Your Magenta Monday Magic.
There was a story I believed as a young woman about what I needed to do to be accepted and it went something like this:
Go to a good school.
Get a good job.
Get married.
Have a family.
Whether that story was shaped by culture or it was a mix of my own vision combined with the messages I absorbed from around me, I bought into it hook, line, and sinker.
I was told I could ‘bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan’, and do it all while celebrating the fact that I was a woman.
I could do it all and have it all! And, let me tell you, I worked hard to achieve that vision, and to make it look effortless while doing so.
I remember looking at the other moms around me, the ones who seemed to have it all together. Their kids were perfectly coiffed, their Christmas cards were never late, and their kids’ birthday parties were the stuff of legends.
When I surveyed my own life, I saw a frazzled parent, running a million miles an hour, frantically trying to deliver her kids from point A to point B, while also commuting 90 minutes each way to work, and struggling to get dinner on the table. It’s no wonder I forgot the team snack at my son’s soccer game!😬
I just couldn’t keep up, and I felt like there was something wrong with me. Not only was I failing at being the perfect mom, but I was utterly and completely exhausted.
It took me a while to realize that the story I had bought into looked better on paper than it did in reality.
And, once that became clear, I also saw that the dream I was chasing no longer fit.
That’s when I realized that there must be something more for me, that the things I had coveted for so long didn’t actually make me happy. They left me feeling depleted and chasing them was leading me further and further from my truth.
For many women, these realizations surface in midlife, when they begin to face the challenges at midlife! When what once felt like a roadmap to happiness no longer fits.
Maybe you’ve reached this stage and realized that all the things you’ve been so intently focused on – the job, the kids, the marriage – no longer take precedence.
You’ve lived life. You’ve grown. What is important to you has shifted and evolved.
You’ve realized the old sweater you’ve been wearing no longer fits as well as it once did.
The point is, that your truth is not static. It ebbs and flows. It will evolve and change as you do.
To stay committed to who you were 20 years ago because that’s the way you’ve always been may seem like the way to go. It definitely feels safe and comfortable, just like that old sweater.
And listen, I get it. It can be scary to reconsider who you are now that you are in midlife, to ask:
What if your job no longer fits?
What if your marriage no longer fits?
What if how you are showing up in life no longer fits?
Because, then what?
Well, you can ignore what you find – turn away from it like that leaky sink I told you about – and hope it doesn’t turn into a major disaster. But, spoiler alert, it’ll usually keep showing up, until it eventually becomes so bothersome that you just can’t ignore it anymore.
Or, you can choose to get curious about it now and consider what else is possible for you.
Monday Mindshift
It’s the 1° shift that makes the biggest difference over time.
Facing your truth and challenges at midlife takes courage. It can call into question everything you’ve ever believed to be true.
But you can’t get yourself into a smart, new sweater, one that looks and feels amazing, and suits this season of your life, until you leave the comfort of your old one behind you.
Acknowledging that a major part of your identity no longer fits is a massive step forward in and of itself. Once you do that – and you accept the truth about where you are right now – well then you can start edging towards what comes next.
Being honest with yourself and tackling challenges at midlife is the key to getting clear on what you want your next steps to be.
That’s where the story gets really exciting.
Living BRIGHTer is...
B - Be Brave
R - Cultivate Relationships
I - Live with Intention
G - Practice Gratitude
H - Prioritize Health
T - Live your Truth
What is Magenta?
The color magenta is one of universal harmony and emotional balance. It is spiritual yet practical, encouraging common sense and a balanced outlook on life. Magenta helps to create harmony and balance in every aspect of life; physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
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