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.
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Recent Takeaways &
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Top Takeaways: Smart Brevity
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Workshop: Clear, Confident & Connected
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Let's Explore
The strength to handle whatever's next
My brother said something a few years ago that's stuck with me ever since.
"This is why we train."
We were standing in our parents' kitchen when he said it and that moment is burned in my brain. I don't remember exactly what prompted it, but it was something along the lines of managing a change in plans, something not going as expected.
But the meaning was clear: this is why we train - to manage change, to stay steady.
And let's be honest, for those of us in our 40s-60s change is happening more often... and often without warning. We know intellectually that careers will shift, family dynamics will evolve, and identities will be challenged, but when those big events actually happen? They hit harder than we imagined.
We want to respond with grace and resilience. We try to plan ahead, to minimize uncertainity. We exercise to stay flexible and strong. But without an inner strength practice, we're more likely to get knocked around, shut down or stuck.
Facing challenges by staying present, not panicked, feels more noble and wise. Dealing with uncertainty by staying curious instead of trying to control offers possibilities. The ability to stay calm and confident in the face of change? That's a true sign of strength.
But most of us weren't taught how to do this. Our education centered on historical dates, lab experiments, sentence diagrams. If we were taught anything about how to show up, it was perform, achieve and power through. We're expected to have it all then hold it all together when things got wonky.
And things are wonky. AI, politics, and layoffs are shaking up the job market. Uncertainty is hitting soloprenuers. The weather's more unpredictable than ever.
I'm not immune. Just as I was gaining traction with mid-career coaching, consumer spending shifted and so did the market. I leaned into business strategy, listened to my people, and felt clarity about where to go next. My head had a plan. But my heart? It wasn’t ready.
I'd poured so much energy into the previous direction -- dove into research, wrote countless articles, created tons of content, appeared on podcasts -- what would it take to turn in a new direction?
To leap into something unformed and unfinished?
To show up messy, vulnerable, and in motion?
These questions? That moment?
This is why we train.
I turned inward and toward what I trust:
- My strengths, my values and my purpose
- Breathwork, mediation and movement to regulate my nervous system
- Gratitude to reconnect with perspective
- Time in nature and with The Divine to reawaken my possibility
What brings out the best in you?
- The version of you that listens calmly, even when emotions run high
- The version that walks away from worn out stories, outgrown titles and outdated expectations
- The version of you that believes in possibilities, purpose and perspective
That version?
It's not a stretch goal. It's a trained muscle.
You see glimpses of it. You hear that version calling to you. It's there waiting for you.
You don't need to hustle to find that version, you just need to put in the reps. Keep training. Add reps when you can. Fill up your bucket, even if it's one extra drop at a time. Make more deposits than withdrawals.
And remember, you are stronger than you know.
