Synchronicity in Midlife: Attention to Life’s Signs Leads to Emotional Freedom
Coincidence vs. Synchronicity
Recently, I listened to a podcast about synchronicity that deeply resonated with me. The guest, a French author who explained Carl Jung’s work and the importance of synchronicity in our lives.
It is important to make a distinction between coincidence and synchronicity.
Coincidence is something unplanned that happens by chance but has no deeper meaning—like taking the trash out at the same time as your neighbor. The event passes, and life continues without impact.
Synchronicity, however, is a coincidence that carries meaning and invites reflection or action. Using the same example, if a conversation with your neighbor leads you to make an important decision or sparks personal insight, that is synchronicity.
After my mother passed away, I had a conversation with a friend about grief and the need to process emotions to make peace with loss. Weeks later, she sent me a video of someone teaching Grief Yoga. I felt intrigued and joined virtual classes. One step led to another: I eventually trained in this practice.
This unfolding became a path of healing. The same year, my mother passed away, we had to sell our house, and my oldest son left for college. With so much change, I could easily have fallen into overthinking and suffering. Instead, synchronicity led me into practices that allowed me to move my emotions and find peace in my heart. It helped me begin a new chapter of my life.
Synchronicity in Midlife, the Invitation to Awareness
Every stage of life requires us to say goodbye to one chapter to create another. In midlife, especially, we face deep transitions: children leaving home, shifting careers, aging parents, or changes in relationships. For decades, many of us identify with roles—mother, spouse, caregiver, or worker. When those roles shift, we may feel lost, anxious, or overwhelmed.
This is precisely when synchronicity becomes a guide. By paying attention to who we meet, the patterns that repeat, the songs that touch us at just the right time, or the dreams that stay with us, we begin to see life pointing us toward new meaning and renewed purpose.
How Synchronicity Shows Up
Synchronicity reveals itself in many forms:
Dreams that repeat or stir strong emotions.
Chance encounters with people who say something that lingers in our hearts.
Patterns and symbols that reappear such as a song, a number, or an image at the right time.
One of my clients experienced this during her work on emotional balance. She kept hearing Gloria Gaynor’s song “I Will Survive.” She shifted the words, dedicating them not to a man but to her own fear. The synchronicity of that song arriving at the right moment affirmed her healing journey. She returned to me the following week saying she knew she was on the right path out of anxiety.
Synchronicity as a Path to Freedom
Coincidence alone does not change us—it passes quickly. But when an event lingers in our mind, triggers strong emotion, or invites us to question deeper patterns, that is synchronicity.
When we dropped off our oldest son at university, I felt an ache on the drive home. It reminded me of the grief I felt when my mother passed away. I realized both events carried the same message: the life I had known was changing. Recognizing this synchronicity allowed me to process the grief of an “ending” and transform it into new beginnings. It led me to create a support group, which later became a program, and eventually, a book.
Synchronicity is not always easy or pleasant. It can stir painful emotions. Yet by following its thread, we grow, heal, and discover new meaning.
Living with synchronicity is not about forcing meaning where there is none. It is about staying mindful and attentive to what arises in the present moment—whether joyful or challenging—and asking what it has to teach us.
Synchronicity reminds us that we are not powerless in the face of change. Life speaks to us through patterns, nudges, and meaningful coincidences. By paying attention, we transform struggle into growth and open the path toward emotional freedom.
Exactly as listening to that podcast inspired me to write this article, I hope these reflections inspire you to notice the signs in your own life and trust the journey they invite you to take.
If you feel called to continue the journey to your Self, you might like my last article “The Great Lock-In, Redefined: How midlife women can finish the year with peace and purpose.”
And as we discover the path we don’t have to walk it alone. If you are curious about how I can support you on your journey, connect with me for a complimentary life coaching session.