and not what looks good to others.