Finding Happiness

Women of a certain age have already pursued so much – relationships, family, education, careers, caregiving, community. We’ve poured into everyone and everything around us. But eventually the question arrives, sometimes quietly, sometimes like a shout: Now what? If you don’t know what to pursue next, pursue yourself…

For my 60th birthday, my children did something I didn’t know I needed and now can’t stop talking about, partly because it was thoughtful, and partly because I spent an entire morning wearing a tiara in public like a woman who had either just been crowned or recently escaped supervision…

Being the product of an abusive father, I grew up a people pleaser. By constantly trying to please him, I learned to survive. In doing so, for years I kept lying to my inner self. We all know we should never lie to ourselves, but not only do we frequently do so…

Many women imagine midlife freedom will feel exhilarating. And sometimes it does. It did for me – eventually, but not at first. Many women over 50 quietly experience another reality first: emotional displacement. For years, motherhood provided…

Sometimes I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and think, Who on earth is that? It seems as though life has moved on with the exterior me, but forgot to tell my brain and my heart! To be honest, I don’t mind at all. I have lost far too many…

The third act of your life isn’t about becoming someone new – it’s about becoming thoroughly and unapologetically yourself. Who do you need to impress? No one. Whose approval do you need? Nobody’s. Whose happiness is your responsibility? Yours. Just yours…

Let’s talk about your perfectionism. I know it’s there, because you’re interested enough in improving something about your life that you’re visiting this wonderful website! But if you want to lead a happy life, you need to accept less than perfection…

When it comes to creating your dream lifestyle after 60, what’s the first thing you do? If you’re like many people from our generation, you may immediately jump into physical action. This often involves working hard, staying busy, and a lot of multitasking. From the outside, it may look like you are making progress and accomplishing a lot…

Of all the words in the dictionary, the word “home” resonates a place in our heart reserved for feelings that are almost indescribable. Like a sigh, it just belongs there, settled in and comfortable, resting assuredly in the folds of our heart…

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy – not the big, dramatic, “name on a building” kind, but the quiet kind. The kind that sneaks up on you in the middle of a Tuesday afternoon when you’re folding laundry and suddenly remember a joke…