In this Thanksgiving episode, I focus on a kind of gratitude we don't practice often -- self-gratitude. Being grateful for ourselves -- for our inner qualities and the choices we’ve made from those qualities -- transforms our relationship with ourselves. I explore how self-gratitude helps us honor our past, present, and future selves while pushing back against the voices that tell us that we can only be proud or grateful for our accomplishments.

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Are you ready to feel defiantly joyful? Defiantly calm? Defiantly loving? If you are, you may have to first stop feeling certain emotions you've been socialized into (eg, caring about how neat your house is, or never disappointing anyone) in order to start feeling powerful and defiant emotions. By intentionally nurturing emotions like defiant love, care, or hope at a time when the world around us may be discouraging these emotions, we can create powerful shifts in our lives and in the world around us. In this episode, I invite you to choose your own defiant emotions and share your journey so we can build a supportive community together.

In this episode:

Mentioned in this episode:

Rebecca Solnit

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In this episode of Making Midlife Magic, I offer a part 2 to episode 73, Take Back Your Joy. Inspired by a recent paper I wrote on joy in the face of trauma, I explore the idea of joy as a shared, communal experience. Joy isn’t just personal; when we share it with others, we expand our collective capacity for joy. Take back your joy -- for yourself and for all of us.

Mentioned in this episode:

Ep #73: Take Back Your Joy

Saul & Ruby's Holocaust Survivor Band

The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

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Are you feeling awful since Election Day in the U.S.? I am. Or maybe there's a different reason you're feeling dysregulated -- disconnected, anxious, and wanting to stay in bed. In this episode, I share how intentional acts, like baking an apple cake, helped me calm my nervous system this week. Through my experience preparing a gratitude workshop I gave two days after election day, I learned that genuine gratitude can foster meaningful connection and stability, reminding us to notice "glimmers"—small, positive moments—that help us stay grounded in challenging times.

In this episode:

Are you feeling anxious about the election? Or is work stress overwhelming you? In this episode, I focus on navigating stressful situations by tuning into what we can control. When life events or global issues feel overwhelming, it’s natural to feel out of control, but I’ll show you how to find your locus of control to manage your mindset, actions, and self-care. I discuss practical steps for grounding yourself, feeling your emotions fully, and then refocusing on what you can actively influence. Whether it's adjusting your mindset, treating others kindly, or moving forward meaningfully after disappointment, this episode is about finding strength and clarity by directing your mind toward what you can control.

In this episode:

🎯 Learn how to identify your “locus of control” during challenging times to feel more empowered and grounded.

🎯 Discover practical ways to manage anxiety and regain calm by focusing on what you can influence.

🎯 Get actionable tips on maintaining a positive mindset, including managing news intake and protecting your energy.

🎯 Find out how to move forward and treat yourself with compassion, even when life feels overwhelming.

In this episode of Making Midlife Magic, I reflect on the power of choosing our thoughts intentionally, focusing on the thought: "I have everything I need." I explore how this thought can either support or hinder us depending on how we use it, drawing inspiration from the resourcefulness of TV's MacGyver. I share how this thought shifted me out of some work anxiety, and show how we can apply this mindset shift to everyday situations to move forward and solve problems with creativity and confidence.

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"What's the point of sadness?" a friend asked me. This episode is for her and for you, if you've ever wondered what the point of sadness is, when it doesn't seem to create anything good in our lives. In this episode, I explain why it's essential to embrace this emotion, especially in midlife. I share personal reflections and explore how sadness can be seen as the flip side of desire, connecting us to what we truly want and love. Learn three key insights about sadness and discover practical ways to transform your own relationship with it, turning this often uncomfortable emotion into a tool for growth and deeper connection with others. Whether you're coping with grief, disappointment, or life's transitions, this episode offers valuable strategies to help you navigate sadness and emerge with greater equilibrium.

In this episode:

Mentioned in this episode:

Maurice Sendak, On Life, Death, and Children's Lit (interview with Terry Gross, 12/29/2011)

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In this episode, I reflect on a powerful question inspired by my dog, Wally: What makes us feel younger? Wally, at 13 years old, becomes a different dog when we cross certain streets—he moves with newfound energy and excitement. I realized this parallels our own lives: what brings that spark of youthfulness back to us? I explore how freedom, agency, and newness can create that feeling, encouraging you to ask: What does this for me? What makes me feel younger, more alive, invigorated?

In this episode:

✅ Discover how a simple walk with my dog sparked a profound question: What makes me feel younger?

✅ Learn about the three key elements—freedom, agency, and newness—that can bring energy and excitement to your life.

✅ Reflect on your own "Oakland Avenue" moments and find ways to bring more joy and vitality into your everyday routine.

✅ Get inspired to reconnect with activities, people, and experiences that give you that spark.

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In this episode of Making Midlife Magic, I reflect on the power of "do overs," inspired by Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and my late mother's birthday. I explore how this time of renewal offers us the opportunity to rethink our lives, relationships, and habits, showing how we can all benefit from the grace of starting over—both with others and ourselves. Whether you're working on relationships or overcoming negative self-talk, I'll show you how embracing "do overs" can bring more kindness, compassion, and growth into your life.

In this episode:

✅ Learn how to embrace the concept of a "do over" in relationships and everyday life for more grace and growth.

✅ Discover ways to overcome negative self-talk and reframe how you talk to yourself.

✅ Experience the power of starting fresh at any moment, not only at New Year's or the start of the day.

✅ Get inspired to approach challenges with compassion and offer yourself endless tries to improve and grow.

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In this episode, I share the concept of useful thoughts, and how thinking in this way, rather than true/false can serve us. I share my own experience of self-doubt before a conference (I was a wreck!), and how I helped myself by focusing on what's useful rather than true. While we often think in terms pof positive & negative thoughts, sometimes negative thoughts can be useful and positive thoughts can be not useful. Listen in as I show you how to reframe your thinking to find more ease every day!

In this episode:

✅ The power of shifting your mindset from truth to usefulness

✅ Practical strategies for managing negative thoughts

✅ Why "negative" thoughts aren't always a problem

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* ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for a free one-hour midlife magic consultation call ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to discover what you most want for the second half of your life and to see how coaching can help

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