Coffee with Intention on Midlife

My monthly event, Coffee with Intention, was today after a summer hiatus. A group of women gathered at my studio on a sunny Sunday morning to have intentional conversation about MIDLIFE. We all took off a little bit of our armor and had vulnerable conversation about what midlife looked like and meant for us. We shared stories and reflected back on our journeys thus far. Most of us cried a little as we shared the hardships, the joy and lessons we’ve learned and are still learning. To begin the event, I shared a passage from Brené Brown’s blog on the topic of midlife. I love that she calls it an unraveling, not a crisis and makes the important distinction why.

Brené Brown says,

Midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear:

I’m not screwing around. All of this pretending and performing – these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt – has to go. Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts. I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy and lovable, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever. Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through your veins. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.

There were so many takeaways from today’s event including letting go of the expectations of how our lives are supposed to look like or who we’re supposed to be, letting go of what others think, being mindful of who we surround ourselves with, giving ourselves permission to say no to things outside ourselves and yes to us, the importance of self-care, how the hardships were gifts and gave us lessons, how our journeys never end… I am truly grateful for the women in my life and the opportunity to host such a meaningful experience.