Hi there Reader,
Welcome to this edition of Meaningful eMail with the most recent takeaway and updates linked here at the top, and then a full article for your consideration.
Grab what's helpful today, then save others for future reference. You never know when you or someone in your network could use a boost!
Recent Takeaways & Updates
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Top Takeaways: Second Act by Henry Oliver
Fantastic combination of late bloomer mini-biographies AND the science behind why and how.
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Newly Released: My Blueprints for Brilliance: Coaching Insights guest appearance
We discuss embracing change and overcoming career plateaus.
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Newly Released: My Purposed Today guest appearance
Just how important is purpose in our career? And why we should follow our curiosities instead of our passions?
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Upcoming: The Next Mid-Career Remix Roundtable 12/19
Monthly conversations for clarity, confidence and career vision. Sign up for the next one: December 19. We'll be covering ways to deal with limiting beliefs.
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Let's Explore
From limits to lifts
Have you ever caught yourself thinking, “I could never do that,” or, “I’m too old to start over”? These thoughts often feel true, but they’re just stories we’ve learned to tell ourselves.
My story
For me, the story was: “I’m a failure.”
I told myself this during a low point in my mid-career journey. My freelance creative director business was struggling, and I believed it was all my fault. I wasn’t bold enough or smart enough. I could create effective marketing for banks and credit unions, but I couldn’t do the same for my own business. I wasn’t disciplined, and I sucked at planning.
Sound familiar? Maybe you’ve told yourself a similar story.
These thoughts spiraled in my head for months. I didn’t trust my decisions—after all, weren’t they what got me into this mess in the first place? The weight of these beliefs held me down, and I didn’t know how to move forward.
Then, one night, I had a breakthrough thought: “I need tools.”
I realized I couldn’t break the spiral on my own, so I sought help from a counselor—an expert in the tools I needed. And those tools worked.
I began to recognize that my thoughts were just thoughts. They weren’t necessarily true. And they weren't a reflection of who I was or wanted to be. What if they were simply bursts of energy?
With practice, I learned to:
- Recognize and observe my thoughts without judgment.
- Challenge those thoughts to see which ones served me.
- Reframe them into beliefs that supported my growth.
My limiting beliefs transformed into empowering truths.
Mid-Career Limits to Lifts
Let’s apply this concept to some common limiting beliefs I hear from clients:
- “I’m too old to do something new.”
- “My reputation as a job-hopper is holding me back.”
- “No one will hire me with experience in a completely different field.”
- “If I pivot, I’m turning my back on my hard-earned expertise.”
These beliefs feel real, but are they true?
Here’s how we start to dismantle them:
- Challenge the thought: Ask, “Is this true?”
If the answer is “yes,” ask for evidence: “What hard proof do you have?”
Most of the time, the belief starts to crumble.
- Shift perspective: The client who worried about being seen as a “job-hopper?” We reframed it: His varied experience across companies made him a valuable consultant. Employers saw his ‘hopping’ as industry expertise, lifting him above the competition.
Often, the limits we see are invisible to others—or even assets.
Join the Roundtable
This Thursday, we’ll explore how to reframe limiting beliefs and turn them into empowering truths.
We’ll also dive into why these beliefs feel so real, where they come from, and how they tie into imposter syndrome. You’ll see practical reframing tips in action and leave with tools to build confidence in your ability to move from limits to lifts.
If you’d like to explore your own limiting beliefs, join us this Thursday. Feel free to send me your belief in advance if you'd rather not share it live. I’d love to help you reframe it.
Sign up here or reply to this email for the details.
For Further Reading
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer (link goes to my takeaway article)
You Are A Badass: How To Stop Doubting Your Greatness And Start Living An Awesome Life by Jen Sincero (link goes to my takeaway article)
The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear And Take Life To The Next Level by Gay Hendricks (I honestly thought I'd already reviewed this one as it's a go-to book for me, but it's not in my Resources section! Review will happen in January but I'm happy to share insights to those who reply back.)
