This is middle to late adulthood and is centered on caring and relationships. This is the period an individual is concerned with raising their children and establishing a successful career. By now an individual has learned to be centered on others rather than focused on self. The eighth stage, integrity verses despair, occurs during late adulthood. It is during this period that many individuals become self- acceptant and reap the wisdom of a lifetime (Erikson, 1993). Conclusion

Midlife is a stage in lifespan development and a product of childhood. Reflection and re-evaluation of one's accomplishments does not have to be seen necessarily as a time of crisis and negative experience. Facing existential questions, usually associated with the middle stage of life often entails conflicts between what one is and what one should or could be, but it also opens up new possibilities. Time and maturation underlie existentialist and humanistic ideas associated with search for meanings, individuation, and personal growth. The good things of middle life do not just happen. They should be actively searched for through creative work, experience, fortitude, and acceptance and 'owning' of the whole self (Weaver, 2009).

References

Boyd, D. & Bee, H. (2006). Lifespan development. Fourth edition. Boston MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Clay,...

(2003, April). Researchers replace midlife myths with facts. American psychological association, Vol. 34, No. 4. 36-37 Retrieved November 23, 2012, from http://www.apa.org/monitor/apr03/researchers.aspxx
Freund, a.M., Nikitin, J. & Ritter, J.O. (2009, January). Psychological consequences of longevity: The increased importance of self-reulation in old age. Human development. Vol. 52, Issue 1, 1-37. Retrieved November 23, 2012, from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=3&hid=14&sid=995ec192-998d-4565-91c6-ccea3bd751b6%40sessionmgr13&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&an=36519914

Erikson, E.H. (1993) Childhood and society. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.

Jaques, E. (1965). Death and the mid-life crisis. The international journal of psychoanalysis, 46:502-514. Retrieved November 23, 2012, from http://www.pep-web.org/document.php?id=ijp.046.0502a

Santrock, J., (1999). Explaining Human Behavior, 4th ed. Boston MA: Pearson Education.

Weaver, Y. (2009, January). Mid-life -- a time of crisis or new possibilities? Existential analysis: Journal of the society for existenial analysis, Vol. 20, Issue 1, 69-78. Retrieved November 23, 2012, from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=54662590-69d1-4d8f-a20b-fbb808d1042b%40sessionmgr112&vid=5&hid=112