106. I Want What She’s Having! | Write Your Own, Overdue Permission Slip Now

Today you’ll be inspired to break the “good girl” rules you have outgrown at midlife-plus, along with permission you always deserved but never received. Say “No,” to dusty expectations and “Hell Yes,” to unapologetic joy. And get ready for five surprising stories, five fierce women, and five quotes that will make you laugh, cry, and say, “I want what she’s having!”

To reclaim your potential now and reach for whatever midlife-plus goal means the most to you without distractions, come work with me one-on-one! Just send an email to hello@laurieadamscoaching.com to schedule a no-pressure conversation/Q & A about individual coaching. We’ll explore the goal that has eluded you most, including weight loss if that’s the important one for you. Together, let’s edit the story of you so you’ll never want to put your own book down.

This episode was produced by The Podcast Teacher: www.ThePodcastTeacher.com.

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Hi, and welcome to the Fire Up at 55 Plus Podcast, a show about how to put yourself first in your second act of life. I'm Certified Life and Weight Loss Coach Lori Adams, here to empower you to let go of guilt, take charge of your health, then find and fulfill your dreams. It's never too late, so let's get started. Hi and welcome back to Fire Up at 55 Plus. Today we are saying no to dusty expectations and hell yes to unapologetic joy. I'm Lori, your certified life coach and speaker, eager to inspire you now with episode 106 titled I Want What She's Having. What is she having that you want? It's the permission she has hard won to give herself to break the good girl rules, you know, to shed the lifelong people pleasing that from an early age tamped down desires and ambitions to go along, to get along in the nineteen sixties and seventies era. You and I grew up learning that the father, the boss, the boyfriend, the mother, all the authority figures expected we could gravitate toward invisibility, to be seen but not heard. Do you recall that? Did you continue to live that? We started with no girl sports, and not a lot of career options or even college options. Well, now back to the good stuff, because now you're ready to write your own overdue permission slip. Then what will you do with that permission? Well, I'm going to share some inspiration by sharing five surprising stories of actions. Actions by women that will make you laugh, maybe cry, and declare I'll have what they're having. What follows are the transformational tales of five fierce midlife women who gave themselves permission to get unstuck, along with some advice they have for you, or for anyone like them who wants more out of life. What if your fifty fifth birthday came with a hall pass? A cosmic note that says rules are suspended, do what you really want. Well that's exactly what these five women did. First, there's Lisa Congden, an artist, an author, a late bloomer, creative. Lisa Congden's fun rebellion and bright artwork didn't kick off until she took her wish for an art career full time in her forties. Now she's internationally known for her colorful, rule breaking artwork and motivational books. People love to talk about finding their voice. I didn't even open my mouth creatively until midlife, Lisa said. And when I did, it was a yell. The surprise element? Well Lisa never went to art school. She's a total self taught rebel. Her permission, slip, says you don't need credentials to begin. You just need the nerve to start. Lisa is a living, ongoing example of thriving midlife, fueled by continual growth. She's immersed in both the artistic and entrepreneurial sides of her craft, making new art daily, expanding her brand, and sharing what she's learned through her books, teaching and speaking. Her shop in Portland and online offers her art prints, paper goods, calendars, totes, puzzles, and more. Her twenty twenty five calendar recently launched with her calming graphics proudly printed in Portland. Lisa continues to take on commissions and brand collaborations and her bold, hand leathered, and color rich style appears in work for organizations like the Library of Congress, Target, MoMA, Google, REI, and more. Yes, she did yell. Second, there is Cynthia Ocelli, author, coach, and former high school dropout. What was her fun rebellion? Well, after becoming a single mom, not having so much fun at nineteen and living on welfare, Cynthia eventually reinvented herself in her forties, became a lawyer, and then quit law to become a full time writer and spiritual coach. Quote I wrote myself a permission slip that said I'm not too late, I'm right on time, and then I signed it with red lipstick. The surprise element Cynthia still handwrites affirmations in cursive every day on Fine Stationery. Is that such a surprise really? That's how we keep going. Cynthia's permission slip said rewrite your story in your own handwriting. That's the spell. Next, number three is Linda Roden. She is founder of Roden Oleo Lusso, a beauty brand, and labels herself as accidental style icon. Her friend rebellion was when she launched the beauty brand in her sixties and became a fashion icon at age sixty five with her signature silver hair, oversized glasses, and unapologetic cool. Quote People always told me I was too something, too opinionated, too minimalist, too old. Well I turned too into true. The surprise element of Linda's reinvention is that she used to be a stylist for Harper's Bazaar, but turned her bathroom into her product lab. Her permission slip said stop toning yourself down. Crank the volume. Are we seeing a common theme here? Yep. Number four. Well number four was Emma Gatewood. She is deceased now, but she was the first woman to solo hike the Appalachian Trail at age sixty seven. Grandma Gatewood, as she was known, told her family she was going for a walk, and then hiked all two thousand one hundred and ninety miles solo in sneakers. I did it because I wanted to, and because I could. Surprise element Emma carried everything in a homemade denim sack. Her permission slip said You don't have to ask anyone but yourself ever. I've included Emma here because she was born in eighteen eighty seven and died in nineteen seventy three, but is always remembered as the first woman to solo through hike that trail. And she became a legendary figure in hiking history, someone everyone who hikes can call out to for inspiration. And finally, there's Wendy Ida, seventy plus fitness queen and health coach. After escaping a toxic relationship in her forties, Wendy became a bodybuilder and fitness coach in her fifties, and now sports an eight pack of abs in her seventies. Her quote to inspire you, I'm not aging, I'm upgrading. Her surprise element was that she did not set foot in a gym until age forty three. Now she holds two Guinness World Records. She was the oldest active fitness instructor multiple years running, and she was the oldest female bodybuilder to keep compete in a competition in her seventies. She earned her first Guinness World Record in twenty twelve and has continued to break through stereotypes and inspire women, well everyone globally ever since. Wendy's permission slip says let go of the expiration date someone else put on you. So here's the thing. Nobody's handing us permission anymore. Not our parents, not society, not the calendar. But what if we did it ourselves? So let's go. Do this, or if you're in your car, do it later, but not too much later. Grab a sticky note or open your journal. At the top, right, I hereby give myself permission to then fill in the blank. Maybe it's rest without guilt. Start over and not explain myself. Wear the bright lipstick and sparkly boots to the grocery store. Sign up and show up at that salsa dance class I've been interested in. Put on the hot pink kitten heels or bright converse sneakers. Or whatever you want. It's your permission slip to fill in and follow. Now sign it, date it, maybe frame it, but don't put it away. Let everyone, or at least yourself, see your license to live your second act on the regular. Your second act ignited, lit up. We're not just celebrating quirky quotes here. We're revealing truths, and what these women have taught us is rule breaking in midlife isn't reckless, it's reclaiming. Permission isn't granted, it's created. And we don't need reinvention to impress others. If we do it, we do it to align with ourselves, our true self that maybe we've been covering up, to pull out the potential that we know is there. So how will you refuse to let outdated rules or societal timelines dictate the joy you deserve and have earned at Midlife Plus? Really think it through. Envision how you will put boundaries in place and take action, real action for what you want. Here's some things you can try this week to get going. One break one tiny rule Eat dessert first skip a meeting to walk in the sun. Say no without apologizing, without justifying it. two write a real permission slip. Keep it in your purse. Make it a mantra. Bonus. Post it on social and tag it fire up at fifty five plus. Well, that's just a suggestion because most of all you need to do it for you. Three, how about naming your midlife rebel self? You know, we talked about the book Alter Ego. What's your alter ego when you stop caring what others think? Remember how Beyonce used Sasha Fierce? Do you have an inner nickname that inspires you to behave outwardly with new energy? Today's rebels are tomorrow's legends, and you, my friend, are in the perfect chapter to stir it up, so don't wait. Write the slip, break the rule, crank the volume, yell. Get visible. The second act of your life doesn't need to start when things calm down. It starts now, with the tools, the truth, and the energy to own it fully. And remember, this story of renewal is authored beautifully by you. Let's edit it so you'll never want to put your storybook down. I can't wait to see how your twenty twenty five transformation tale unfolds with the utmost fulfillment. Again, I'm Lori Adams and I love podcasting here, but I love even more working with individuals like you one on one as your own life coach. To reclaim your potential and reach for whatever midlife plus goal means the most to you without distractions and with energy, come work with me one on one. Just send an email to hello at laurieadamscoaching dot com to schedule a no pressure conversation and Q ⁇ A about individual coaching. We'll explore the goal that has eluded you most, including weight loss if that's the important one for you. The story of you deserves that. And to keep the transformational information coming each week, please follow FireUp at fifty five plus wherever you download your podcasts, and if on Apple, share a review and a star worthy rating. It's much appreciated.