These are the most popular posts on Midlife Tribe. Each one seemed to strike a chord, triggering honest, candid responses from people I've never met. Together, they chronicle some of the most valuable lessons learned on my journey towards a happier life.

It's tough to create a side hustle after ten hours away from home each day. You're exhausted. Your kids need you; your partner needs you. A great first step is to do your 'normal' job from home because if you can work on your terms, you gain a lot of the same benefits – before you even start a business.

I thought I'd be making a big splash this week with my new project, but sadly, I'm just not ready yet. Lucky for you (and me), my adorable sister has stepped into the breach once again with a fabulous story about her journey as a writer, as seen through the eyes of a psychic. Enjoy!

Sometimes I look up at the night sky and wonder why I'm stressed about a deadline or some arbitrary goal. Seen from outer space, the concerns of this solitary human must surely seem laughable. I then remember how small I am, and the stress vanishes.

It's taken me a long time to figure out how I can serve my little corner of the universe, and even longer to realise I'm starting to make a difference in some people's lives. Tania Dalton knows this journey well. And like most who commit to sharing their life out in the open, she's overcoming old beliefs that don't serve her bigger picture. She's still figuring things out as she goes, but as I'm discovering, it's the very best way to live – to treat life as a constant series of experiments.

I'm neck-deep in an exciting new project right now, so thankfully, my amazing sister's come to the rescue with another fresh take on middle-age. This is delightfully short, salty and very satisfying – like a box of Barbeque Shapes. Example: "If we're not careful, we spend too much time working, making money and planning for the future. Take time to relax NOW. Your health demands it."

Achieving goals doesn't make us happy. It doesn't cure our insecurities, our anxiety or our depression. If anything, it amplifies them, because there's always more… Victory is always fleeting, but the mountain range is endless. As Prince said, 'I've been to the mountaintop, and there's nothing there. So what's a better approach?

Most of us work to retire. But what if we decided to retire right now, and instead chose how, where and when we did it? How much fun would 'retirement' be? Today's Midlife Mentors guest, Tom Schwab did exactly that, and it changed his life from one of fearing death to embracing life.

Before this generation, no one our age ever witnessed the opportunities we're now seeing. And there's plenty of room for everyone because it's never ‘everyone' that goes for it. Few will make a deliberate decision to step out and try something that might not work. So start exploring, and blaze your own trail!

Imagine losing your marriage and your income in the same year, and then selling everything you own just to stay off the streets. Now picture doing this as a 45-yo mother of two little girls who desperately need you to love, feed and protect them. Picture the fear, the anxiety and the hopelessness. How would you cope?