Rediscover Your Hidden Shades: Embracing Your Whole Self After 50
Show Notes:
Summary:
In this heartening episode of "Aging with Grace & Style," Valerie addresses the multifaceted nature of women and the importance of celebrating each unique aspect of ourselves. Rejecting the limitations of merely being labeled as a mother, wife, retiree, or any other singular role, Valerie uplifts listeners with a message of self-discovery and embracement of all the "shades" that contribute to who we are. She shares anecdotes from her own life to illustrate how our roles shape us, while also acknowledging they do not define us completely. Valerie encourages listeners to revisit old passions and explore new roles to continue evolving with grace and liveliness.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to embracing our multifaceted identities
00:50 Valerie's experiences with the roles of motherhood and professional life
02:33 How societal labels can limit our perceived identity
03:41 Overcoming role-based identity constraints after life transitions
04:49 Exercise for reconnecting with past passions
05:38 Maintaining a sense of self amidst life's changes
06:35 Finding renewed purpose through new hobbies and roles
07:35 Acknowledging and rediscovering hidden aspects of ourselves
08:22 Conclusion and encouragement to explore new activities
09:14 Final thoughts, sharing inspiration, and call to subscribe
Key Takeaways:
- Reflect on the various roles you've played throughout life and recognize they contribute to but do not solely define your multifaceted identity.
- Revisit past passions and interests by recalling what brought you joy during different phases of your life, and consider reintegrating these into your present.
- Embrace life transitions and changes, finding balance by maintaining hobbies or passions that keep you connected to your sense of self.
- Explore and celebrate new roles, whether through hobbies or potential second careers, as a way to inject excitement and purpose into your life.
- Engage in self-discovery and personal development by trying new activities or reviving old ones, and share your experiences with a supportive community using the hashtag #manyshadesofme.
Connect with me:
- Let me hear your voice pod.agingwithgraceandstyle.com
- Facebook, Instagram, and Threads @iamvaleriehatcher.
- Email at hello@agingwithgraceandstyle.com
Join Us Next Time:
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Stay tuned for more inspiring chats, tips, and stories about the midlife journey.
See you soon! Let's continue to age with grace, style, and a touch of sass.
Transcript
Hey there. If you ever find yourself thinking, I'm
Speaker:just a mom, I'm just a wife, I'm just
Speaker:a retiree, or I'm just you
Speaker:fill in the blank. Then this one's for you. It's
Speaker:easy to feel reduced to the roles that we play,
Speaker:but you are so much more. Today, we're
Speaker:celebrating all the shades that make each of us a
Speaker:phenomenal woman.
Speaker:Hey, friend. Ever feel like those old
Speaker:fashioned ideas about aging just don't fit you? If you're
Speaker:ready to own this incredible chapter with grace, style, and a touch
Speaker:of sass, this is your space. Welcome to the aging with
Speaker:grace and style podcast. I'm Valerie Hatcher, and I'm here
Speaker:with empowering tips, inspiring stories, and a whole lot of
Speaker:fun just for us, women over 50. So grab
Speaker:your favorite beverage, turn up the volume, and let's get
Speaker:started.
Speaker:Think about how our role shape us. Being a mother
Speaker:taught me boundless patience. Well, most
Speaker:of the time, or let's say more than I had before
Speaker:motherhood. And the kind of strength that I didn't know
Speaker:I had, It also taught me how to put
Speaker:someone else's needs ahead of mine unconditionally.
Speaker:I grew up as an only child and was used to being first.
Speaker:So this whole needs thing, it was new to
Speaker:me. But you know what? I was perfectly fine with
Speaker:putting his needs before mine. Now on the flip
Speaker:side, my professional roles have honed
Speaker:my problem solving and leadership skills.
Speaker:These experiences are part of what
Speaker:defines us. But here's the thing.
Speaker:Sometimes we start to believe that
Speaker:we're only defined by those rules.
Speaker:Most people who see me out and about or maybe
Speaker:follow me online might peg me as a
Speaker:content creator, a podcaster, or
Speaker:someone who likes fashion and style or at church. I'm the
Speaker:bookstore lady. And in the community, I used
Speaker:to be known as John's mom. And while I love
Speaker:all of those things, they're just pieces of the puzzle.
Speaker:There's also the wife, the daughter, the friend.
Speaker:We all have these layers, but with
Speaker:all the noise from society, our families,
Speaker:and even our own self doubt, it's easy to
Speaker:forget the multitude within us.
Speaker:Sometimes it takes a conscious effort to rediscover
Speaker:our multifaceted fabulous selves.
Speaker:Now I don't wanna downplay the importance of
Speaker:roles like mother, wife, or professional. They really
Speaker:are significant. But it's important to
Speaker:remember those roles while essential,
Speaker:they don't define your entire being.
Speaker:Problems arise when these roles start to define us
Speaker:entirely, obscuring the rest of our
Speaker:identity, the dreams, the passions, the
Speaker:unique talents that get buried in the daily
Speaker:grind. Ever catch yourself thinking,
Speaker:now I'm retired. I guess I'm supposed to
Speaker:whatever that might be, or I shouldn't even
Speaker:think about starting my own business, not at my age.
Speaker:Life transitions can throw us off balance,
Speaker:and major changes, even positive ones,
Speaker:force us to redefine ourselves.
Speaker:After my son graduated from college and the basketball
Speaker:mom life, as I knew it was over, I was left wondering
Speaker:what's next. That's when I remembered how much
Speaker:I love to write and to block rediscovering
Speaker:that passion. It opened up a new world for me and it
Speaker:even led me to revisit my old
Speaker:college interest in photography.
Speaker:Sometimes looking back can help us move forward.
Speaker:Take a moment to reflect what passions from your
Speaker:past could you bring into your present. Here's a
Speaker:simple exercise to help you do that. Grab a notebook
Speaker:and set a timer for maybe let's say around 10 minutes.
Speaker:Think back on a specific time in your life,
Speaker:maybe your teenage years or
Speaker:your young adult years, and write down
Speaker:everything that brought you joy and excitement during that
Speaker:time. Don't overthink it like I sometimes
Speaker:do. Just let the memories flow. This
Speaker:isn't about practicality. It's about
Speaker:reconnecting with all the possibilities within you.
Speaker:Transitions between roles can be
Speaker:tough, especially as we age, bringing a mix of
Speaker:excitement and uncertainty. So how do we handle these
Speaker:shifts? It's it's all about
Speaker:embracing change and finding balance. I
Speaker:found that maintaining a hobby or a
Speaker:passion just for myself outside of any of these
Speaker:roles, it helps me to stay grounded. What about
Speaker:you? How do you maintain your sense of
Speaker:self amidst these changes?
Speaker:As we talk about the roles that we've played,
Speaker:let's not forget the thrill of embracing new roles.
Speaker:Maybe you've taken up a new hobby or you're considering a second
Speaker:career. That's pretty exciting. Right?
Speaker:Stepping into new roles can breathe new life into
Speaker:our days and give us a fresh sense of purpose.
Speaker:That happened to me when I started podcasting. It was
Speaker:new, exciting. It was a
Speaker:challenge to learn, which totally excited
Speaker:me. Or like my friend who took up pottery
Speaker:after retiring, discovering the fulfillment of creating
Speaker:something from scratch. What a fantastic
Speaker:way to connect with new people and experiences.
Speaker:So how do we break out of the boxes that
Speaker:we've been put in? The first step would be
Speaker:to acknowledge those hidden shades within us.
Speaker:Remember who you were years ago, the
Speaker:builder, the storyteller, the dancer.
Speaker:Life changes, priority shift,
Speaker:and parts of us get buried. But
Speaker:those are parts that are still there,
Speaker:and they're just waiting to be rediscovered.
Speaker:Being multifaceted isn't always comfortable.
Speaker:It can feel messy. It can feel overwhelming,
Speaker:but we look at others and, and who seem to have
Speaker:it all figured out and we wonder why we can't be the
Speaker:same. But here's the truth. Embrace
Speaker:that messiness. It's proof that you
Speaker:are dynamic, evolving, and
Speaker:endlessly fascinating work in progress.
Speaker:And that's a wrap for today's episode. Remember, you
Speaker:are never too old, too busy, or
Speaker:too anything else to expand the definition of who you
Speaker:are. Your identity is limitless
Speaker:as your imagination allows. So let's shine
Speaker:a light on all those brilliant shades that make
Speaker:you, you. Now
Speaker:let's move from thinking to doing. This
Speaker:week, try something that you haven't done in years,
Speaker:or even pick something totally new. Let's
Speaker:share what you did on social
Speaker:media, and use the hashtag many shades of
Speaker:me. Let's create a movement of women embracing
Speaker:the whole complex and ever evolving beings that
Speaker:we are. Until next time, remember to keep
Speaker:aging with grace, style, and a touch of
Speaker:sass. Thanks
Speaker:for hanging out with me today. I hope you're feeling inspired
Speaker:and ready to own your awesomeness. I love sharing this
Speaker:space with you. And if you love today's episode, do me
Speaker:a favor. Share it with a friend who could use some extra
Speaker:inspiration. A quick rating and review really helps
Speaker:too. Don't forget to subscribe so you never
Speaker:miss an episode. Let's keep this conversation going.
Speaker:Head over to pod dot aging with grace and style.com
Speaker:to sign up for my newsletter. Until next time, keep
Speaker:shining with grace, style, and a whole
Speaker:lot of sass.
