If you've ever felt like life passed you by — that everyone else got the invitation to motherhood while you were left standing in the quiet — this episode is for you.

In Episode 166 of The "So Now What?" Podcast, I'm bringing you into a deeply personal story I recently shared with a room full of college students. It wasn't about infertility — at least not directly — but it brought up a feeling you probably know all too well: what it's like to have a plan for your life… only to watch it fall apart.

I share what happened when I didn't get into the college I thought would define my future — and how that moment mirrored the heartbreak of leaving fertility treatments without a child. If you've ever followed every "right" step and still didn't end up where you hoped, you're not alone.

This episode will help you:

• Connect the dots between your past rejections and how you define your worth today

• Understand why your grief is valid, even if no one else sees it

• Reframe your childless life as one that is not behind — but boldly becoming

• Feel less alone in a world that celebrates milestones you didn't get to experience

Whether you're in the thick of navigating a future without motherhood or trying to figure out what comes next, this conversation will remind you that you still get to write your own story. And that story can be meaningful, beautiful, and yours.

💬 Links Mentioned:

🎧 Listen to more episodes of The "So Now What?" Podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. 📖 Order your copy of So Now What? at lanamanikowski.com/book 📅 Book your free 45-minute Thrive Call with me to create a plan for what's next: Book Here!! 📥 Download The Top 27 Things People Say When You Are Childless (and how to respond): https://lana-manikowski.myflodesk.com/thingspeoplesay 📲 Follow along on Instagram: @lana.manikowski 📲 Join me on TikTok: @lana.manikowski

✨ You are not behind. You are not broken. You are becoming. And the life you're building — even without the children you dreamed of — can still be rich and full of purpose.

Ready to explore what your new plan could look like? Book your free Thrive Call today — let's start mapping it out together.