What Stage are You In?

Just like nature, your life moves through different stages. From the innocence of childhood to the wisdom of old age, each stage offers unique challenges and opportunities. The choices you make and how you choose to navigate each stage will determine how your life unfolds.  In today’s episode of Your Personal Power Pod, we look at the stages of your life and how you deal with them will affect your life.


We want to hear from you, whether it’s your stories about how self-esteem and personal power affect your life, or topics you’d like us to address in future episodes. 

We’d love for you to review our podcast. Do this on your streaming service or visit www.yourpersonalpowerpod.com , click Contact and drop us an email. 

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Also, if you’d like to make changes in your personal or business life, spending time with a coach can make all the difference.  Sandy is offering a free consultation, so contact her at sandy@insidejobscoach.com and put COACHING in the subject line to schedule a free call.

Thank you for listening to Your Personal Power Pod.  We look forward to hearing from you.

And, until next time, find your power and change your life!

Transcript

e118 what stage are you in

[00:00:00] Shannon: Welcome to Your Personal Power Pod, a podcast about aligning yourself with the life you want. And here are your hosts, Sandy Abel and Shannon Young.

[00:00:20] Sandy: Shannon, it's another beautiful day in the neighborhood. How are you today? 

[00:00:23] Shannon: I am well, and thank you. How are you? I am 

[00:00:27] Sandy: great. Well, actually, no, I'm not. I was working in the yard yesterday, and I did something to my back, so I'm moving gingerly today, which ties right into what we're talking about. Today 

[00:00:43] Shannon: we're talking about stages of life.

[00:00:44] Sandy: We are. 

[00:00:46] Shannon: It's funny that it's been on your mind because yesterday I had the pleasure of being asked, Oh, so what are you and your husband doing these days? Are you retired now? Oh no. What? No. I'm still in my twenties. I mean, I'm not. It was a stunning [00:01:00] question to be asked. A, I am so far away from being retired.

[00:01:04] Shannon: It's not even funny. And B, you just never really age inside. 

[00:01:09] Sandy: I still think I'm 37. 

[00:01:11] Shannon: Right. 

[00:01:11] Sandy: But I am actually at the stage where my body lets me know I'm not. 

[00:01:16] Shannon: Exactly. So it's really cool that we're having the same kind of wait. It's time to reassess moment about the stage of life we're in. 

[00:01:23] Sandy: Everybody has those moments.

[00:01:25] Shannon: Yep. 

[00:01:26] Sandy: Because just like nature, our lives move through different stages. We go from the innocence of childhood to the wisdom of old age, and each stage offers unique challenges and opportunities. 

[00:01:37] Shannon: And there's beauty in all of them. I can say from my limited experience, I haven't been through all of them yet.

[00:01:43] Shannon: There are definitely some downsides and there are definitely some upsides. 

[00:01:47] Sandy: Exactly. And it's all about how you choose to navigate each stage, which determines how your life unfolds, really. Today, we're looking at what stage are you in? 

[00:01:56] Shannon: So let's start from the very beginning, birth to 12. [00:02:00] 

[00:02:00] Sandy: We all know babies, they're born like blank slates.

[00:02:03] Sandy: And it's a time of innocence and exploration and learning. It's when you lay the foundation of who you're going to become. 

[00:02:10] Shannon: Babies know lots of things. They just don't know them the way we know them when we get older. 

[00:02:15] Sandy: Right. They know if they're happy. They know if they're warm and cozy. They know if they're hungry.

[00:02:20] Sandy: They're in touch with their bodies. They do know a lot. 

[00:02:22] Shannon: They just don't know how to survive as an adult. 

[00:02:26] Sandy: Because they're not, they're very, very small. And in the beginning they can't even walk or do much except grab a bottle. And then if you're fortunate enough and we're in a family that was supportive and loving, this was a time when you felt secure and supported.

[00:02:39] Sandy: And when you're a child, if you were given the freedom to explore and make choices along with being taught to be responsible, you had a great family. 

[00:02:48] Shannon: You're encouraged to be curious and make mistakes and being in that kind of a supportive childhood allows you to build a strong emotional foundation and teaches you to be resilient and to be who you are.

[00:02:59] Sandy: [00:03:00] Exactly. Unfortunately, if you didn't have a childhood where you were supported and loved, you might struggle with self esteem or confidence and not be very resilient 

[00:03:10] Shannon: or you've just learned defense mechanisms that protect you in that stage of life, but then you carry them through the rest of your life and they can become debilitating and make it really hard for you to have quality relationships later.

[00:03:24] Sandy: Your childhood is when you are learning to define who you are, and when you're really little, you pick that up from the people around you. So if they let you know you're awesome and wonderful and capable and competent and treat you like that, you will, by the time you reach adolescence, have a pretty good self esteem.

[00:03:42] Sandy: But if they treat you like you're in the way or a pain or not as important as your siblings or By the time you reach adolescence, you will probably struggle with self esteem. Your childhood is when you're learning about who other people think you are. And it may not be accurate, it may [00:04:00] not be who you are, but that's how you start, is with other people's definition of you.

[00:04:05] Sandy: People with children, please be very aware that the way you treat them and the things you say to them are helping them define themselves. It is so important to help them build inner strength and self love and also learn how to be responsible and capable and competent. 

[00:04:23] Shannon: Which includes holding them accountable.

[00:04:25] Sandy: Exactly. And when you're a parent of young children between birth and 9, 10, 11. That's the time when you are setting their foundation. So please be very aware of what you're doing and how you do it. 

[00:04:40] Shannon: Like being a parent isn't stressful enough. 

[00:04:42] Sandy: Sure, just lay that right on there. 

[00:04:46] Shannon: So then the fun years start, adolescence, 13 to 20.

[00:04:50] Shannon: This is where we are actively searching for our own identity. 

[00:04:55] Sandy: Yes, it's a time of rapid change, both physically and emotionally. Your hormones are [00:05:00] kicking in, which means your emotions are all over the board. Your body is changing. You may be growing quickly. You're looking for your identity and want some independence.

[00:05:11] Sandy: You think that you now should be able to make your own decisions and live your own life, and it's a confusing time. Part of you is still a child and still dependent on your family for food, clothing, shelter, all those things, but you also are old enough that you can think for yourself and hopefully do that instead of just follow the crowd.

[00:05:32] Shannon: This is also a time where we start turning to our friends more than our parents or families, and our peers become the most important people in our life. Their opinions matter, and fitting in really matters. So it's a time when you might start feeling your kids pulling away from you. Not only are they questioning you and demanding more independence, they're also not turning to you.

[00:05:56] Shannon: for the emotional support that they have been for the previous [00:06:00] decade. 

[00:06:00] Sandy: And hopefully if you set a good foundation for them when they were children, they will choose good friends and good role models. I get very concerned these days. We've talked about it before about how adolescents. In particular, are looking to influencers and people on their devices to tell them who they're supposed to be and how they're supposed to function.

[00:06:21] Sandy: And unfortunately, a lot of those people are not giving great advice and adolescents are trying on different identities and pushing boundaries to figure out who they are. It can be a challenging time for both the teenager and the parents. 

[00:06:35] Shannon: And I think this is where it's really important for parents to learn, as well as for their kids to learn.

[00:06:40] Shannon: The way you've parented for the past decade isn't going to work now. You have to start making some changes. You have to start allowing a little bit more freedom, but then finding the right amount of independence to give your kids. 

[00:06:52] Sandy: And you have to make them earn it. 

[00:06:54] Shannon: Yes, you 

[00:06:55] Sandy: give them a little bit of responsibility and if they step up and take it, then great.

[00:06:59] Sandy: Then you [00:07:00] give them more responsibility and then they get more freedom, but it's a process. You don't just instantly hand them the keys to the car and say, okay, have a nice time. They have to be invested and part of the process. During this time, open communication and guidance are really important. 

[00:07:16] Shannon: And sometimes that isn't the parents.

[00:07:19] Shannon: Sometimes you need to have a counselor or a different family member. 

[00:07:24] Sandy: Yeah, where anybody that can be supportive and listen and guide instead of just lay down the law. Because adolescents need to be guided and hopefully they will be open to that. Adolescence is a tricky time. 

[00:07:38] Shannon: Was it hard for you? 

[00:07:39] Sandy: Not really, because I was pretty clear who I was and I didn't want to go to parties and get drunk and do all the things that some people choose to do because I knew there were too many ramifications.

[00:07:50] Sandy: I was aware that. My behavior choices had consequences and I really didn't want to deal with the consequences. So I didn't smoke and I didn't do drunken [00:08:00] brawls and I didn't, I did drive a little too fast. There was that, but you know, overall I was. aware that what I chose to do would either bring positive or negative.

[00:08:13] Sandy: And that's because my family taught me when you make a decision and you follow through with action, there will be a consequence or a reward and it's your choice what you get. So what about you? I knew you as an adolescence, but what your, what is your, what is your thought about when you were an adolescent?

[00:08:31] Shannon: Adolescence was hard. I think I felt the same way you did, which was I understood that my actions had consequences, and that's because I was taught that my actions had consequences, so I wasn't really into that either. And I think I had a healthy fear about doing stupid things. I also didn't see it in my life.

[00:08:48] Shannon: You and dad weren't having drunken parties, and nobody was drinking. doing drugs or engaging in risky behaviors around me. So even though they were probably happening around me and I heard [00:09:00] later from classmates, there were all kinds of awful things going on in my junior high school. I didn't see them. I didn't even know to look for them.

[00:09:06] Shannon: Yeah. Adolescence was hard for me because my emotions were out of control. I felt very misunderstood. Then it didn't help that you were a counselor because I didn't feel understood. But then at the same time, I really didn't want to always be understood. So when you were like, yeah, I understand that. I was like, no, you don't.

[00:09:24] Sandy: Sorry about that. 

[00:09:25] Shannon: So it was very frustrating. And I just felt yanked around by my emotions. And I know that I dragged the rest of my family through that.

[00:09:36] Sandy: That's so normal for adolescents because your hormones are out of control and that impacts how you feel and how your body reacts to things. But you came out fabulous on the other side. 

[00:09:48] Shannon: Oh, thanks. I know you guys all still get beaten up by my emotions from time to time, but I am learning. Maybe by the time I reach the last stage of life, I will have them under control.[00:10:00] 

[00:10:00] Sandy: I think you're doing great, Jan. So adolescence is a time of discovery and struggle for both the person going through it and for their family. 

[00:10:11] Shannon: And it was infuriating to be in that place and have adults say, not the adults I was related to or living with, but just adults in general say, enjoy this. This is the best time of your life because you're like, I have nothing under control right now.

[00:10:27] Shannon: Nothing is going the way I want it to I'm not who I want to be. And they're like, These are the best days of your life. And you're like, 

[00:10:33] Sandy: Oh no, Oh no. What's next? 

[00:10:38] Shannon: I hope not. So anyway, for me, a really fun time of life was the next stage, early adulthood. 

[00:10:44] Sandy: Yes. 20 to 40. Tell us about that. Why was that fun for you?

[00:10:47] Shannon: I think about this a lot. I remember when I was very little, like six. five or six or seven playing like my bedroom was my apartment and I would put on my dress up high heels or your high heels probably [00:11:00] and clomp through the hallway and break out my little key from my purse and pretend like I was opening my bedroom door to my apartment like I was a young woman with her apartment and it felt so empowering.

[00:11:11] Shannon: So to be living that was really cool. How 

[00:11:15] Sandy: fun. 

[00:11:15] Shannon: I also was broke and so I was not. And I'm still pretending that when I was six. So it was kind of a balance. You have all the independence you wanted and begged your parents for, but also no money. 

[00:11:28] Sandy: Yeah, right. The responsibility for your life and how it unfolds shifts from your family to you.

[00:11:35] Sandy: Yep. And You can start building your life, which means establishing a career or forming relationships, uh, starting a family, or you can just try to still be a teenager and be wild and crazy and make poor decisions. This is when you start to create your identity as an adult and begin laying the groundwork for your future.

[00:11:55] Shannon: It's where you begin actively choosing who you want to be. 

[00:11:57] Sandy: Exactly. And you have the power. to do [00:12:00] that. When you're still living with somebody who's paying all the bills, you don't have the power to make all your choices. Once you're a young adult, your life is in your hands, and that's a huge shift, and it's really powerful.

[00:12:12] Sandy: That's when you can claim your personal power and just run with it. 

[00:12:15] Shannon: That's a really scary thing. Gary, 

[00:12:17] Sandy: it's very scary, but it's also quite exciting. It's a time where you set goals and are flexible and adaptable and open to change. And this is where you decide how you want to move ahead. What is your ambition and how are you going to achieve that?

[00:12:32] Sandy: And you may not know. This is when people are, a lot of people are in college or some people are starting a job and you're not really clear where you want to be five or ten years from then. You're just starting trying to figure it out. It's like adolescence where you're figuring it out, only this time it's totally up to you.

[00:12:50] Shannon: It's also a stage where some illusions can be popped. 

[00:12:55] Sandy: Yes, right. 

[00:12:56] Shannon: Because when you're an adolescent and you're telling your parents, when I [00:13:00] move out, I'm going to do this, this, and this, because you see the world a certain way, and you just know you're going to be rich and fabulous. And then you move out and you're like, Oh, I'm making minimum wage, trying to pay for an apartment.

[00:13:10] Shannon: I don't have any vacations. Planned because I can't afford them. I'm living off ramen . Yes. You're having to prioritize, right. And make big choices that affect the quality of your life. 

[00:13:24] Sandy: Exactly. You're learning 

[00:13:25] Shannon: about realities. 

[00:13:26] Sandy: Yeah, and you have to be flexible and you have to be adaptable. You have to get clear.

[00:13:31] Sandy: You know, you're 23. Where do you want to be in five years? Because what you choose to do when you're 23 will determine where you're going to be in five years. 

[00:13:40] Shannon: That's a hard one. 

[00:13:41] Sandy: It is. And it's the time when you get to be in charge of your life for better or worse. 

[00:13:46] Shannon: That I think is the biggest difference that I've noticed in the way I see the world now versus 30 years ago.

[00:13:54] Shannon: All of my friends who are this age talk about our kids the same way, which is like they're making these choices, [00:14:00] thinking they have all the time in the world, and they don't understand that if they go out with the guy who's addicted to drugs or drop out of college thinking, well, I can make changes down the road.

[00:14:10] Shannon: It sounds so easy when you're 20. 

[00:14:13] Sandy: Yeah, but it doesn't work that way. 

[00:14:15] Shannon: No. When you look back in your 50s and you're like, no. You make those decisions, they put you on a course and you're really close to that road over there where you could change today. But a year from now, you will have veed off from that intersection so far you can't get back.

[00:14:30] Sandy: Exactly. 

[00:14:31] Shannon: And you don't see that when you're 20. 

[00:14:33] Sandy: Hopefully, by the time you're 30, you have gotten it together and you might have gotten married. Or have a partner, you might start having a family, you might own houses, cars, all kinds of possessions. And you might actually be functioning as an adult if you're making the right choices in order to navigate this stage.

[00:14:53] Sandy: Well, you have to be willing to set goals and go after them, but also be flexible, adaptable, and maintain a [00:15:00] healthy work life balance. Early adulthood is a really important time because that sets the tone for the rest of your life. 

[00:15:06] Shannon: And I think we need to clarify that we're not equating being an adult with getting married, buying a house, having kids, those things that people do.

[00:15:14] Shannon: You could certainly decide, no, I want to travel the world and build houses or report news or whatever and not have those things that tie me to a particular place. You still have to set the groundwork. for your life to take off in that direction. 

[00:15:27] Sandy: Right. This is a stage where you take over. 

[00:15:29] Shannon: Yes. 

[00:15:30] Sandy: And your family's not running the show anymore.

[00:15:31] Sandy: Right. And you have the power to create whatever you want. 

[00:15:34] Shannon: I've heard recently about studies that say these years are generally the most unhappy for people. 

[00:15:42] Sandy: Wow. 

[00:15:43] Shannon: Because Especially as women, we're taught that you get married, you have a family, you take care of your kids, everything is beautiful and idyllic, and that's changing, that expectation, but it is still pretty heavily there.

[00:15:55] Shannon: And you wind up tired, physically exhausted, not [00:16:00] sleeping, stressed about being a parent, not having any money. It's just not what that is. the fairy tale promised, and so people are generally more unhappy during this stage of life. 

[00:16:10] Sandy: Huh. Well, I hope that if they are, they can take a look at it and step back and say, well, so what can I do to make this a more enjoyable time?

[00:16:18] Sandy: Because it is a time of lots of joy. Sure. It's a time where you get to create what you want. And if you've created kids or you've created owning a house and having a job, cool, enjoy it, be proud of it. 

[00:16:29] Shannon: And if you have those things and you didn't want them and you weren't planning on them, maybe start making some decisions that will take you in the direction you want to go.

[00:16:37] Sandy: Exactly. So this is a very interesting stage. This 20 to roughly 40, 45 stage really sets the tone for the rest of your life. And then you get into midlife, which is often a time of reflection where you take stock of your accomplishments and reassess your goals. You look back at the last stage and say, wow, well, I didn't do that.

[00:16:58] Sandy: And I'm sad about that, or [00:17:00] I did that. And I'm happy about that. 

[00:17:01] Shannon: This is midlife crisis time. 

[00:17:03] Sandy: Exactly. Because often at this point, if you've had children, they will have moved on and you can finally focus on yourself and your partner or your friends instead of letting your family determine your choices.

[00:17:15] Sandy: But you may not know who you are. This is where you, once again, need to get clear on who you are. Get in touch with your personal power. Say who am I? I'm not a label. I'm not just a dad or a mom or a worker or a homeowner. I'm a person. I'm a human being. I love the ocean and I love the mountains and I am really smart and put different labels on yourself, not just roles in your midlife.

[00:17:41] Sandy: That's when you start doing that. It's like, who am I? If I'm not all those things I've been in for the last 20 years. 

[00:17:48] Shannon: And it's important to know that that's normal. 

[00:17:50] Sandy: Oh, yeah. I 

[00:17:51] Shannon: have very dear people in my life who are switching from one stage to the other and are now in this reflection realignment stage.

[00:17:57] Shannon: And they feel like something is [00:18:00] wrong with them, that they don't know who they are. They don't know what they like anymore. They remember the things that made them happy before they had kids. But those things don't feel right anymore, and they feel like they've done something wrong. 

[00:18:12] Sandy: Yeah, and it's not at all.

[00:18:14] Sandy: It's just they are in a stage that is shifting, and they have adapted, and now they need to redefine. Each one of these stages is about change. It's about growth and change. And we've talked about change and how you sometimes grieve changes. You can be excited about them, but also grieve them. The important thing is to just be aware of what you're feeling and what you're going through when you're doing that.

[00:18:38] Sandy: And it's like, Oh yeah, I'm in that midlife thing here. I need to be flexible and adaptable and figure out who I want to be next. 

[00:18:47] Shannon: And as with everything we talk about, you can choose how you look at these things. You can look at it like, it's scary and I feel stuck and I don't know who I am and this sucks.

[00:18:57] Shannon: Or you can look at it like, yeah, [00:19:00] this is an opportunity to find new things that bring me joy and light me up and learn me again. Making that decision, again, is one of those like, which path do you want to be on? Because if you stay in that fear and that feeling down on yourself, you're not going to evolve.

[00:19:17] Sandy: Exactly. You can't continue to be who you were when your situation has changed and your circumstances have changed. You can't continue to parent. Some people try. But once you've got kids who are 24, 25, 26, you cannot continue to parent them. You have to let them go, be their adult, and you have to be able to redefine who you want to be now without being a parent.

[00:19:43] Sandy: You'll always be a parent, but without having to do the parent job. anymore because you've turned that over to your kids. Or you may be in a career that you have taken as far as it can go and it's not satisfying anymore. So you might want to re evaluate that or re [00:20:00] evaluate relationships. This is when a lot of people look at whatever their relationships are, friendships.

[00:20:06] Sandy: partners and say, you know, this just isn't working for me anymore. Midlife is a really interesting time. 

[00:20:12] Shannon: And I think it's helpful to know that you're not supposed to stay the same person. Like your core values may stay the same. They may not, but they may stay the same. And a lot of your characteristics and personality qualities may stay the same, but you're not supposed to stay ultimately the same person.

[00:20:29] Shannon: You're supposed to grow and evolve and progress. There's some grief in that, but all of those people that you have been are still part of you. There's a beautiful Sara Bareilles song called She Used to Be Mine, which is her singing about the person she used to be. And she's like, I don't have her anymore, but she used to be mine.

[00:20:50] Sandy: Yeah. Oh, that's beautiful. Gorgeous. 

[00:20:52] Shannon: Yes. And it's all about how she still has all of that inside her. All those experiences made her who she is today, but she's not that [00:21:00] person anymore. 

[00:21:00] Sandy: She became that person and then used who she was as that person to continue to grow and be a new person. 

[00:21:07] Shannon: Yes. 

[00:21:08] Sandy: That's great.

[00:21:09] Sandy: I love that. 

[00:21:09] Shannon: It's okay to be unhappy. It's okay to be dissatisfied. Acknowledge it, then decide to change it. 

[00:21:16] Sandy: We're back to take your power and create the life you want now. 

[00:21:20] Shannon: One other thing I'd like to mention about this stage of life, and I don't know if this is true for men as much as I've noticed it's true for my female friends, which is this is a weird time during which If you live in a society like America's where a lot of your value as a woman is placed on your looks, those start to go away and you become to a certain degree invisible to the gazes that you used to have.

[00:21:44] Shannon: And it can be very jarring and also extremely liberating. And it's where, we talked about this last night, you stop giving an F. You're like, Oh, I'm out from under that expectation. Hallelujah. 

[00:21:59] Sandy: Right. Well, I [00:22:00] think that applies to men too. You know, they're used to being all muscle and thin and strong and have lots of hair.

[00:22:06] Sandy: And a lot of men get bald and a lot of men tend to get a little punchy and your body changes along with everything else. If you identify with who your body is, you're going to have a struggle. 

[00:22:18] Shannon: It is a little weird to not recognize yourself. I caught myself in a window or something the other day and I was like, Oh, she looks familiar.

[00:22:26] Shannon: Oh, that's me. 

[00:22:29] Sandy: Oh my goodness. 

[00:22:31] Shannon: Like, I think I know her. Oh yeah. I've lived with her for a long time. 

[00:22:34] Sandy: You don't look that different, Shannon. You're so 

[00:22:37] Shannon: funny. No, but I'm getting jowly and I have kind of a perma frown because I've always had a resting bitch face and now it's just become even worse. And you know, I don't think of myself like that, but oh, it's there.

[00:22:51] Sandy: The good thing is you don't identify with your looks anymore. You are who you are and you're beautiful because that comes from inside, not outside. [00:23:00] Thank you. I'm learning. You're still beautiful outside. Yeah. So midlife is a really interest time of reflection and realignment basically. And then we get into later life.

[00:23:10] Sandy: Da da da dum. I can relate to that. 

[00:23:14] Shannon: Tell us about wisdom and legacy. 

[00:23:16] Sandy: Well, this is where you might be getting grandchildren, you're thinking about retiring from your job, you might be reevaluating where you've been and where you're headed. At this point, you've accumulated a lifetime of wisdom and might be thinking about what kind of legacy you want to leave.

[00:23:30] Sandy: The other thing is you've also accumulated a lot of possessions. And probably start thinking about downsizing them, which is right where I am used to be. I love to go shopping and if I found a cool dress, I've got way too many dresses anyway, but I'd get another dress, you know, or something for the house.

[00:23:51] Sandy: And now I just look around and go, Oh my gosh, there are people who could use these. And I don't need them. It's a stage of shifting and letting [00:24:00] go and instead of accumulating. 

[00:24:02] Shannon: I think it's about actively choosing where you want your focus to be. And if you're surrounded by stuff, especially stuff you're not using or that doesn't, to use a cliched phrase, bring you joy, why have it?

[00:24:14] Shannon: Because there's definitely a weight to having. 

[00:24:18] Sandy: It is. I've known many, many people in this later life stage who are saying, Oh my gosh, I just need to clean out. There is so much and I don't need it. I've got these things that I use all the time and I really like them. But back in the day I collected just because it made me feel good and now it just makes me feel overwhelmed.

[00:24:38] Sandy: Yeah. It's a time where you let go possessions. You can also let go of old emotions, old feelings, old things that might be dragging you down. It's the time where you can be who you really, really want to be. I care more about my family and my friends. You know, I'm not looking for their approval. I just love them more and appreciate them.

[00:24:59] Sandy: [00:25:00] Because at this time, bodies start getting frail and people start dying or lots of people just move away. And it's a time of a lot of loss with relationships. So I really care about relationships and friends. By the time you reach the later life, wisdom, and legacy stage, you pretty much know who you are.

[00:25:19] Sandy: Hopefully you're good with that and can just move ahead and enjoy yourself. 

[00:25:24] Shannon: That's beautiful. 

[00:25:24] Sandy: Well, thank you. It is. You just have to be okay with who you are. Wrinkles and all, foibles and all. I know what I'm good at. I know what I'm not good at. Neither one really defines me. You just have to sort of come to terms with your life and in the process you might go through the grief and loss process so you got to be gentle with yourself but it can also be incredibly fulfilling because you can turn your attention to giving back and mentoring others and enjoying the fruits of your labor and you're probably not going to work into your 70s or 80s so you have time to go out and smell the roses as they [00:26:00] say.

[00:26:00] Shannon: It's important during this phase to to stay connected. I think a lot of people turn inwards and focus on how they're not what they used to be and their body isn't what it used to be. And maybe they're struggling with health challenges or mental decline and those quality relationships and feeling like you're important by providing worth.

[00:26:22] Shannon: Or value to other people can really keep you engaged and connected. 

[00:26:27] Sandy: Absolutely. And that's what this stage of life is about is connecting with yourself and connecting with others and sharing your wisdom and leaving a legacy. 

[00:26:36] Shannon: And don't stop learning. You don't have to stop growing. 

[00:26:39] Sandy: Oh my goodness. No, always, always grow and learn.

[00:26:43] Sandy: Now you can grow and learn not with a specific goal in mind, like I need to do this for my job or to be a better parent, you can just do it because I've always been interested in learning about trees, so I'm going to take an arborist class, you know, just because you want to. And that's a [00:27:00] wonderful freedom thing to do.

[00:27:02] Shannon: Just learning for the joy of learning. 

[00:27:04] Sandy: Right. So the bottom line is that life is a journey with many stages. Each with its own set of challenges and rewards. And by understanding that each stage involves changing growth and embracing the unique aspects of them as they come, you can navigate your life with grace and purpose.

[00:27:22] Sandy: Remember, it's not about rushing through each phase. It's about understanding where you are, what you want to get from that, and taking responsibility for making that happen as you make the most of each stage you're in. It's also about being willing to be flexible and adaptable as you move from one stage to another and making sure that each stage brings you joy and is the best it can be.

[00:27:45] Shannon: Thank you, Mama. 

[00:27:46] Sandy: And thank you, Shani. And thanks to all our listeners. Whatever stage of life you're in, I hope that you're navigating it the way you want to and that it is fulfilling and wonderful for you. 

[00:27:57] Shannon: And then tell us about it. 

[00:27:59] Sandy: Absolutely. [00:28:00] Yes, definitely. 

[00:28:01] Shannon: We love it when you tell us your stories. We also love it when you tell us your challenges and when you suggest topics for us to address in future episodes and you can communicate with us all of those different things by visiting us at yourpersonalpowerpod.

[00:28:16] Shannon: com. Click contact and drop us an email. You can also visit and subscribe on our YouTube channel. Can share it with your friends and family so they can join in on all the fun and introspection. And if you want to explore the idea of coaching, which I highly recommend because it can totally change your life.

[00:28:31] Shannon: Contact Sandy at sandy at insidejobscoach. com. We look forward to hearing from you and until next time, find your power and change your [00:29:00] life.