Midlife Repurposed

In this episode: Michelle says no one really needs to hear her words about racial injustice, but someone does need to hear her voice. There is a difference between throwing words out there and being a voice. We can be a voice with few words. Being a voice means we have not passed on by or pretended we did not see. 

Michelle said: 

What does matter is that other human beings have cried out for help, and whether or not I understand all of the implications behind their cries, I hear the pain. I hear the plea for someone to listen, to notice, to validate, to at least pause long enough to pay attention and not pass on by pretending not to see or hear.

I’m listening, learning, and taking off my perspective lenses to borrow the lenses of others who have had a different experience from my own. So much about my own life journey hasn’t been easy or simple. Yet, I know nothing of what it is like to heap racial inequality or injustice in the path along with the other challenges. Nothing.

We grew up saying the Pledge of Allegiance every day in school. But now I realize that the words are empty if I cannot speak where liberty and justice have been oppressed. I am inept, inadequate, and ignorant, but that can change. I’ll start with being inquisitive and intent, informed and invested in what it takes to make a difference.

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In this episode: More than ever before, digital communication is a vital means of staying connected with others. But sometimes a little social media distancing is needed to preserve relationships when opinions burn hot, passion is ignited, and misinformation is abundant. Why not reclaim digital media for positive influence! 

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In this encore episode, learn about secrets to a long marriage based on friendship, get four ready-to-print downloads for wedding shower games, plus a fun bonus freebie, and recommendations for resources that could help your marriage. 

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In this episode: How we handle ourselves when we're wrong says a lot more about us than being wrong about something does. If we handle it with maturity and grace, that shows humility. But if we get defensive and argumentative, it shows emotional immaturity. 

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In this episode: There is a lot of stuff going on in our world right now. This means a lot of opportunities to argue, for people to follow their gut and then make a mistake, for not being prepared enough for financial stress, and for choices that could lead to consequences. In relationships, it's often tempting to say, "I told you so" when someone else messes up. But what if we flipped the script to 4 other little words? I still love you. Whether it’s related to a pandemic, an election, a cause, or a disagreement, we have the opportunity to love. And that’s how we win at relationships. 

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In this episode, Michelle pledges: I’d rather laugh about what I can’t change instead of grumbling about it. I'll aim to embrace hard times as an opportunity for God's power to shine, even if that isn't my first reaction.

This week,she talks about one man in the Bible who understood God's ability to repurpose circumstances in a mind-blowing way. 

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In this episode: This week, Michelle talks with Jill Savage, where they discuss how to prepare for and experience joy in the empty nest phase of life. Learn what to let go of and then what we need to grab hold of as we transition from raising children to releasing them from the nest. 

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In this episode: There could be a silver lining in growing older and turning silver. It could be a perspective change about how we think about challenges that are out of our control, or it might be the ability to laugh in the face of wrinkles and chin hairs. Either way, joy is where we look for it. 

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In this episode: Eight ways to respond when your life is on hold and plans disrupted. Face the challenge with a perspective shift about delayed plans, uncertain future, and indefinite waiting. 

Postponed. Interrupted. Delayed. Canceled. Uncertain. Indefinite. Hindered. Suspended. Questionable. Undetermined. Words that could give a planner anxiety. Not planner as in someone who plans events, but a person who likes to have an orderly method for life. A planner:

Puts events on calendar far ahead Arranges details using binders, sticky notes, phone reminders, and white boards.

Has a sense of what will be happening for the next two weeks, two months, two years.

Has a FranklinCovey binder and actually writes stuff in it. Reaches deadlines and finishes stuff.

Keeps details and possibilities organized in her brain for months before an occasion.

Imagine the anxiety for anyone who is a planner when life is interrupted. What about when it’s interrupted not only for them but for the whole world? Suddenly all those horrible words are tossed around multiple times per day: Postponed. Interrupted. Delayed. Canceled. Uncertain. Indefinite. Hindered. Suspended. Questionable. Undetermined.

This week, Michelle gives quick tips on how to cope when everything you had scheduled is on hold.

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In this episode: We can love others and bring glory to God even when unexpected circumstances shake us up. A repurposed life is one that is driven by a different approach to interruptions and crisis. It is one where there is peace when the “normal” response might be panic. It’s where resilience takes priority over resentment. This is the life where hope triumphs over hysteria. Ten tips for how to hold on to hope and peace and discover the source of resilience in hard times. 

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