Finding Your Joy: Steps to Freedom After 50

Show Notes:
Summary:
Freedom in midlife is about stepping back, reassessing what matters most, and creating space for joy and fulfillment. Valerie Hatcher explores the barriers that often hold us back, such as fear, guilt, and the weight of old expectations, and emphasizes the importance of intentional choices to reclaim our lives. This journey involves letting go of commitments that no longer serve us and embracing new opportunities that align with our true selves. Through practical steps like decluttering and setting micro-goals, listeners are encouraged to find small ways to cultivate freedom in their daily lives. Join Valerie as she inspires women over 50 to live authentically and embrace this vibrant chapter with grace, style, and a touch of sass.
Timestamps:
00:04 - Embracing Life's Journey
01:37 - Finding Freedom in Midlife
05:32 - Letting Go of Guilt and Embracing Freedom
07:22 - Creating Freedom in Your Life
10:19 - Embracing Freedom and New Beginnings
Key Takeaways:
- Embrace this chapter of life with grace, style, and a touch of sass.
- Freedom in midlife means choosing what truly matters and letting go of the rest.
- Simplifying life by clearing mental and physical clutter leads to a greater sense of freedom.
- Setting boundaries is not selfish; it’s necessary for maintaining energy for what matters most.
- Fear of change can hold us back, but small intentional choices can create space for freedom.
- Finding freedom involves uncovering barriers like guilt and fear, and addressing them step by step.
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See you soon!
00:00 - None
00:04 - Embracing Life's Journey
01:37 - Finding Freedom in Midlife
05:32 - Letting Go of Guilt and Embracing Freedom
07:22 - Creating Freedom in Your Life
10:19 - Embracing Freedom and New Beginnings
13:03 - Embracing Freedom and Joy
Living our best life.
Speaker A
It's good to be alive, but it's best to truly live.
Speaker A
Let your spirit fly.
Speaker A
Celebrate the journey every single day.
Speaker A
Aging with grace and stand in our own special way Foreign.
Valerie Hatcher
Look like to you right now?
Valerie Hatcher
Maybe it's carving out time for yourself, or saying no to things that you just don't want to do.
Valerie Hatcher
Or finally stepping into something that you've always dreamed about but you never dare to try.
Valerie Hatcher
Or that you've been putting off.
Valerie Hatcher
Today, we're exploring what freedom can look like in this next chapter of life.
Valerie Hatcher
What holds us back, how to create it, and what's waiting for us on the other side.
Valerie Hatcher
Let's talk about it.
Valerie Hatcher
Hey, friend, who says aging has to mean slowing down?
Valerie Hatcher
Around here, we're all about embracing this chapter with grace, style, and just the right touch of sass.
Valerie Hatcher
Welcome to the Aging with Grace and Style podcast.
Valerie Hatcher
I'm Valerie Hatcher, your guide to empowering tips, inspiring stories, and a whole lot of laughs for women over 50.
Valerie Hatcher
So grab your favorite drink, turn up the volume, and let's dive in.
Valerie Hatcher
Today we're diving into what it means to find freedom in midlife.
Valerie Hatcher
And not just the idea of freedom, but the steps that you can take to create it.
Valerie Hatcher
Let's unpack.
Valerie Hatcher
What's holding you back, how to start making space for freedom and why it's worth the work Freedom in midlife is different than it was in our 20s or our 30s.
Valerie Hatcher
Back then, freedom often meant independence, building a career, raising a family, or just managing a million responsibilities.
Valerie Hatcher
But now freedom is about something different, something deeper.
Valerie Hatcher
It's about stepping back, taking stock, and choosing what matters most and letting go of the rest.
Valerie Hatcher
It's about living for you, not for someone else's expectations.
Valerie Hatcher
Midlife gives us the gift of perspective.
Valerie Hatcher
We've lived through enough to know what works for us and what doesn't.
Valerie Hatcher
Maybe you've been the caretaker, the peacekeeper, the overachiever.
Valerie Hatcher
But now you're asking, what about me?
Valerie Hatcher
What do I want?
Valerie Hatcher
My days, my relationships, and my time to look like?
Valerie Hatcher
For some of us, freedom might mean stepping back from commitments that no longer serve us, whether it's a job, a group, or even certain relationships.
Valerie Hatcher
For others, it might mean finally saying yes to that hobby or.
Valerie Hatcher
Or that passion that you've been putting off.
Valerie Hatcher
For me, freedom has become about simplifying life, clearing out the mental, emotional, and even physical clutter that no longer served me.
Valerie Hatcher
It's about choosing what feels right for this season, not clinging to what worked in the past.
Valerie Hatcher
So let me ask you what does freedom mean to you right now?
Valerie Hatcher
If you could make space for one thing in your life, what would it be?
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Now take a moment and sit with that thought.
Valerie Hatcher
Or better yet, write it down.
Valerie Hatcher
As I've told you, for me, writing it down, it makes it more real.
Valerie Hatcher
So if freedom is so rewarding, why is it so hard to claim?
Valerie Hatcher
The truth is, we all have our barriers.
Valerie Hatcher
Whether it's fear, guilt, or just the habit of staying comfortable in the familiar.
Valerie Hatcher
Fear of change is a big one in midlife because we've.
Valerie Hatcher
We've actually built our lives around routines, around roles and responsibilities.
Valerie Hatcher
Change feels risky, even when it's exactly what we need.
Valerie Hatcher
Then there's guilt.
Valerie Hatcher
We've been conditioned to put others first.
Valerie Hatcher
Our kids, our partners, our careers.
Valerie Hatcher
And I'm not saying that's bad.
Valerie Hatcher
But sometimes it feels selfish to focus on ourselves.
Valerie Hatcher
Or fear keeps us stuck in our comfort zones.
Valerie Hatcher
We might even hold on to things like routines or roles that make us feel safe, but don't actually service anymore.
Valerie Hatcher
So I used to feel guilty about not being available 247 for everyone in my life.
Valerie Hatcher
But I learned that setting boundaries, it isn't selfish.
Valerie Hatcher
It's necessary.
Valerie Hatcher
And when I stopped saying yes to everything, I found that I had the energy to say yes to the things that mattered most to me.
Valerie Hatcher
I remember talking to a friend who always cook these elaborate Sunday dinners for her family.
Valerie Hatcher
She loved doing it.
Valerie Hatcher
But as her kids got older and they started skipping out, she felt more burdened than joyful.
Valerie Hatcher
She finally realized she didn't have to keep up that tradition for the sake of everyone else.
Valerie Hatcher
Now she does take out on Sundays.
Valerie Hatcher
Saves her time, and she loves it.
Valerie Hatcher
Sometimes the barriers aren't about the task itself.
Valerie Hatcher
It's about the stories that we tell ourselves.
Valerie Hatcher
Like, if I don't do it, nobody else will, or it's my responsibility.
Valerie Hatcher
But when we release those stories, we often open the door to new opportunities and new possibilities.
Valerie Hatcher
Finding freedom is a process.
Valerie Hatcher
It's about uncovering the things that are holding you back and replacing them with choices that might feel right for you.
Valerie Hatcher
So what's holding you back from creating freedom?
Valerie Hatcher
Is it a change?
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Is it guilt?
Valerie Hatcher
Or maybe the belief that you have to keep up with the old expectations?
Valerie Hatcher
Write it down again.
Valerie Hatcher
Naming the barrier is the first step to overcoming it.
Valerie Hatcher
How do we create freedom in our lives?
Valerie Hatcher
So freedom isn't something that happens overnight.
Valerie Hatcher
It's built step by step through intentional choices.
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It doesn't have to mean flipping your life totally upside down.
Valerie Hatcher
It's often small intentional choices that create space that truly matters.
Valerie Hatcher
Let's talk about a few ways to start creating more freedom in your life.
Valerie Hatcher
So pause and reflect.
Valerie Hatcher
Sometimes we're just so goddard busy that we don't even realize what weighing us down.
Valerie Hatcher
So take a few minutes this week, sit quietly and ask yourself, what's one thing that feels heavy or overwhelming?
Valerie Hatcher
What's one thing that you'd love to make space for?
Valerie Hatcher
What do you want more of in your life?
Valerie Hatcher
And what's getting in the way of that?
Valerie Hatcher
I know I'm going to say it again.
Valerie Hatcher
Write it down.
Valerie Hatcher
Sometimes just seeing it in black and white helps us with clarity on where to begin.
Valerie Hatcher
Then set micro goals.
Valerie Hatcher
Big changes can totally feel overwhelming.
Valerie Hatcher
So start small.
Valerie Hatcher
Want more freedom with your time?
Valerie Hatcher
Then say, block off 30 minutes a week just for yourself and see how it feels.
Valerie Hatcher
Want financial freedom?
Valerie Hatcher
Then start by making one small change, like maybe skipping that daily coffee run a couple of days a week.
Valerie Hatcher
And then we want to simplify.
Valerie Hatcher
Your space.
Valerie Hatcher
Your environment can make a big difference in how you feel.
Valerie Hatcher
Clutter, be it physical or mental, can make it hard to feel free.
Valerie Hatcher
Start with one small area, like decluttering.
Valerie Hatcher
One drawer at a time, one closet or one nightstand, which I need to do.
Valerie Hatcher
For me, physical space reflects mental space.
Valerie Hatcher
The process of decluttering.
Valerie Hatcher
Girl, it can feel so liberating.
Valerie Hatcher
In our last episode, I talked about how I cleaned my closet.
Valerie Hatcher
So letting go of old clothes and shoes and making space in my closet, that was freedom.
Valerie Hatcher
Because it cleared not only my closet, but it cleared, I swear, mental space.
Valerie Hatcher
So when I walk in there now, it's not like, oh my God, this is a mess, I don't have anything to wear, or I'm just going to throw this on because it's the easiest thing to find.
Valerie Hatcher
That is freedom.
Valerie Hatcher
To me, freedom is also about letting go of the idea that things have to be perfect.
Valerie Hatcher
When we stop striving for perfection, we start enjoying life more.
Valerie Hatcher
Give yourself permission to do things your way.
Valerie Hatcher
Your way.
Valerie Hatcher
That's going to be the right way for that moment.
Valerie Hatcher
Choose one thing this week, whether it's letting go of a commitment or delegating a task or trying something new, and take action.
Valerie Hatcher
Even a small step can open the door to bigger changes.
Valerie Hatcher
So what's on the other side of freedom is just.
Valerie Hatcher
It's not just about having more time.
Valerie Hatcher
It's about alignment.
Valerie Hatcher
It's about living a life that feels true to you, one that brings you peace and joy because it reflects who you are now, not who you were five, 10, or even 20 years ago.
Valerie Hatcher
It's like stepping into a door that you were afraid to open, only to realize that everything you wanted is right there waiting for you.
Valerie Hatcher
You know, I talk about journaling almost every episode.
Valerie Hatcher
Well, one listener shared that she started journaling every morning.
Valerie Hatcher
A simple act her to reconnect with herself.
Valerie Hatcher
It wasn't about writing the perfect journal entry.
Valerie Hatcher
It was about creating space to listen to her own thoughts and desires.
Valerie Hatcher
She told me it was the first time in years that she felt like she was truly living for herself.
Valerie Hatcher
Then another listener shared with me how she stepped out of her comfort zone and joined, get this, a hiking group.
Valerie Hatcher
She said that she'd been scared to try something new, but now she's not only enjoying the outdoors, but also making new friends and feeling healthier than ever.
Valerie Hatcher
So freedom isn't about big, sweeping changes.
Valerie Hatcher
Sometimes it's in the small, intentional choices that we make every day.
Valerie Hatcher
Like choosing to spend our mornings or saying no to that one thing that drains us.
Valerie Hatcher
Freedom is about making space for joy, for connection, and the kind of experiences that remind us who we truly are.
Valerie Hatcher
So what's one small step that you can take this week to create more joy, more peace, or more alignment in your life?
Valerie Hatcher
What's the one thing that you can say yes to or for that fact, say no to that's going to bring you closer to freedom?
Valerie Hatcher
So freedom isn't about having all the answers.
Valerie Hatcher
It's not about perfection or rushing.
Valerie Hatcher
It's about being willing to explore, to try and to trust yourself to create a life that feels right for you.
Valerie Hatcher
This stage of life is the perfect time to do just that.
Valerie Hatcher
So this week, I invite you to repeat this affirmation.
Valerie Hatcher
I honor my time, my energy and my choices.
Valerie Hatcher
I create space for the things that bring me joy and fulfillment.
Valerie Hatcher
Until next time.
Valerie Hatcher
Remember this.
Valerie Hatcher
Every step you take toward freedom, no matter how small, is a step towards the life that feels like yours.
Valerie Hatcher
And every day is a new opportunity to take a step toward the life that you've always, always wanted.
Valerie Hatcher
Until next time.
Valerie Hatcher
Keep aging with grace, style and a touch of sass thanks for hanging out with me today.
Valerie Hatcher
If you love this episode, do me a favor, share it with a friend and leave a quick review.
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It's a small thing that makes a big difference.
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Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
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And hey, let's keep the conversation going.
Valerie Hatcher
Join me at pod.agingwithgraceinstyle.com for more tips, stories and a whole lot of connection.
Valerie Hatcher
Until next time.
Valerie Hatcher
Keep shining with grace, style and a touch of sass.