What if we've spent most of our lives doing what's expected of us, rather than listening to what our heart is telling us? What if we decided to follow our instincts and break free of the things that are no longer serving us? Is that even possible in our 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond? Today's guest found out when she retired early from a coveted job as a public school librarian to become a romance novelist, podcaster and midlife community builder. Patti Denier says she's always been inclined to follow her "true north," but motherhood and responsibility made her play it safe for many years in a coveted job that many people told her she'd be crazy to quit. But she did. In her 50s.
During this fun heart-to-heart, Patti and I chat about many things, including:
- Why she allowed herself to quit her job and what she decided to pursue instead
- How her writing, podcasting and the midlife community's she built changed her life
- Why she wanted to help rebrand aging and encourage midlifers to change their approach to their second act
- Why Patti thinks we need to push ourselves just a little—and give ourselves permission to change our minds and/or forge a new path
- How we can stop caring about what others think (finally!) and step into our power
- What we want younger women to know about menopause, our changing bodies, and aging
- How solo travel has been an important part of Patti's midlife journey
- How we need to embrace life's uncertainty instead of fearing it
- What we've each learned as we've aged, and how we handle adversity differently now
- What the recent loss of her father has taught Patti about how she needs to live now
- The meaning of life (yes, you heard that right–we may have figured it out right here on the show!)
You're going to love this down-to-earth conversation with wise and wonderful Patti. Full show notes available at Morebeautifulproject.com.
