Thank you Author Gold, A New Dawn Healing Arts, rhonda doruiter, Tom Janiak, Harriet Corvine, and many others for tuning into my live video with Nat Sang! Join me on the next Stories, Soul Work & Substack for another conversation that matters.
Sometimes the most important question we can ask ourselves is also one of the simplest:
Is this it?
On this episode of The Positive Pen: Stories, Soul Work & Substack, I sat down with Natissa Sang, creator of The Midlife Reset, to talk about what happens when the life we’ve worked so hard to build no longer fits the person we’ve become.
For more than 30 years, Nat built what many would consider a successful life. She earned her MBA, raised a family, and spent nearly two decades in senior healthcare leadership. From the outside, everything looked right.
But something was missing.
Nat described much of her thirties and forties as living on autopilot—work, family, responsibilities, commuting, deadlines, and constantly preparing for what came next.
Eventually, the question became impossible to ignore: Is this it?
One of the clearest warning signs was what Nat called the “Sunday scaries.” The anxiety about returning to work became so overwhelming that she once skipped the second night of a Metallica concert—even though they were her favorite band—because she couldn’t escape the dread of Monday morning.
Then, at 52, her corporate position was eliminated.
What could have been viewed only as a setback became an opportunity to rethink what she wanted from the next chapter of her life. Instead of immediately sending out résumés, Nat began asking deeper questions about purpose, identity, creativity, and what success actually meant to her.
Writing became part of that transformation.
Through journaling and sharing her experiences on Substack, Nat rediscovered the writer and creative person she had buried beneath decades of corporate responsibilities. She eventually developed her 7R Reset: Recognize, Release, Reframe, Reclaim, Redesign, Rebuild, and Reset.
Perhaps the biggest change wasn’t simply leaving corporate life. It was redefining success.
Today, success for Nat isn’t a title or promotion. It’s making every day count, appreciating small moments, creating something meaningful, helping someone, and having greater ownership over how she spends her time.
And the question “Is this it?” hasn’t disappeared.
It simply means something different now.
Instead of “Is this all my life will ever be?” it has become:
“What else is possible?”
Five Lessons from My Conversation with Natissa Sang
* Pay attention when something feels wrong. Discomfort can be an invitation to examine your life.
* Your career isn’t your identity. A title describes your job, not your worth.
* Reframe the setback. An ending can become the catalyst for an entirely different beginning.
* Write the dream down. Change becomes more possible when we give ourselves permission to imagine it.
* Your story isn’t finished because one chapter is. Sometimes questioning the life you’ve built doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it means you’re still growing.
Thank you for reading. This work is reader-supported, and your presence here matters.
About the Author
The Positive Pen by John Rinaldo is a weekly publication centered on soul work, reflection, and the quiet process of becoming. Through honest writing and lived experience, he explores what it means to grow, endure, and find your voice.
He also hosts the live podcast The Positive Pen: Stories, Soul Work & Substack, where writers, authors, and artists share their journeys through meaningful, real conversations. The show airs every Monday at 4 PM EST.
Author’s Note: I have dyslexia and use assistive technologies, including AI-assisted editing, to improve grammar and readability. Every story reflects my lived experiences, voice, and final approval
© 2026 John V. Rinaldo. All rights reserved.
This work is protected under U.S. and international copyright law. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, displayed, or transmitted in any form without prior written permission. Official publications are released only through verified accounts directly controlled by John V. Rinaldo.
THE POSITIVE PEN is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
